How to deal with no-show workers

[Andrew L]

Heard a story recently, maybe:

It had been a particularly crap and long week.  Monday's grinding job had gone from bad to worse, hitting unknown bits of metal which had broken teeth and the day had finished after the drive belt broke but with loads more to do.  Day 2 had ended up lasting 13 hrs after further mechanical issues which had meant getting back to base after 2130hrs but at least the customer was happy.  Weds was a long drive out and back and again, the job had stretched out meaning home past 1900hrs.  Thursday had seen an interesting chestnut reduction but a hard day's climbing and again a late finish.  Friday was a simple but long hedge reduction with a new worker, who was well known to the boss.  The boss didn't like or trust this guy but he had pleaded for work on a number of occasions and our hero's landlady had asked that he be given a chance.  But having agreed face-to-face to work earlier in the week, on Thursday evening at 2115hrs the new guy had rung the landlord and told him that he had had a better offer driving elsewhere and would not be coming to do the hedge work after all.  He didn't speak to the boss, just left a message.

Too late to get anyone else in, too late to postpone (and the customer had already been postponed once before) the job was undertaken single-handedly.  The customer wanted a lot off ie this wasn't just a gentle trim.  No groundie meant the chipper couldn't be brought on site and so an extra trip back to base was required to unload the morning's reductions.  Hedge finally completed and everything cleared up to the customer's satisfaction at 1900hrs. Still had 2 truck loads to clear.  Anyway once home and fed, our boss decided to nip out in the car to the new guy's place to ask him in person why he had let him down.

"Apparently" the conversation went something like this:

Boss: Hello Michael

Michael: Hello mate.

B: I am listening.  Why did you ring the farm and leave a message, rather than speak to me directly?

M: I didn't have your phone number.

B: Michael, I live on the farm, you could have rung the landline anytime and I was there when you rang, just upstairs.  What time did you hear about the driving job?

M: About 6pm, I'm not sure

B: Ok, so why did it take you 3 hrs to ring to say you weren't coming?  I could maybe have found someone else or postponed the job?

M: Er, well, I'm not really sure what time it was really.

B:  Ok, so how much did you earn driving today?

M: £100

B: Well, then I think it might be reasonable to give me the difference, since you have let me down (£20). 

M: (Snorts and sneers) Yeah, right: you and whose army?

At this point M receives a punch to the face and a scuffle occurs until his missus arrives, hearing him squealing and moaning.  B leaves.  Apparently there was quite a lot of blood coming from somewhere on his face, shame.

 

Poetic justice?  Maybe.

Worries about an ABH charge?  Not really.  It turns out Michael drives a brand new Merc because he is claiming sick benefit, so he can't call the police because that would result in the fact he is working coming out in court, so he would lose his car and get into loads of crap for fiddling the system.

Just another work-shy w@nker.

[Rich Rule]

It takes two to tango and both sound like arseholes IMO.

[Khriss]

Sadly , heard that before / had those types before - dunno why tree work attracts them  ;/  K

[Doug Tait]

Sounds like there's a lot more to it. Boss knew the guy well and didn't like or trust him, but still offered him work.

Wonder why the landlady has such influence on who his business employs.

[Stubby]

33 minutes ago, Doug Tait said:

Sounds like there's a lot more to it. Boss knew the guy well and didn't like or trust him, but still offered him work.

Wonder why the landlady has such influence on who his business employs.

He is shagging her and the lad is his illegitimate son but he does not know it yet . Next week someone gets diagnosed with a terrible illness and there is an armed robbery across town . Stay tuned . 🙂

[Khriss]

25 minutes ago, Stubby said:

He is shagging her and the lad is his illegitimate son but he does not know it yet . Next week someone gets diagnosed with a terrible illness and there is an armed robbery across town . Stay tuned . 🙂

...... yr writing fr 'The Archers' now  ? K

[aspenarb]

The best way to deal with a serial no show is bump their pay day back accordingly, whether paid monthly or fortnightly pay them when they have done the days.

 

Bob

[Mick Dempsey]

I get the impression that this is a cash in hand, pay as you go arrangement.

[Mark Bolam]

You’d hope so for £80 Mick.

 

Stubby, you’re wasted on here mate!

[Stubby]

4 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

You’d hope so for £80 Mick.

 

Stubby, you’re wasted on here mate!

I can get wasted anywhere matey , not a problem 👍