[BJR]

One of my staff recently left a $700 cordless drill on the spare wheel of the trailer and drove away.

Guess What?

It got trashed into a thousand pieces.

His excuse: I was in a hurry to get home.

I have never asked for money before, but, the amount of broken and lost tools is getting beyond a joke.

I am at the stage now of considering making them pay half the replacement cost out of their overtime.

How do you all stand on making staff pay compensation for carelessly destroying or loosing expensive tools?

[Stonehenge]

I'm beginning to get a taste of that this year - we lost (or had stolen) a Partner K650 saw (price for replacement - $700). The only silver lining was that the saw didn't have much life left in it. But it was extremely frustrating.

One thing I was thinking about doing last year was setting up an incentive system, with one portion of it dedicated to tool loss/breakage. The idea was this: The crew foreman starts with $X in the 'tool bank'. For every tool that is lost or ruined, a percentage of the replacement cost is charged to that account. Use up all the funds in that account, and we start pulling funds from the other 2 incentive accounts. Burn up all the money and we sit down to discuss the foreman's future with the company.

Whatever $ are left at the end of the year, they get to keep.

This wasn't implemented, so I don't know how well it works (or if it works at all). But I may implement it next year, because we're ending up with too many broken hand tools, too many tape measure and utility knives going MIA.

[Rex Mann]

Here in the states, at least most of them, its illegal to make employees pay for equipment they unintentionally damage or destroy. If you force the offender to pay up or loose their job then you have something like blackmail.

I am amazed at the amount tools that are lost, left behind, damaged, destroyed and stolen. All that stuff adds up.

"but its only a $9.00 utility knife"

Most employees don't understand that $9.00 for the company is really more like $13.00. and, it comes out of your pocket!

We know issue each crew the needed tools to do their daily routine tasks. The tools stay with them all the time. Each foreman has his name written on them. If they do not have what they need they have to fill out a form saying why they need another. If something is broken then the broken pieces are required to be returned. It seems to be working pretty well.

The foreman realize they are accountable for their crews tools. He in turn makes his guys accountable.

I understand when things get broken in the line of duty. We are in construction. But, I still can not understand when something like your drill is left out for the trek back to the shop.

Peace,

Rex

[dan deutekom]

Tools can be a real problem.

What I have done is when I hire new people I inform them that they must supply their own basic tools. (list is given to them). The alternative (their choice) is to supply them with a basic tool kit that they have to give you a deposit of X$ for, deducted from the first pay. With this kit is a price list of each tool. If at the end of season or employment the kit dosn't come back complete, the missing tool cost is deducted from the deposit. If major tools go missing or damaged then the responsible employee is called to the carpet and warned that this is unacceptable behavior. Happens too many times and they are out the door.

You have to be reasonable because this business is hard on tools, but carelessness is just inexcusable.

[BJR]

On the subject of tape measures.

Do you find that 8 metre (25ft) metal tapes only last about 3 months anyway.

I have purchased $9 tapes and $50 stainless steel tapes and no matter who is using them, even me, they don't last.

Years ago I could expect a couple of years out of a tape.

Nothing is made to last any more.

I was speeking to a power tool repairer about a good new drill to purchase. I figured he would be the one to have the inside info.

His response was - "they're all crap".

He admitted that no company makes power tools as good as what they did in the old days. But basically you get what you pay for.

Maybe I should factor a full replacement of tools per year into my overheads.

[dan deutekom]

Tools arn't as good as they used to be. Have you ever noticed that the expensive name brand tool looks just like the cheap no name brand except for the case colour and name decals. One unknown company makes the tools for about 20 different companies.

[Stonehenge]

This is also becoming true for cutoff saws. Makita, Wacker, Cutquik and a few others are all identical saws - same size and shape, same engines, same everything. Just a different color of plastic.

As for tapes - yeah, I used to buy the very best - but every one of them wears through the protective coating and rusts at about the same rate. So I now buy some of the least expensive tapes I can. Same with levels - we buy the cheap ones and check them before each project. If they are out of whack, they get tossed.

[BJR]

Jeff

I have just Implemented the scheme you mentioned.

I have told my staff that there is a $1000 tool kitty. All carelessly broken and lost tool replacements will come from this account. And as you mentioned, any money left in the kitty will be shared between them. Amount for each person will be dependent on their employment lenght for the year.

Guess what?

They have already buried a $150 angle grinder behind a wall.

Great start.

[Stonehenge]

I'm surprised they even admitted that. Thought they might tell you it was stolen or something.

I'm anxious to hear if they start caring for the tools more, once they see the $$ disappearing from their kitty.

[Stonehenge]

I may institute the very same thing...too many things are being treated like they are growing on trees.

[agla]

Is it just me, or do any of you think that most employees think that for every $ worth of tools and equipment you have, there is an equal amount of extra cash that you have lying around. They seem to have no concept that it comes out of your pay.

I know that getting my pay check at the end of each and every week (soon to be two weeks) is a good thing. As an employee the money comes one way and is quite predictable.

Yes, owning a business is great, but you that do carry a burden that many employees don't understand. This is America and everyone has the opportunity. Your employees can make it too, if they have the drive and enough brains.

It really bothers me when people resent success because of their own short comings. I don't care if someone inherits a hundred grand to get going, if they keep it going, they earned it all.

[Tim]

I must say that I like Dan D.'s idea on issuing a basic tool kit to each worker. That's a good step beyond what my company normally had done in the past with our flatwork crew's tools. We actually painted hand tools different colors for each crew truck to keep them stealing stuff back and forth with marker paint. Tim

[Stonehenge]

I had an employee tell me he was ready to run for the hills today....In the last week, 3 grade rakes have been destroyed. 2 w/ fiberglass handles were snapped in half.

I'm always amazed at how everyone's recollections get so hazy when it comes to broken tools.... "I was driving that truck for a few days..." "I found them like that..." "I didn't see it happen, but it mighta been..."

[Stonehenge]

Oh yeah - he was ready to run for the hills because when I saw 2 - $50 rakes snapped in half, they became airborne somehow....

[jwholden]

I find that I usually break or lose tools when I'm in too much of a rush or nervous. I suspect your guys are rushing to get the job done because they are nervous the boss will start throwing s--t.