How would you deal with this employee???

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Yellowdog said:
If I get yelled at by anyone other than family, I would want to end that working relationship.

YD,
You've never lost your cool and yelled at someone? You must be a saint or sumthin'. I figure everyone makes mistakes. Better that someone points it out and calls the person on it. If it happens on a regular basis I agree with your solution.
 
Update: Today was over 95 degrees here in mass. I was running a five man crew taking out a bunch of State tree's over a guardrail and down a banking on the highway. We worked real hard, taking down tree after tree and lugging them up the hill to the road for chipping. The same kid from the original post ?????ed and moaned all morning. He started slacking, completely not pulling his wait, he was letting every one else do the work. I personally hauled a big log up the hill, when he reached over the guardrail for a hand off i threw it to the ground, and said pick it up, and enough with standing up here, go down the hill and get some!!!!! As a descended down the hill, he started screaming and swearing down at me, i admit i lost my temper, i ran up the hill got right up in his face and said you got something to say!!!!! I told him id roll his candy ass right down that hill. He said " I'm done, I'm not doing anything" and i responded "you bet your ass your done, and told him he can walk his ass off the job sight and find his way home" I fired him on the spot. I was angry for a minute, but quickly calmed down and felt very happy that i would not have to listen to him anymore, there just is no room for attitudes like his on any of my crews, he can find himself a job at McDonalds...i have already replaced him, have a new guy coming in tomorrow.
 
Good for you its about time!!! I wouldve done the same take your tools and walk! No matter how far from the shop you were!
 
diltree said:
Update: As a descended down the hill, he started screaming and swearing down at me, i admit i lost my temper, i ran up the hill got right up in his face and said you got something to say!!!!! I told him id roll his candy ass right down that hill. He said " I'm done, I'm not doing anything" and i responded "you bet your ass your done, and told him he can walk his ass off the job sight and find his way home" I fired him on the spot. I was angry for a minute, but quickly calmed down and felt very happy that i would not have to listen to him anymore, there just is no room for attitudes like his on any of my crews, he can find himself a job at McDonalds...i have already replaced him, have a new guy coming in tomorrow.

i see one thing here-- you gave him every chance. and now you will never wonder if you could have salvaged an employee... i am very thankful no one was injured due to his surly attitude and not doing his share...

i do have one question-- do you have pics of his face when you told him you'd "roll his candy ass right down the hill"?
 
Trinity......I wish I did have a pic...it was classic; im usually so calm, he never expected me to snap like that...it was priceless, his pouty walk down the highway was pretty funny too.
 
diltree said:
Trinity......I wish I did have a pic...it was classic; im usually so calm, he never expected me to snap like that...it was priceless, his pouty walk down the highway was pretty funny too.

i imagine that your other employees will decide to NOT behave as this fellow did... and your actions will remain legend among your workers... passed on from generation to generation...

you can now go to work without wondering how this kid will push your buttons during the next few hours...

years ago, someone told me one method of good parenting when the kids were acting up was to shoot one, then the others would toe the line.

i never tried it. made certain there was never a gun in reach :)
 
To hell with being professional, it was unprofessional to hire the punk in the first place, Huge error in human resources......I seen no need to keep my cool, we were in the woods aside of a highway, was the perfect time to mix up current day professionalism with a little bit of the old school way of dealing with guys. My dad and my older brother once got in a fight on the Job, and my dad made him walk home with his climbing gear; my bro walked 16 miles from the job.......thats what i call human resource management
 
You definitely had the authoritative edge and probably the physical edge over this kid. So why the bully stuff?

It's amazing that among all the options that people had taken the time to offer, you just chose to go apesh1t - now you're bragging and gloating about it online.

Whether you fired him or not you should have talked to the kid. You're fortunate enough to have a dad who works with you and taught you about work. Maybe this kid could have used a constructive critical word or two before you let him go.
 
Yeah, I hear you Jim....I'm not a violent person, i never yell at any of my guys, and I'm not bragging, just updating the original post....but I have had three talks with this kid, this is the third time he has screamed at me. His actions were pretty blatant, he was leaning over the guard rail challenging me in front of my entire crew. I would never bully anyone, but i also refuse to take crap from some punk that thinks he's a tough guy. I have treated him with respect, but he crossed the line and i responded at his level. I think it was what he needed to be honest with you.
 
Jim....I also took many options on this thread, i have had two talks with him about his temper, but this time his temper was directed at me, in a very aggressive manner, honestly im proad i was able to restrain myself, cause i really felt like sending the punk for a tmble down the hill.....I wish i had let him go in the first place, in the future I will not employ any other guys that cant control their tempers, im an arborist, not Dr. Phil....ok Buckeye Jim
 
If it was here, the entire crew would have smashed him before the boss got a chance, but its NOT the way.

As the boss, its you responsibility to be professional, keep your cool in heated situations, there are other ways you could have handled it. You know what I'm saying?
 
curious,to know what your other help thought of the situation,maybe it needs to be a group meeting, because if the others were in ear shot of him before you came down ,it may have been something different that you heard the end of .
 

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