Workshop damage / losses from the lads

[V8Druid]

Steel pipe across behind the ears

that was reserved for any tw*t my alarm caught in the yard at 3 a.m. .... had 2 ft pieces of 33mm CHS stashed all over the place, that'd come easily to hand, when I went in there in the dark .... just the right length as a bludgeon or a missile ..... surprising how far you can throw 24" of 33 x 3mm CHS

 

[V8Druid]

C'mon @V8Druid you sound like you were a fair gaffer what was your method

Cheers Jim ... I always tried to treat 'em right ......
TBH was very rare to have any issues .. my guys appreciated what i spent on gear, etc, to make everyone's lives easier and looked after it well.
they always had a few sets of clean overalls in their lockers, boots whenever required .. tea room always well stocked, with tea, coffee, biscuits, cakes, bread, crumpets and tins of beans, etc. ... As long as they didn't take the piss, they also had use of the place for their own little jobs, fix their cars, whatever. Most had keys and their own alarm passwords and were treated like extended family
Fk ups were thin on the ground ... and unless it was total stupidity I accepted the odd one happens ... have made a few meself over the years ... call meself a few names and resolve it .....
I sat here pondering for quite a while trying to recall anything that really sprang to mind ............. and couldn't ........ was very lucky to choose an exceptionally good crew

 

[jd6820]

The amounts discussed I think are probably about average for employed labour and mistakes. I can't knock them for ordering a rocker gasket, but not replacing it is just silly and would have annoyed me. I'd explain to them in a group meeting that this months incidents have added up to X amount and you'd like their input on how these incidents could be reduced? If after this meeting the expenses start increasing then i'd be inclined to start imposing rules or warnings. I had to make that decision with a lad I employed as in one week he cost me £1000 and two lost days, not so much as a sorry or turning up to work to help fix their mess! Added to that they cost me about the same as all your employees combined a month (which I could tolerate as i'm not perfect either) but the extra tipped me over the edge. The main thing to remember is you're running a business, if they are taking the profit out of it then eventually there won't be a job for them. I agree to being fair with them but they won't have a job if you can't survive due to their negligence....

 

[Lynchy]

Slightly different,but I stopped carrying,nuts bolts,q/r fittings,bits n pieces,wasn't appreciated when I did a quick fix to get back going,don't lend tools any more,sick of hearing,'it was over there',yeah but where the f**k is it now,?
Sounds like you've had a bad run,n times being quiet probs makes it seem worse,mebs explain to them in a chat about business,600 quid lost has to come from profit,when I do owt wrong or break something pisses me off,guess it's down to how much pride folk have in their work,sometimes better the devil you know,though?

 

[Monkeybusiness]

Explain your profit margins to them and make them understand that £600 essentially rights-off £3000 of turnover (assuming that you pretend to the staff that you only operate on a measly 20% profit margin)...

 

[Brendan]

I suppose accidents happen but would be worth putting up a list and rough costs and downtimes. Generally don't really agree with bonuses/incentives for not destroying stuff but can see how a monthly/yearly pot for something could help.
On the flip side guess what idiot treated themselves to a new electric breaker and then within a few hours of use managed to get the cable trapped in some concrete as it was being broke out resulting in a big of cable damage
Literally years of them on hire plus my own smaller ones without a single issue, what a tool.


Still as doobin says best thing you can do is scratch it on the first day/straight away and take the worry off

 

[DaveDCB]

The joys of employing people!
Problem is we all bugger stuff Up, my first 3cx I filled up the hydraulic tank with diesel the day I got it.. didn’t make that mistake again!

i have a collection of parts for machines which I no longer own, parts ordered to fix a problem and just found like you said a simple nip up fixed it!
I send them back these days for a credit, or just fit them anyway!