At whits end with a employee

[604Pook]

OP you are in WAY too deep, you've wasted too much of your time and money giving the kid a chance which he could give a shit about. Send him. Don't waste another day with him. He either isn't old/mature enough to handle he job, or he isn't a machinist period, never will be. Way too many times shop owners thing everyone can be a machinist, and wants to be. Not the case. It took me years to finally see the light with that truth.

And the line......"It seems to take.about 2 or 3 to find a good one to keep" ......what a hoot! If that's the case you have NO idea how lucky you have been. Today most times it can take dozens of trys to find one keeper.

if you can even find any to show up for an interview. Many will call and "plan" to come for the interview, not many show up.

 

[jccaclimber]

<snip>

How do we get the current and next generation to understand it’s not shameful or degrading to do hard work. Factory repetitive work?
We demand the products (and waste them) while compleatly looking down on the work that creates the product :/

By paying decently to do the factory repetitive work.
Several jobs ago we tended to hire engineering lab employees from the production operators. We always had more people put their name in the hat than we had openings and nobody ever said no to an offer. Reason was pretty simple, the engineering lab had air conditioning and it paid better. While the A/C did help, they also had the option to move from the machining area to the assembly area. Similar effort level, but assembly had A/C and machining did not. On the other hand, nobody ever made that move *because assembly didn't pay as well*.

 

[jccaclimber]

if you can even find any to show up for an interview. Many will call and "plan" to come for the interview, not many show up.

If you're candidates aren't showing up for the interview you're attracting the wrong candidates. Might be where you're looking, what you're paying, or any number of other things. If your business plan/location/whatever can't support people who are willing to show up there's another problem. If it's just the nature of the pond you choose to play in then there's the cause.

 

[john.k]

Many are called ---few are chosen.

 

[Milland]

Many are called ---few are chosen.

Many are cold - few are frozen.

 

[Superbowl]

Every job should have an expected time attached to the ticket. That is how a young guy can know what is expected and can measure how well he is doing. Otherwise how would he know as he does not have the experience to know how long a job should take. Let him know that on average over multiple jobs he must meet the expected time to stay employed. Some jobs should go quicker than expected and some should take longer. But on average the expected time should work out.

 

[john.k]

That was the advantage of an old time foreman ....he would let you know in no wishy washy touchy feely words what you were doing wrong,or not doing right.......on the spot correction.

 

[michiganbuck]

I worked at a grinding shop where we logged a daily time sheet for time on each job. The Boss told me to be honest and add a note if I had any job or machine problems..and even if I had the runs and spent too much time in the SH.
Cutmore Tool, it was a great place to work

 

[john.k]

I see quite a lot online about "quiet quitting"......this is where you stop working ,but dont announce it to anyone,and keep recieving a paycheck .......the idea seems to have a big following .

 

[neilho]

Many are cold - few are frozen.

New Hampshire: Live, freeze, and die :-)

 

[Milland]

New Hampshire: Live, freeze, and die :-)

But at least the corpse doesn't smell!

[And we both get the advantage of fresh maple syrup, so ehh, what's a little freezing...]

 

[Phil in Montana]

If this guy is still on your payroll, you are the fool...

 

[Milland]

If this guy is still on your payroll, you are the fool...

The bells on his cap and pointed boots gave it away...

 

[michiganbuck]

I guess understanding that an acceptable, perhaps average piece rate should be upfront as a condition of employment along with absenteeism, cell phone use, and scrap rate rules....perhaps a signed agreement.
Some people want to get fired so they can get unemployment checks, or sue the company.

Re: "You never told me that I had to work, go ahead I dare you to fire me."

 

[jccaclimber]

I guess understanding that an acceptable, perhaps average piece rate should be upfront as a condition of employment along with absenteeism, cell phone use, and scrap rate rules....perhaps a signed agreement.
Some people want to get fired so they can get unemployment checks, or sue the company.

Re: "You never told me that I had to work, go ahead I dare you to fire me."

I used to work at a place with a strong UAW presence. At some point we found out a technician doing a safety critical test was testing, writing down the values, *and then checking pass no matter what the values were*. As part of the epic meteorological excrement event that followed he was fired. Naturally the union sued to get him back wages, his job back, etc. The argument was that we trained him on all the processes to take the data, but had not told him he was supposed to check he fail box instead of the pass box if the part failed.

Before anyone makes another comment about kids these days he was old enough to either be my father or grandfather.

 

[ttrager]

I know this is the answer... man I like to give ppl the benefit of the doubt lol. It seems to take.about 2 or 3 to find a good one to keep

When fishing, you often have to throw a few back because they are undersized. You keep the ones meet the grade. Not being a smart ass, just the reality.

Everything in your post suggests you are operating in good faith, have been taking the steps to mentor and teach, and trying to offer Opportunity to a new employee. Assuming you've done that, and appearances in your post suggest you have, it really doesn't come down to your firing the guy (bear with me)-----------------> The job was his to lose.

That you are troubled by the prospect of having to let him go speaks highly of your character as a leader/boss IMO.