Keep him on or kick the muppet into touch?

[Mr Lee]

The fella I work with and contract to fulltime has gone on holiday for 4 weeks and left me holding his empire so to speak. We have absolutely shitloads of work on and between two of us who know what we are doing, we're struggling a bit due to the sheer amount of it all. Most of the work under 3.5 metres one person could manage. However, a few jobs are over this so need two people to lift it. This is where the muppet comes into it. I needed a second pair of hands as we have a few 5m and 6m units to lift. The 5m ones are okay but the 6m ones are bloody heavy as they are a completely different piece of kit.

Neither of us knew anybody available at short notice that was happy to work one day and maybe not the next. Only person we came up with was his nephew. 17 years old and a year into an electrical engineering course at college. I thought he sounded promising as did my mate. Hmmm..... He doesn't even know how to wire a plug up! A year into an electrical course? No idea how to wire one up? Jesus! All day the gormless knobhead has done my head in so much I proper snapped earlier. Takes a lot for me to snap at work but he managed to make me do it. He has done a few shifts with us now so knows what we do and what we need. It's the same 3 boxes that get taken round for each job, toolbox, two drill boxes, steps, awning and kit box. Simples. Not so to muppet.

Asked him where the kit box and one of the bolts boxes were today...'Huh?'....Queue gormless expression...

Then asked him to fetch one of the large Ip boxes we had been and bought only an hour ago....A what box? Where are they?
'IN THE f*** BOX ON THE BACKEND OF THE VAN WE PICKED UP THIS MORNING!'

my whole day has been like this. He always wants to sleep in the van when i'm driving which winds me. Never uses his common sense to tidy up if he has nothing to do at that moment. Grunts and mutters if customers speak to him, Has absolutely no idea what anything is in the van and thinks everything is okay if it's thrown back in the van in any order at the end of each job as the van fairies will tidy it all up and put stuff back where it actually belongs.

My mate has said if he's shite, get shut of him but you will need someone else to step in on similar money. I feel kind of stuck with him though as I don't know anyone and the fact he is my mates nephew. He was supposed to be making my job easier but he's proper stressing me out with his useless ways and lack of drive.

What would you do? Keep him or not?

[kes]

If you MUST have someone and can really think of no-one else then you're stuck.

Me? I'd sack him first thing tomorrow.

[Mr Lee]

If you MUST have someone and can really think of no-one else then you're stuck.

Me? I'd sack him first thing tomorrow.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head on both counts Kes. Stuck for someone but really don't want this lad.

[Jack Koff]

The future doesn't look too bright if sparkies can't even wire a plug

Having a CSCS card that even the thickest cnut in the world can pass doesn't inspire confidence though. It's just a way to con firms or tradesmen out of cash.

[Shiny]

I have an answer... Give me a call and get rid of the eejit. I'll help ya out for a few days mucka.

[weebl]

We have a guy like that. Only he's nearly 50.

[Mr Lee]

I have an answer... Give me a call and get rid of the eejit. I'll help ya out for a few days mucka.

I might be popping into yours tomorrow or wednesday mucka anyway. Will let you know what I have on. In chesterfield and then Stannington S6 if they ever get back to me....

[Mr Lee]

We have a guy like that. Only he's nearly 50.

Kin ell..

I can't understand people who need to be told everything all the time. I have always looked for something to do, even if it's just sweeping up whilst there was nothing direct for me to do. Stood around doing nothing makes the day far longer...

[Shiny]

I have an answer... Give me a call and get rid of the eejit. I'll help ya out for a few days mucka.

I might be popping into yours tomorrow or wednesday mucka anyway. Will let you know what I have on. In chesterfield and then Stannington S6 if they ever get back to me....

Chuck that magnetic target trap in the van.

[Mr Lee]

I have an answer... Give me a call and get rid of the eejit. I'll help ya out for a few days mucka.

I might be popping into yours tomorrow or wednesday mucka anyway. Will let you know what I have on. In chesterfield and then Stannington S6 if they ever get back to me....

Chuck that magnetic target trap in the van.

Tis already in mucka.

[Mr Splodge]

It amazes me how some people can be so unbelievably incompetent. Thing is it's not some people, actually most people. I've worked places that have genuinely left me wondering how they actually manage to get anything done at all.

[mick]

That's the prime reason I'm not keen on taking on trainees and apprentices anymore ,they all seem to think the world owes them a living and they know better than you.IF he is a year into a 2330 c&g electrical course and can't wire a plug up yet he only really has the dole queue in his future as far as I'm concerned.

I'd always rather take an old fella ( shiney) on than a young buck with little sense and even less loyalty

Tell him he has till the end of the week to adjust his attitude or he can f. Off uncles gig or not.

[Chilli CAT]

they all seem to think the world owes them a living

Generation Y = generation 'why should I?'

[Jack Koff]

''Shhh, i'm on my playstation''

[Shox Dr]

It's called getting old lee . in the end they are to all intents the same.

[Deathonastick]

If you are stuck with him, give him lots more instruction as you go along and don't rely on him to use his initiative - tell him at every turn what to do - its how his education has worked up to now

[Darksnow]

Sounds like he's seventeen to me.

Sounds like a numpty as you say, but the lack of motivation and initiative and communication skills is just age. Cut him some slack.

[Shiny]

Sounds like he's seventeen to me.

Sounds like a numpty as you say, but the lack of motivation and initiative and communication skills is just age. Cut him some slack.

Yet in contrast when I was 15 doing my work experience at school with an electrician, I was chasing walls out, running cables, sheathing them, wiring sockets/switches/fittings... the only thing I didn't do was testing & commissioning.

He even offered me paid work for the full 6 week holidays

[mysterious_rider]

yeah at 15 I was working with the old man! window cleaning and painting and decorating! Haha, good ol times. always thought about doing something electrical, but its never happened. gone into the window cleaning with the poles now, just putting it through testing on our own house, and its SO much quicker, decent money in it too. and its a piece of piss to do and the results are fantastic. So me and my dad (joint business) will be building up our workload once we know the kit works to perfection. Good stuff.

[Darksnow]

When I was that age I was assisting with a major network upgrade in the school. I would sit in the back of classes taking wall plates off and using punch down tools on the Cat5 being stuck behind there.

What I meant above is that this behavior could just be age. Fire him for begin crap, it might snap him out of it for the next person, but if it's just for a wee while, harass him as much as you can and something might sink in.

[-wizard-]

its bloody hard to find decent work lads... and when you get a good un its bloody hard to keep them with ya.

[Shiny]

When I was that age I was assisting with a major network upgrade in the school. I would sit in the back of classes taking wall plates off and using punch down tools on the Cat5 being stuck behind there.

Now you're making me feel old - Not even Cat3 had been thought of when I was at school, all we had was the BBC Econet!

[steve]

about 3 years ago I had a school leaver working for me, he lasted about a week then I got rid of him. He would question everything I done as though I was doing it wrong, I think he had one day when he didnt spill a cup of tea all over to place (floor/desk/phones).

the final straw was when he jumped on the forklift and drove through the door

Lee, get rid of him asap dont let him spoil your worklife. I really wish I could come up there and help you out..............but I just cant be arsed

[Darksnow]

When I was that age I was assisting with a major network upgrade in the school. I would sit in the back of classes taking wall plates off and using punch down tools on the Cat5 being stuck behind there.

Now you're making me feel old - Not even Cat3 had been thought of when I was at school, all we had was the BBC Econet!

We had that too! The BBC network room had two big loud hard disk in the corner, with all the BBC B's and micros in that room booting off it. Hard core that room

[Jack Koff]

When I was 15, I was playing on my bike, camping and having fun.

It sounds to me like he's got no interest because he's bored. Probably because he's working with a moaning auld cnut

Try and make the day more fun and i'm sure he'll put a bit more effort into it