Wreckless Future?
A newly hired parts runner for our shop caused a car wreck last Friday totaling a company vehicle. I wasn't happy about the situation but accidents do happen. So after the weekend, MONDAY, the same employee took another company vehicle home for lunch , without permission (WTF?!!) and wrecked it.
Worse than being somewhere he wasn't suppose to be was the fact that he didn't even mention that he had been in an accident when he called me. He only told me he was being held for no proof of insurance. The wreck only came to light as I was talking with the on scene police officer. I was trying to explain to her that it wasn't a big deal and I would have the correct insurance information to her shortly. She must have thought I was an ass for acting so nonchalant about a wreck but she soon realized I had no idea there had been one.
Of course after I went to the scene and straightened it out I followed the employee back to work and promptly fired him, not for the wrecks but for the lying and the other. Much to my surprise, he seemed surprised. Holy shit!!! How could you possible think you wouldn't get the axe after that? Isn't there some kind of two weeks of driving-under-the-speed-limit-rule after a wreck? Apparently not.
I wouldn't even mention this but the guy is nineteen years old with a wife and a baby on the way. He needs a job. HIS BABY TO BE NEEDS HIM TO HAVE A JOB! I'm just baffled and upset by the whole thing. Yes, I don't like our equipment being used like we run a demolition derby but more importantly I see a pattern of this type of behavior from this generation.
I know it's not fair to paint a whole generation with the same brush. I'm also very aware that I sound like an old man complaining about today's youth when my generations certainly had and has its share of flaws but this has me concerned. We have three or four entry level jobs open we can't fill. Either the people who apply can't pass a drug test, don't have a drivers license or have so much personal drama going on they can't make half a week let alone the forty plus hours we need. Even worse a lot of the people who should be happy to get a job that can teach them a skill such as becoming a mechanic have opted to go flip burgers in the air-conditioning for half the money and no benefits.
So unlike the other day when I saw some humor in being to old to "cut the fool" with some immature teenagers I see nothing funny about this situation. I couldn't give a rip about the young man I let go. He's capable of making his own way if he would accept his responsibility and man up. What bothers me here, what I can't stop myself from thinking about is his unborn child and its future.
It breaks my heart.
9 comments:
Don't let the child break your heart, like all children past, present and future, they too will find their way. They always do. Regardless of how moronic their parents are.
I wish we lived closer to you.. the hubby needs a new job desperately!
Its not just the younger generation. I mean look at any politician, FFS look at the leader of the free world! The thing is, there are good people out there, and it sometimes takes a bit of persistence to find the good ones.
Jen: But it does break my heart because it's a pattern. We have had to lower our expectations of an employee so low that just showing up on Monday makes them a candidate for employee of the week. How can you be responsible for a child if you don't even know what responsibility is?
The job market up there isn't good huh? I think the pay here is less but so is the cost of living. That's changing though, the cost of living that is, not the pay :)
Darren: I talk to young adults who think getting a college education means you won't have to work hard. Then they're shocked when they don't get their own office, a company car and are put on a time clock. I think this generation thinks you get it all by default.
:) Who is this leader of the free world you don't like? He should talk to our President. George might be able to give him so pointers.
I can't wait to here how the party went. Did you wear the gold shoes?
If he's old enough to have children he's old enough to know not to take vehicales home without permission.
You handled the sitution well you didn't condone his behaviour, next time he gets a job hopefully he'll think twice before doing something so stupid.
Not wishing to start a huge heated debate, but seeing as you guys started it, what's your opinion of Obama?
"How can you be responsible for a child if you don't even know what responsibility is?"
I get this point of view but working where I work, doing what I do, you have to develop thicker skin. (Or more trust in hope.) Cause there are a plethora of people out there who are breeding that shouldn't even REMOTELY be allowed to!
And somehow they manage to survive...
tt: One can only hope he learns and grows. *sigh*
hee hee, Oh you do want to open up a can of worms here don't you :)
Obama is a very liberal, inexperienced, tax and spend, idealist whom the press has picked to be the next president. In the end we will find out he's just another politician, not a rock star. I don't know what Hillary did to piss the press off but they dropped her like a hot potato and jumped on the Obama band wagon. I think Obama went for it a little too early in his career but that's just my opinion.
Jen: survive
I want more for people than to just survive. There is no reason this guy can't make a good home for his child. I look at raising children differently than some do I guess.
God bless you for doing what you do. I don't think I could. :(
We have the same problem here, RT. The future of law enforcement is seriously compromised at this point - remember that all of your "new" sheepdogs will also be from this strangely and dysfunctionally entitled generation. And I won't even go into the part of lowering our standards so we can minimally staff our correctional facilites. You'd be terrified if you knew.
I use to think the problem with law enforcement had to do with the low pay (which I still get pissed when I see a ball player making millions as a cop makes just enough to eat on) but I'm realizing it's much more than that.
Ha! I'm terrified and I don't know.
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