What would you do? (work related)

EastStandLower

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15 Jan 2009
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597
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My sons 20 and has just come out of his apprenticeship and now is a fully qualified plasterer (and a good one). His boss has been promising him proper wages as soon as his certificates come through. This week his paperwork arrived so he duly took them into work to get copied and a day later his boss has informed him that he is getting laid off on Friday.
Now his boss is a nasty little bastard and has constantly been pulling Ricks (my son) work on things like a window reveal being 1mm difference from one side to the other, a wall corner 2mm out over 3m that kind of thing. Asking him why he hasn't boarded a full house in 2 days, threatening to dock his wages if he has to put other people on a job to help him, not supplying him with a mixing whisk so he has to mix by hand. Making him buy his own buckets for mixing, Putting him in a school with the lights on a timer and expecting him to finish the job in the dark. Just basically winding him up and trying to make him walk. Fair play to Rick he's kept his head down been non confrontational and carrying on grafting his back out for a piss poor wage. (I'd of battered the guy with a 2 metre spirit level until he stopped twitching!)
I ve suggested he goes down to Citizens advice on friday and take all the printed evidence of his wage docks etc so they can give him professional advice on whether he can get some of the docked wages refunded and how he stands on a redundancy payment claim.
Rick obviously wants to cause this guy some grief and does have some dirt on him.
He owns and lives in a grade 2 listed building that he's renovated over the last couple of years. His internal walls have been boarded and skimmed instead of horse hair render, he's got 10 cubic of concrete in the floors and asbestos buried in his garden. I'm no expert on building regs but I'm pretty sure he's taken short cuts that are not within regulations.
His H & S on site is very poor, no toilets on site, all his vans are death traps and from what I ve heard his approach to a job with asbestos on site is appalling. A lot of the other trades that work for him have got kids and mortgages so don't complain as people who have suddenly find themselves laid off the reason being no work for you pal!
Is it worth all the hassle?
He probably wont get a reference anyway but I just see it as the big man against the little man and it will be a long drawn out saga not worth the effort.
He's going to struggle getting another job quickly before Xmas and the biggest stumbling block is he's not passed his driving test so that limits the area in which he can seek employment.
I feel really sorry for him and I am very angry, I ve spent the last couple of years seeing him come home from work exhausted and covered in shit after grafting his back out for a poor wage for this wanker and in return he lays him off right before Xmas. The best part is he has a guy who works for £100 a week (how he gets away with this I ve no idea?) and he has said to Rick if he is struggling he can offer him the same deal! WTF!

Is it time to get nasty?
 
Firstly "A big well done to Rick for completing his course under such bad conditions."

By the sound of it hes better off away from that Prick, while hes young and not got many bills to pay.
The Not being able to drive is holding him back for doing odd jobs around the local area as he would still have to get all his gear there Plus the bags of plaster.
Has he tried the old school yellow pages phoning builders, plasterers, plumbers etc. or maybe some of these plastering schools that have started up might want someone.
Or with the lead up to Christmas try to get something else to tied him over until the new year.

As for revenge on the ex-boss if hes been in the game for years he will know loads of people in the same business. So if you rock the boat with him the waves might upset the others and Rick could end up with a bad name as a trouble maker and no one would take him on.

I really do hope he gets some sorted
 
brooklandsblue2.0 said:
I have just had some work done here, just boarding/skimmed but would have happily put it your lads way. Anyone have any jobs need doing?

i think this is another good example of having that proposed 'services forum'. people need stuff and other people have stuff to offer.

sorry about your son, btw. might be able to get him under constructive dismissal, not sure tho as he has been laid off and not sacked.

in all honesty his best bet is to put his energy into getting another gig and then - revenge is best served cold, is it not. the bloke cant watch his car tyres forever!!
 
From the above it also sounds like nasty little weasel boss is not paying minimum wage...??? Again, illegal, and something he needs doing for. Exploiting his workers, this guy needs seeing off!
Is he less than average height for a male by any chance? Small man with big chip on shoulder syndrome?

He needs a visit from: HSE, Building Regs, HMRC and the Department of Employment....oh and VoSA about his unroadworthy vehicles!
 
A sticky of blues in trades (with links to happy customers)ought to be sorted by now


this "boss" needs reporting to the health and safety exec I guess
 
The best thing about this is that hes got his qualification regardless of the conditions, the games gonna pick back up soon.... But as of now, he may have to find a shitty pt job before xmas n start fresh in the new year.. I was abrickies apprentice, who now teaches apprentices...so its all worth it IN THE LONG RUN if he keeps his hand in.. PS, DID YOUR SON HAVE A TRAINING PROVIDER WHILE DOING HIS APPRENTICESHIP? EG, skills solution or CITB?
 
the most important thing out of all this is a positive, he's qualified plasterer.
he should start work for himself right away, network himself, get cards printed, go to the bank with his paperwork and ask for start up help and advice. we have a guy who dose all our plastering, we dont get second quotes we just ask him to come and do the job, your son will build that type of potfolio too if he is a grafter(he's sounds like one) and is good at his job. our plasterer was working for a tosser when we gave him his first self employed bit of work, now we can't book him for love nor money, and rightly so as he's brilliant.
pm me anytime for any start up advice.
as for the old boss,tell your lad fuck it, learn from it and move on, go make some money doing what he does best. what goes around comes around.

good luck.
 
jacko8684 said:
The best thing about this is that hes got his qualification regardless of the conditions, the games gonna pick back up soon.... But as of now, he may have to find a shitty pt job before xmas n start fresh in the new year.. I was abrickies apprentice, who now teaches apprentices...so its all worth it IN THE LONG RUN if he keeps his hand in.. PS, DID YOUR SON HAVE A TRAINING PROVIDER WHILE DOING HIS APPRENTICESHIP? EG, skills solution or CITB?

Yes he did a courses at mancat and a foundation level in Bolton before that. I'm sure there must be an advisor he can contact there. Maybe he could go into training? Thanks never thought of that!
 
de niro said:
the most important thing out of all this is a positive, he's qualified plasterer.
he should start work for himself right away, network himself, get cards printed, go to the bank with his paperwork and ask for start up help and advice. we have a guy who dose all our plastering, we dont get second quotes we just ask him to come and do the job, your son will build that type of potfolio too if he is a grafter(he's sounds like one) and is good at his job. our plasterer was working for a tosser when we gave him his first self employed bit of work, now we can't book him for love nor money, and rightly so as he's brilliant.
pm me anytime for any start up advice.
as for the old boss,tell your lad fuck it, learn from it and move on, go make some money doing what he does best. what goes around comes around.

good luck.

Thanks for the reply, the only stumbling block on going it alone is the driving licence, as soon as he's got this I'm quite sure there'll be no stopping him. Just the initial expense of lessons etc, got his theory booked so thats a step closer. I'll pm you nearer the time when he's sorted out his driving if thats ok
 

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