I hire my able bodied 40 yr.old, unemployed neighbor to help with bodywork. I'll teach him what I want done, it' will be nice to have help. This is a '36 ford coupe and the top chop is just roughed in, it needs grinding, filling, sanding,cleaning , etc. He's never used an angle grinder and I don't trust him, so I do that, he can't mix or spread bondo, I do that.He acts like he just doesn't want to know. By the end of the week all he is doing is sanding and complaining about the dust. He shows up late, leaves early, etc. Last week I paid him for 9 hours, 2 hours this Monday and now a no-show for 2 days.I guess he is off to another career, thankfully!:yes:
Hard to find good help.
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There should be some kind of a penalty for a 40yr old male that has never used an angle grinder before. Something like being forced to bake a cake from scratch in the public square wearing a stawberry shortcake costume.
You gave the guy a shot and you're no doubt a great guy and neighbor for doing it. When he comes back or you see him toss him some muffin mix and an aprin and tell him my wife called him a sissy when she saw this as she was on her way out to the garage to grab my welder and the angle grinder so she can shore up two metal posts on my dog kennel and gate.
See my "half assed" complaint in the other thread where the guy is leaving TC for lack of help. Its a phenom thats currently spreading like wildfire across the nation. Half assed work, entitled, lazy SOB's. One should be free and clear to punch and perhaps belittle these people into shape, Ala Drill Instructor in Full Metal Jacket - "GET THE HELL DOWN OFF MY OBSTACLE!!!! GET THE HELLLLLLL DOWN OFF MY OBSTACLE"
waste of space and time. Make him stand on his toolbox and eat a jelly donut.
You gave the guy a shot and you're no doubt a great guy and neighbor for doing it. When he comes back or you see him toss him some muffin mix and an aprin and tell him my wife called him a sissy when she saw this as she was on her way out to the garage to grab my welder and the angle grinder so she can shore up two metal posts on my dog kennel and gate.
See my "half assed" complaint in the other thread where the guy is leaving TC for lack of help. Its a phenom thats currently spreading like wildfire across the nation. Half assed work, entitled, lazy SOB's. One should be free and clear to punch and perhaps belittle these people into shape, Ala Drill Instructor in Full Metal Jacket - "GET THE HELL DOWN OFF MY OBSTACLE!!!! GET THE HELLLLLLL DOWN OFF MY OBSTACLE"
waste of space and time. Make him stand on his toolbox and eat a jelly donut.
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He has probably signed up for disability and contacted a lawyer who will sue you for lung damage....
I sincerely doubt he has one. :sad:
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You can't, He never earned one!!!! LOL
I work with a kid (26, thats still a kid, right?) who has vastly improved over the last few years.
When he first started doing what I did for the last decade, I would pull 20-24 hours on installs. His first long shift he fell flat after four hours and called me at home.
My wife answered the phone.....
She told him to change his lace panties to cotton.
He has been outstanding ever since and I cannot be more impressed.
Sometime, it just takes the right person to point out what is obvious.
God I love that woman!
When he first started doing what I did for the last decade, I would pull 20-24 hours on installs. His first long shift he fell flat after four hours and called me at home.
My wife answered the phone.....
She told him to change his lace panties to cotton.
He has been outstanding ever since and I cannot be more impressed.
Sometime, it just takes the right person to point out what is obvious.
God I love that woman!
>>> "She told him to change his lace panties to cotton. "
Ouch, that'll leave a mark.
Ouch, that'll leave a mark.
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3,379 Posts
Yes, it is hard to find good help. It's much more difficult than most people realize, or care to admit. The work ethics issue is a big problem in and of itself. But there's also the problem of getting people who can pass a pre-employment drug screen.
Update; I ran ad's in Lake City and Gainesville craigslist looking for bodywork helpers, as of now no response ! I'm at a loss, I thought a few calls would come in. JUST CRICKETS! Now keep in mind there is no drug testing, you can show up at the crack of 10 a.m., drink lunch, and knock off at 3 p.m. and I'll be impressed ! I just need a warm body! Life on the edge continues, I'm thinking BBQ tomorrow night, just to ease the pain.:beers:
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Marshall,
It is a sin that most young people do not want to work hard for a living, start from the bottom, get dirty and just pay there dues. They are a generation of "entitlement" They want to graduate from school and make 65K+, own a big home and drive a brand new fancy car from the get go.
I was under the delusion that these poor economy would change that to some degree. I haven't seen it.
I have been in the HVAC industry since 1979 + 2 yrs of Tech school before that. My Tech school teacher had to call in a favor from an old friend to get me a job. Minimum wage was $2.90 and I was hired @ $3 per hr. I did all the dirty nasty work, cleaned rooftop commercial oil fired heating equipment, all the condenser coil cleanings, change filters and belts, moved all the heavy motors and compressor and much more.
I have had neebies come to me when I was a manager and say when can I do service work I don't want to get dirty anymore...WTF???? you have only been doing this 6 months. I just do get it
It's a sad, sad situation!!
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This is something I've thought about a lot recently. It's the contemporary version of the the entitlement attitude that we normally attribute to people who want to draw a welfare check, food stamps, and have all their medical care taken care of by the taxpayers. It's not the exact same mindset, but there are some similarities. On one hand, you have a college grad who thinks he shouldn't have to start at the bottom and instead, thinks he's entitled to a corner office and a six figure salary right out of college. On the other hand, you have a the welfare recipient who thinks the government and taxpayers should owe him a living. While the aforementioned college grad may not be looking for a handout and is willing to work, they both want something they haven't worked to earn. They both believe they are owed something that they don't have to work for.
(And now for the disclaimer for those here who DID work their rear ends off to get through college and DID work their way up from the bottom)
That's not to say all college grads have that entitlement mentality, but I have encountered some who do. Like you said, it boils down to people who don't want to start at the bottom in the mail room or on the shop floor. And of course, I wouldn't expect all college grads to start off pushing brooms or sorting mail. I do have enough common sense to realize that a medical school student probably needs to be perfecting his or her skills in a hospital or clinic and not loading trucks on a loading dock. But there are plenty of others who would benefit in the long run from starting at the bottom and earning their way up the ladder.
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