Work experience question

[jimmybigfoot]

Hi, I'm on work experience at a joiners shop in France. This week I've been on sit with this bloke who's only 2 years older than me (I'm 20) and he treats me like s#^t. I do what he says and he still assumes I'm a mind reader.
I was wondering is this normal?
When I answer him back he says dont answer back because I always have a good reason. I don't do anything wrong.
Any suggestions from my fellow woodworkers in how I can put him in his place.
The boss is a really nice guy but I don't want to go complaining about his workers.
Cheers Jim

 

[Dangermouse]

He must be French then. :shock: :twisted:
Seriously though, the only way in my experience to stop a bully is to stand up to him, they usually are just cowards picking on someone they think is an easy target. So just tell him to stop it or you'll complain to the boss. Just right out explain to him his behavior is unacceptable.

 

[MARK.B.]

Sorry Jim thats just the way it is and it does not matter what trade or occupation you go into, there will always be at least one person who will try to give you grief,quite often its the guy ( or woman) who has just moved off the bottom rung of the ladder and simply dishing out some of the crap that they got when bottom of the pile. Do you best to ignore the attitude and get on with your work.The Boss will not be a stupid person(they rarely are despite what we sometimes think ) and will have a fair idea what is going on. If the hassle becomes abusive or physical then you have every right to complain to the Boss.
The other solution used to be find a piece of 2"x4" about 4' long and beat the crap out of him, this is frowned upon these days and quite rightly so as the wastage of perfectly good 2"x4" was getting out of hand .
Remember it wont be long before you move up that ladder and will be in that posistion of being able to make the new guy's life hell or you could learn from your experience and try to help the new guy.

 

[thomvic]

Wise words from Mark.B.

Presumably, as you are on work experience, you won't have to put up with the guy for long. Grin and bear it and accept it as part of the experience subject to the provisos Mark.B. mentioned.

Richard

 

[loz]

You sound like a right winger, at 19 i was in the forces, spending half the time in muddy trenches i'd dug myself, doing 8 on 8 off shifts ( hours not days ) .

get a backbone,

 

[Racers]

Replace his PVA with cream, and see how long it takes him to find out why his glue doesn't go off.

Pete

 

[MARK.B.]

Replace his PVA with cream, and see how long it takes him to find out why his glue doesn't go off.

Pete

:shock: Now thats just plain nasty :roll: but i like it

 

[jimmybigfoot]

Some good ideas guys lol. I think I'll just have to keep putting him in his place. Your right though, the boss isn't stupid.
Thanks guys

 

[MickCheese]

Jimmy

It may be this guy feels threatened by you and is merely insecure.

Keep that in the back of your mind then when you are his boss in a few years time remind him how he treated you.

It's strange how these things sometimes work out but at present you are the young whippersnapper and you just need to take it on the chin, move on and gain that valuable experience.

Mick

 

[jimmybigfoot]

Thanks mick

 

[t8hants]

If you can do a good job under these trying circumstances then in the long run you will be a better tradesman for it. this sort of attitude usually comes from somebody who lacks confidence themselves and is trying to hide their lack by bullying and pretension. My guess is that he has already spotted you are going to be a better tradesman then he is and is jealous.

Yes there will be a degree of reminding you that you are just starting out, but a tradesman worth his salt and confident in his craft would not treat a trainee like this. Remember the Boss may also be assesing how you cope with trying circumstances, as not all jobs are a walk in the park.

G

 

[DIY Stew]

Sorry Jim thats just the way it is and it does not matter what trade or occupation you go into, there will always be at least one person who will try to give you grief,quite often its the guy ( or woman) who has just moved off the bottom rung of the ladder and simply dishing out some of the rubbish that they got when bottom of the pile. Do you best to ignore the attitude and get on with your work.The Boss will not be a stupid person(they rarely are despite what we sometimes think ) and will have a fair idea what is going on. If the hassle becomes abusive or physical then you have every right to complain to the Boss.
The other solution used to be find a piece of 2"x4" about 4' long and beat the rubbish out of him, this is frowned upon these days and quite rightly so as the wastage of perfectly good 2"x4" was getting out of hand .
Remember it wont be long before you move up that ladder and will be in that posistion of being able to make the new guy's life hell or you could learn from your experience and try to help the new guy.

+1

Total waste of 2x4, use a length of scaffold pole instead!

Stew

 

[doctor Bob]

as an employer with a apprentices my advice would be, tell the boss.
If he does bugger all, you're in trouble.
If he does something you're a good worker and your job is safe.

Your choice.

 

[Dibs-h]

No matter where you work or who you work for, you will always come across tossers.

Learning to deal with them, and since there is no one way, learning many ways of dealing with, is a good life skill. But rule #1 - never ever be a victim. Stand your ground, be polite, firm but don't loose your rag. Tell the boss if need be. Leave and work elsewhere if no other choice.

Altho, if it came to leaving - even I would struggle not to follow Stew's suggestion! :lol:

Dibs

 

[Dusty]

Sorry to hear your having a time of it , but with out playing it down , it is as the other say , the "norm" . I used to find my tools stuck to ceilings , tape measures coloured in , insulation clips in my sandwhichs etc . The one hard fact is you are green there and unless you make a stand then it will continue . I did one thing where I had one guy giving me some constant grief and he was a bit of a ring leader , I was 17 and had had enough of the playground rubbish , so by the end of a particularly crappy day I waited for him outside his car , knowing he had to come out and when he did I confronted him nicely asking why he did it , he tried passing it off and tried to tear in to me , I took none of it and told him to sort it out there and then . By this time his "mates" where out and the boss walked out at the same time . He backed down and got in his car and drove off . The next day he came in and was as chummy as possible , I never spoke to him and just did my work . Not long after there were cut backs in the firm , mid 90's . He was laid off , and I stayed , he was senior to me but I heard on the grapevine he had sealed his cards long before but no one had ever complained and the boss had no "good " reason to let him go . So when it was thinning out time , he went first . I stayed there , learnt my trade and it was a good and happy enviroment .

I will never look back as it was good lesson in life . I was not going to be pushed around but at the same time I dont condone violence . You will have to suck up some rubbish being the new boy but in this day and age it should not become personal .

Only other thing to try is to make sure that you are ready for him , pre empt his every move , make sure the nails / screws are there , the glue on hand ,extension leads are already run out , swept up . Just out think him if you can , and if he carries on being a muppet then complain , dont give him reason to complain about you .

My point always was , I went to work to earn my money and to go home , I left school at 16 and left the playground there too .

Far short of that , offer him a nice cup of warm tea , with added laxatives :shock: