I'd left a guy on the jobsite to do some skidsteer work in building a retaining wall. He was alone. A builder two houses down was struggling to unload piece of limestone outcropping off his trailer (he only had a bucket, no forks). The builder had just earlier in the day overpaid us for some geotextile we were using behind our wall.
So my guy, being the good guy that he is, stopped over and offered to help - he unloaded the stone from the trailer in just a few seconds. Grateful, the builder gave him $20.
When he told me about it the next day, I asked him where my cut was. He smiled. I half-jokingly told him that "without my skidsteer there's no $20, right?" He agreed but didn't do anything but smile.
Now this is a good guy, and I know he checks in here every so often, so don't be too harsh (unless the harshness is for me - I can take it) - but if this were you, what would you say to my guy, if anything?
"Where is the case of beer for Friday night after work for all the guys"
Don't feel to bad Jeff. At least he told you about it and wasn't hiding anything. I do think little windfalls like this should be shared by all though. Coffee and donuts for co-workers and boss, pizza for crew, cold pop for hot day. Spread the wealth.
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Beer in one hand - Nacho's in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming : Woo Hoo, what a ride!
Dont bite the hand that feeds you is the first thing that comes to mind.
I know some employers that would tell you to walk home -dont come back.
Having read Stones posts for some time, If he were told that you did the unloading for the contractor, he might have let you keep it for your honesty and your hard work, or to buy coffee for the crew.
But... as an owner, he may now feel , Can you be trusted? How many times has this happened that he is not aware of? etc...
Honesty and carma have a way of repaying all deeds good and bad.
When I was in the interiorscape industry this happened quite often. We would have the only forklift on the construction site. The money if offered went to make the crews life at work a little better. The good working relationship with other contractors on site (invited for coffee or what ever from the proceeds) and making their life a little easier was repayed many times over on many different job sites. Remember "You scratch my back I'll scratch yours." If the proceeds are shared everyone will work together.
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Beer in one hand - Nacho's in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming : Woo Hoo, what a ride!
I would be happy with the fact that he told you. I think a lot of employees would keep that info to themselves. It's only 20 bucks so I would not get worked up over it. Sounds like he is a good honest worker. A little bonus money is probably appreciated by him.
Where was the phone call to you before he did it? He put your company in liability if something did not work out and you or your insurance company would be on the hook. You should point that out to him and tell him that you need to be informed first before you are put in that position.
Where was the phone call to you before he did it? He put your company in liability if something did not work out and you or your insurance company would be on the hook. You should point that out to him and tell him that you need to be informed first before you are put in that position.
Of course you are right. But damn it can't we be just be good guys once in a while without worrying about liability and corporate sh#t?
I still give a boost to a person with a dead battery on a cold winters night, I still will give a lending hand to someone stuck in the snow, I still pick up hitchhikers, I will still give a guy a gallon of gas when stranded on the highway, I will still help another contractor that needs help lifting something and I still will help someone that needs a helping hand when possible. Damn the liability. It is time we got neighbourly again.
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Beer in one hand - Nacho's in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming : Woo Hoo, what a ride!
i agree with dan, i dont even think of the liability, thats why i pay an ass load in insurance every year.........i just try to help people out, because ive been helped out a bunch
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Matt Thompson
Thompson's Landscaping
Henderson, NC
Even though it is only a small dollar amount, how it was handled could vary depending on some different things: age...his understanding of the risks that you take on, even when simply helping another builder...how he sees himself in the company and the respect he wants to gain/keep from you...if he feels he is paid fairly...etc...
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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts--John Wooden
Even my 16- to 18-year-old kids fork over the dough. It is then up to me what to do with it. For $20, I would probably let them have it. How can you be sure it was only $20, though? Here's the deal: Philosiphisizing will get you so far. If you are at a point where the $20 is a big deal, then maybe you are not in the right business. Then again, if it comes down to honesty, integrity and the owner's best interest, then I would use it as a teaching point. If it were to happen again, I would use past information on a case-by-case basis. You probably know the other contractor well enough to find out the legitimacy of the claim, so take it with a grain of salt.
This guy's been with me forever and doesn't have a larcenous bone in his body - I'm confident that $20 is what he got. And it isn't the money, there's just something about the concept that's sticking with me like a hard booger.
This same guy got a check for $10 once for telling a guy where to find a bathroom - but he earned that. The bathroom guy was nuts - he came back to our job site a few hours after he got directions and had given him the check, wrapped in a scrap piece of paper, stuffed in an empty pack of smokes. Check was made out to "Guy who told me where bathrooms were." Serious.
I like Dan's idea - that the money should be celebrated and divided among the crew.
I agree with Dan about being good guys and helping people out. The difference here is that the employee volunteered to put Stonehenge at risk for his own benefit without telling him first.
The obvious risk is dropping the stone - possible damage to stone, personal injury to workers,...
Ask him how he would have felt if he had done damage to the stone, truck or property and had to call you and explain that. If he's a conscientious worker, the thought of that might jar him more than the $20 was worth.
I'm with Dan 110%. What if he didn't give the employee anything? What if he gave him a bottle of Gatorade? It's only $20. Would you prefer that your employee doesn't offer a helping hand? Or you mandate him to just say no whenever a favor might be asked of him? Of course there is liability, but there is liability with everything.
Give it up and be happy that you have such a great employee that is a good person too.
I'd apologize to him for being petty and thank him for being a good guy and representing your company so well. I'm sure he probably used the money to pay off his summer home at the lake.
I'd apologize to him for being petty and thank him for being a good guy and representing your company so well. I'm sure he probably used the money to pay off his summer home at the lake.
So using someone else's equipment to randomly do "favors" without the owner's permission..while the equipment owner is paying you..makes you a "good guy."
..and you suggest Stonehenge is "petty?"
If you spent any time on this site, you should be quickly able to tell that Jeff is quite far removed from being "petty."
