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Coworker issues

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ukwildcat05

Plastic
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Hey everyone,

Moved to a new shop. Making better money. Anywho, my coworker is a parts runner, but this guy is getting on my last nerves.

Issues I see

1. Doesn't bring his own tools. Lost my bandcutters two weeks ago.

2. The guy always seems lost. Like's he's in his own world.

3. Constantly swearing when something goes wrong.

4. Doesn't take intiative to learn anything. Can't do math in his head or read a tape measure. 1/16th? How is that real? Legitimately said this to me.

5.fucks up shop orders all the time. Doesn't count the parts on the skid. Measurements are all the same on inspection reports like he's lying, and he can never ever remember anything. He doesn't write anything down. Everything we tell him goes in one ear and out the other.

6. Example " Josh, you know you fucked up almost $3,000 in parts last night right? Why didn't you stop the machine???
Josh " I don't give a flying fuck"

I've talked to mgmt and they just ignore his mistakes. He's been there 7 years and hates the place. Too scared to leave "easy money" as he always calls it.

Help.
 
All we have is your side, but presuming you're telling it straight: you've already got your answer. If management doesn't care, you can't either.

Protect yourself - don't lend any tools to this guy, don't let him on your machines unless you can lock the parameters and programs, and don't let him screw you (don't let him blame you for his f'ups).

Most important - don't lose your head and do something that gets you in trouble. This is one of the biggest tests a person can go through at work (and sometimes, unfortunately, at home). You have to be bigger than him, smarter than him, and calmer than him. Otherwise you lose.

And maybe keep looking for a better job. If management isn't dealing with this guy, who knows what else they're not handling right.
 
Dealing with keeners

:rolleyes5: I have been in similar situations, this is how I dealt with a PIA like you described.

Just resign yourself to the fact that he is what he is and management does not care. Okay swallow your good conduct and befriend him, pretend to sympathize and ignore his bad behavior. It might be difficult cause it seems like your a good conscientious worker who cares about his work and the out fit that is employing you. If he is your "buddy" chances are he will more apt to just work around you. Yhea you will still have listen to him and tolerate his attitude, but he most likely wont fuck with you.
I would still absolutely listen to the prior posts as well.
Difficult and unpleasant situation, as above you might want keep your ears open for a new outfit to work for, but in the meantime your making a decent wage.
Good luck and just know I survived through much the same.
 
I can honestly say that in over 30 years in the workforce, I've never had to work with anyone - not a single person - who sucked, was a jerk, and who worked against the interest of the company and his co-workers. It's like one of those chromosome deficiencies that only 12 people ever have been diagnosed with. Your situation is indeed both vexing and unique. I simply have no advice to offer.
 
I know your situation, I am living it daily myself. You have to resign yourself to the fact, that if the boss don't care, you can't care. You'll drive yourself mad. It is why I am posting this instead of doing my job. If the owner doesn't care, all you can do is cover your ass while you find a job where they do. My problem is I am at the top of the totem pole around here, if I move, it is a step down. I even offered to buy the business, owner said that was a possibility, but that was a year ago and he doesn't want to discuss it yet. I already played that game and got screwed over by a previous employer. Missed an opportunity to be head maintenance at a brand new facility, because I thought things might change here. 2 months after I passed that by I finally woke up and have been kicking myself ever since. If you find an opportunity. RUN! I have learned, if you are skilled, life is to short to go through everyday dreading to go to work. Good luck.
 
Been there and it was the worst job I ever had.

I would recommend you get out as soon as you can.

Keep a very low profile and say absolutely nothing to anyone.
 
Mtndew said:
Really? Swearing?
It's a fucking machine shop not a fucking church. Get over yourself.
Click to expand...
I suspect the swearing is not the issue; from what the OP said, it is the fact that swearing is what this coworker does INSTEAD of doing his job, fixing the problems that arise, etc.

Change "constant swearing" to "constant whining" - maybe that is closer to the problem?

Sent from my Lenovo TB-8504F using Tapatalk
 
GregSY said:
I can honestly say that in over 30 years in the workforce, I've never had to work with anyone - not a single person - who sucked, was a jerk, and who worked against the interest of the company and his co-workers. It's like one of those chromosome deficiencies that only 12 people ever have been diagnosed with. Your situation is indeed both vexing and unique. I simply have no advice to offer.
Click to expand...

How many co-workers in those 30 years have you had, two? Honestly, just sitting and thinking from my personal experience about at least one in every 20 has been an extreme PITA. I had one young guy said he enjoyed getting on people's nerves and goes out of his way to be annoying. Fortunately I had the authority to fire him. I think he lasted a week.
 
Dualkit said:
How many co-workers in those 30 years have you had, two? Honestly, just sitting and thinking from my personal experience about at least one in every 20 has been an extreme PITA. I had one young guy said he enjoyed getting on people's nerves and goes out of his way to be annoying. Fortunately I had the authority to fire him. I think he lasted a week.
Click to expand...

It was subtle, but I'm pretty sure that was pure sarcasm.
 
Perhaps to you it is... But the culture required to have and keep the $22,000,000 in revenue, this is simply the standard we have in our shop.

Smoking and throwing your cigarette butts on the floor and spitting in chip bins or in machines might also be acceptable where you are, not here.

Cursing isn't what the issue is, it's the getting upset, cursing and yelling and causing a distraction that is the problem.

Can you imagine this behavior while we are doing a walk-through with a buyer for Boeing? I can just see the look on their face as they jot down in their notebook to reduce awarded long term agreements with us.

No thanks. That hurts all of us here ...
 
The movie 'Clerks' is actually pretty lame but it's considered good by many. In any case, there's a great little scene where the guy is bitching about some customers at his store and the other guy says, "Yeah, well, I got customers I hate, too."

"Really? Which ones?"

"All of 'em..."
 
as9100d said:
Cursing isn't what the issue is
Click to expand...

no no no.
Don't try and change the meaning of my reply.
Cursing is EXACTLY what the OP (and myself) was talking about.
He didn't say anything about acting like an idiot when customers are around,or spitting in chip bins or throwing cig butts on the floor.
 
Cursing is the problem. Thing is if you are in my shop as a machinist you are probably making $70,000 a year and folks in a corporate setting that make less have a higher standard for behavior.

I mention the cig butts and spit because those seem to go hand in hand with the behavior described.
 
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