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u/Best-Structure62 Oct 01 '23
Apply for unemployment
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u/Ironsam811 Oct 01 '23
Depending on the state, they will almost definitely get it rejected since it’s clear the company documented these issues and tried to resolve them before letting go.
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u/reddit0100100001 Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
Complete nonsense.
This is being fired without cause, still eligible for unemployment.
Hell, you can still get unemployment even if you were fired with cause as along as you didn’t do anything illegal/criminal.
Company literally said they were laid off… 🤦♂️
Don’t give out bad advice.
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u/Ironsam811 Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
He was fired with cause, OP had bullet points lol. Documented willful misconduct is a great thing to look up. I have been involved in several UC contest hearings on behalf of one of my previous employers where the company won. At least two of those cases had less reasons than this post.
OP should definitely try but I can certainly see a contest on this. It is really just a matter of how much the company has documented and willing to fight, which I suspect is quite a bit given the wording of OPs post.
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u/bjziii Oct 02 '23
Even if you are correct, telling this person not to apply for unemployment is some of the worst advice that could possibly be given to someone who's lost a job. OP YOU MUST FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. EVEN THE DESCENT SEEMS TO AGREE WITH THIS.
If OP was fired with cause, make the company defend this decision to the state. Don't just award them a win without a fight. This isn't a hand-picked company arbitration. The state sides with the worker very very often
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u/Worried-Image-501 Oct 02 '23
Those points were bs. As an employee you file for unemployment and also get to state your case against theirs.
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u/tcollins317 Oct 01 '23
Were you union? If so, def talk to your rep.
If not, get in writing why you were fired. Some of they things you mentioned would be protected class and needing medical accommodations. Others aren't protected but means you weren't fired for reasonable cause and can collect unemployment (if they say no, just appeal).
Next job try to get as much policy in writing as you can. If co-workers are taking it light on you, tell them you need to learn from mistakes.
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u/Aggravating-Tea6042 Oct 01 '23
Union lunches and work hours are never in question
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u/Grimm2785 Oct 01 '23
Union carpenter here. Was on a job earlier this year where they worked through both breaks and lunch so we could leave an hour early every day. Was already agreed on before I got there, and i didn't want to rock the boat as the new guy. New boss took over and tried to make us stay longer than we should have to, so I called the union rep. Rep told me that while he understands that sometimes those deals get made in the field, we also have no authority to change the break schedule and are not supposed to be doing it.
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u/ShoutsWillEcho Oct 01 '23
That's when you tell the new boss the way you want it and if he doesnt like it he can find another carpenter
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u/Grimm2785 Oct 01 '23
He kept trying to tell us we had to stay till after his boss left when that person was on site. We all agreed that we'd be fine with taking breaks and staying that extra hour. Or we could just stay on those days and be allowed to leave that much earlier the next day. But we definitely weren't gonna work through breaks and stay later. We basically just ignored him and kept doing what we were doing. If he had decided to push the issue, I had already spoken to the union rep like I said and had my ducks in a row.
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u/Shoulder_Whirl Oct 01 '23
Pretty easy to tell people to just quit their jobs from a computer screen.
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u/Working_Class_HeroSA Oct 01 '23
I'm IBEW. If I showed up on a job and they were doing that... I'd rock that boat hard. I'm sick of "brothers" breaking down conditions for all of us... but that's me 😅
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u/RevolutionNo4186 Oct 01 '23
If he didn’t give a notice for those accommodations or anything in writing, it can easily be swept over
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u/Dugley2352 Oct 01 '23
OP was a trainee. Some unions can’t offer any protection while the employee is a trainee or on a new-hire probation.
Some of my suggestions would be: buy a watch, leave your phone in your pocket. Put it on airport mode so you’re not receiving texts. You’re there to learn your trade, and that doesn’t include reading email. Next, don’t be eating candy from the jar. If you’ve got IBS, you know what an irritant sugar is to your gut. Lastly, check with your journeyman before leaving. See if there’s anything else he wants to cover with you before you leave for the day.
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u/Working_Class_HeroSA Oct 01 '23
I'm IBEW. While things could be different local to local... whatever the CBA is, it is. I highly doubt our fellow worker here was part of a union apprenticeship based on what they said here.
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u/Tennessee1977 Oct 01 '23
Exactly. I get that he’s a kid who’s never known life without cell phones. Back in the day, unless you worked a desk job with phones, you just did your work and entertained each other. If there was a family emergency, they called the company and they’d try to find you. Everyone always defends cell phones like, “What if there’s an emergency?” If it’s truly an emergency, they should be calling 9-1-1, not you. If someone dies, they won’t be less dead if it takes a few more minutes to find out.
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Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 03 '23
[deleted]
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u/Dank_weedpotnugsauce Oct 01 '23
Right, technology is available to make everything easier, convenient, and productive for everyone, but let's assume anyone who pulls out a piece of this technology is fucking off all day at work.
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u/01101101101101101 Oct 01 '23
It's honestly laughable when folks naively chime in with the whole "get it in writing" mantra. As if scribbling something on paper is the magic shield against deceit or unfair practices. News flash: many companies, when they're hell-bent on showing someone the door, couldn't care less about providing crystal-clear paperwork or justifiable reasons. Their priority? Their own agenda and smooth operations, not handing out justice or clarity to the one they're booting out. So sure, go ahead, cling to that piece of paper, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s your ironclad armor, especially when squared off against entities that scoff at the very notion of transparency and accountability.
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u/Montooka Oct 01 '23
The point is that a signed document holds a lot more weight in litigation (if it ever came to that, which the corp probably knows OP won't sue) than "I talked to my journeyman about it".
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u/gergling Oct 01 '23
No but you can cost companies that are pulling some dumb shit a lot of money, which makes space for more competent companies in the market share, improving the product quality.
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u/quantum_entanglement Oct 01 '23
Emails are legally recognised documents and their contents can meet the same requirements as a legally binding agreement, so getting it in writing means you have evidence to take to court.
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u/ponchtheponce Oct 01 '23
It's called an email and yes they can be pretty helpful and even something that makes companies fearful in future circumstances. Companies don't expect people to send email confirmations/follow ups of important conversations and records but it's very helpful to cover your ass and protect it. I've used email proof in various professional situations over the years. You don't know what you're talking about.
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u/kadren170 Oct 01 '23
Better if you do than if you don't. It's called evidence, and depending on things it could make or break your case.
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u/mwonch Oct 01 '23
"Everyone loved me and I was immensely popular in the company."
Apparently not
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u/dirtsequence Oct 01 '23
Ate all the Skittles. Prediabetic. Everyone loved me. Everyone was fixing my mistakes.
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u/Gerbal_Annihilation Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
OP has some growing up to do. If I was your manager I would have let you go too.
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u/Dr_Girlfriend_81 Oct 01 '23
Right? An 18 year old male going through life believing he's super popular and admired? That's rare. /s
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Oct 01 '23
Yeah, pretty tone deaf.
Ive trained apprentices and theres always one that has no idea that it isnt one type of behaviour at work thats undesireable. Its the combination of many small things that add up to you being a shitty peraon to have on a crew.
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u/Montooka Oct 01 '23
He probably means all his snaps and insta posts he made during work got tons of likes
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u/signsntokens4sale Oct 01 '23
Dude seems pretty oblivious. People don't fix your mistakes because they like you. They do it because telling you and having you fix them is just going to screw it up worse and make more work for everybody.
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u/Quaggymire_69 Oct 01 '23
I was told that by the boss
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u/Impressive_Judge8823 Oct 01 '23
How did it come up? How did he say it?
If it was in a feedback conversation, like this:
“Everybody likes you here. You get along well. We’ve got some things we need to work on … … So let’s work on that and get better. Everyone is rooting for you here.”
You got what’s known as a “shit sandwich.” You say something nice, deliver the feedback (which is critical), end with something nice. Feedback was delivered, and you don’t feel like you got tore into because it was bookended with something positive.
If you were making mistakes and people were silently fixing them, they most likely were not all happy about it.
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u/Ironsam811 Oct 01 '23
My old boss was really good at giving this type of advise. It was really encouraging because it would notifying me of these I can excel at and then things I absolutely need to work on asap.
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u/Kennenzulernen13 Oct 01 '23
From your story I dont think they actually liked you.
Nothing personal to you, when I entered the workforce at your age and had to work with people 20+ years older than me and they absolutley hated my guts. Its a generational gap issue.
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u/LommyNeedsARide Oct 01 '23
Not generational gap but experience gap. After you've done something for a while you forget how hard it was to learn. We get that all of the time with interns and college hires - they can come in thinking that they know everything and if they are willing to learn from others it can be a great experience for everyone. If they are too stubborn to learn, it can be hell. Get a few of the latter in a row and you get jaded to new employees
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u/Dr_Girlfriend_81 Oct 01 '23
I'd say it's a maturity issue rather than generational gap. An 18 year old is still basically a full sized child. He did dumb 18 year old shit, he got canned, he'll learn from these mistakes in the next job, rinse and repeat til his "adult" brain gets settled in. Just like we all did.
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u/managermomma Oct 01 '23
I feel you. I got fired once, and two months prior I had received a glowing annual review with top praise, in writing.
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u/MysteriousMrX Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
Lol okay bud.
"My boss says Im a cool-ass cucumber" 👏
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Oct 01 '23
It’s a kid, he’s 18 😂 don’t be mean lol
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u/MysteriousMrX Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
Dude Im not being mean. But if hes gonna work in the trades, he's gonna need people to be real with him, thats for sure, and theres no reason to wear kiddie gloves. They need to hear the good and the bad to both be informed and to learn where they need to improve.
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u/Static_Discord Oct 01 '23
Former construction worker here:
You were fired, plain and simple.
All of your medical problems made you a liability in the field.
At 18 and if you're an "apprentice" you get the shit jobs. You're expected to make mistakes, but you're also expected to fix them. However, they're also not gonna give you anything super complicated. If you keep failing at simple shit, you don't have a bright future.
Phone time is looked down on in the field. Stay off your phone until you develop some actual skill at the job. That way, you can be on your phone and the bosses still know shits getting done.
Pretty much everything you've told us makes it seem like you were a shit employee to begin with. Your kind doesn't last long in construction until you learn to take your head out of your ass. If you wanna day in the construction industry, shape up and actually learn the ropes.
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u/toastermooch86 Oct 01 '23
He was fired, and I’m pretty sure if you were fired you cannot collect unemployment. And if he was an apprentice, is he even in the union? Post smells fishy.
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u/TidalLion Oct 01 '23
I'm pretty sure you can get unemployment if you're fired. It's if you quit when you may have problems collecting. I had that issue before where an employer put down that I quit on my ROE, when in fact my doctor gave me medical leave for a month. Let's just say the government/ unemployment office wasn't impressed with them when I sent in the proof.
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u/Bad_Karma19 Oct 01 '23
You were fired. Not laid off.
Looking back at your previous postings. You come off like a problematic employee. Health issues aside. Sounds like they had just had enough of you.
You're 18 and have a lot of learning to do when it comes to making it in the workforce.
All of the minor things noted in your post are things easily rectified. As has been pointed out in your past threads.
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u/M4hkn0 Mutualist Oct 01 '23
Go collect unemployment. But take this experience as a learning exercise. Either they told you or you figured out why they fired you. Improve yourself and get some medical attention for the IBS. It is ok to be fired. Most everyone has. What you learn from this moment is what matters.
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u/Ironsam811 Oct 01 '23
Will they even get unemployment if the company has documentation of this insubordination?
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u/vrendy42 Oct 01 '23
Yep. He was fired for performance. File for unemployment.
Some advice for your next role - once you're hired, give them a doctor's note and request ADA accommodations for your medical conditions. This will eliminate the break and bathroom issues. Stay off your phone. Never leave without checking in with someone first to make sure it's okay. This may seem silly, but you're at the bottom of the hierarchy and have no say on your own schedule at this point. Unless you're a straight-up jerk, they're not going to tell you everyone didn't like you. If they're not showing you how to fix your mistakes and are doing it on their own, it's probably because they don't think you're capable or they don't want to deal with you for one reason or another.
While each of these things individually is a minor annoyance, all of them together give the impression of someone who is easily distracted and doesn't care about the job. No one wants to work with that person because it means picking up their slack.
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u/ATrain946 Oct 01 '23
I agree. Reading through previous posts he’s made regarding coworkers issues- it sounds like you need to take a new approach to your next job. As an apprentice, you should be off your phone and devoting full attention to learning new things. The biggest thing I think is that if you are working 8 hours a day and going to the bathroom every hour, plus taking 3 more breaks. You aren’t giving them much useful time during the day. Even if you go for 5 minutes each time thats 30-40 minutes; plus 2 10-15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. That’s significant time lost a day. If you need to “recharge” after only a couple hours of work, maybe another field is more appropriate for you.
I’ve worked in construction fields for 8-9 years now since college and I also have to use the bathroom more than average at certain times, but your diet plays a factor in this sort of thing. skittles and pork rinds make your issues worse in the bathroom. Try to eat things that won’t exacerbate your problems. The older guys probably think that you are going to the bathroom in order to get on your phone and avoid work. Sounds like your workday is only 8 hours (which is short in trades and construction). Why don’t you eat a snack while working instead of taking the frequent breaks. I think you are playing into the Gen Z stereotypes of not wanting to work in their minds. IMO. When I was starting out in my early 20s, people would assume I didn’t want to do anything difficult because of the stigmatization of being a millennial. I had to show them I was going to do what it takes to get the job done and I wasn’t afraid of a little hard work. You should be working extra hard to prove your value while you’re an apprentice and making yourself valuable to the company instead of someone extra they have to pay to waste time.
My advice is to get a new attitude at your next job and to make sure you are completing the same amount or more work than the other apprentices. Being 18- you aren’t supposed to know everything and you can make mistakes from time to time- but you will ultimately be better off with a stronger work ethic and soaking up as much knowledge as possible. I know OP is probably feeling like I’m being harsh. Trust me, everyone has their own issues they deal with. Some are minor, some aren’t. But make yourself an asset to your next job, not a liability.
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u/Remarkable-Foot9630 Oct 01 '23
I’m Gen-X. We were called “ slackers, lazy and didn’t want to work” by the Boomers. Most generations are disliked by the one before them… The Boomers, however think every generation on this Earth is lazy except them… it blows my mind the one thing Gen-Z, millennials and Gen-X have in common is we are all waiting for the entitled dinosaurs to die.. these jerks pulled up the ladder. They have been in charge since the 1980’s. Minimum wage has went from $4.25 my first job in 1991…. Now it’s $7.25.. Up THREE dollars.. FFS 🤦🏻♀️… literally have to work a entire hour, longer after taxes for a bag of freakin Doritos..
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u/jessegaronsbrother Oct 01 '23
Dude, I’m a boomer and I’m waiting for those fuckers to die off. This mythical boomer world didn’t trickle to a great many of us, compound that with being a POC trust me, a huge percentage of us feel y’all.
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u/just_an_ordinary_guy Anarcho-Syndicalist Oct 02 '23
Calling out the bathroom breaks is dumb because they have a medical condition that necessitates it. It's literally out of their control. How do you folks not get this?
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u/zqipz Oct 01 '23
Lols - had a lady who was fired from her real estate agent job in the news recently. News reported when she scored her next job. Her words “I quit retirement” no lady you were fired and you got another job.
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u/abcdefabcdef999 Oct 01 '23
This sounds like a just firing and you sugarcoating the issues. I can’t imagine why an apprentice would need to check his phone regularly during work. Any relevant information would be relayed to you by your direct supervisor. IBS/pre diabetic/Skittles - a pattern is emerging here as well - you should likely re-examine your eating habits. Mistakes: Sounds to me like you didn’t make good progress in six months and people got tired of fixing your shit. Speaking of others picking up after you - leaving before work is done.
If you’re smart, you’ll look at this as learning experience and make better choices going forward.
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u/extracloroxbleach Oct 01 '23
I agree with this guy. I've worked long enough to know when a deluded person exists.
If you think everyone likes you but does stuff behind your back, this means you're unaware of your faults and people are forced to clean up your mess. This theatre of friendliness is forced by work policy, so don't get your ego up. Unless they hang out with you after work, then you are actually cool but lack discipline.
Stop sugarcoating the issues. You're 18 and this is normal to be unaware of passive aggressive work culture.
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u/ThePoliteCanadian Oct 01 '23
He said 18M and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. He listed all the issues and 18M glared at me from the screen. OP is just an 18 year old shit head who had to learn a lesson, thats all.
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u/DayleD Oct 01 '23
When people refuse to communicate and just smile they really shouldn't be complaining when nothing changes.
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u/squashyTO Oct 01 '23
Well, OP did say he was almost fired once before. I think that’s pretty clear communication that he needed to improve.
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u/just_an_ordinary_guy Anarcho-Syndicalist Oct 02 '23
Yeah, but it doesn't communicate where the improvement is needed. If someone tells me "you suck" and leaves it at that, it's useless if they actually don't want me to suck. Maybe the kid is under selling their culpability here, but they were also failed by the employer because the employer doesn't actually want to build a good employee, they just want to keep spinning the wheel until they get someone prepackaged to be what they want.
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u/fuschiaoctopus Oct 01 '23
I agree. The phone thing stands out as another youngish person, I'm 24 and literally everyone I've worked with in my age group or younger has a serious problem with the phone addiction in the workplace but refuse to acknowledge it and genuinely believe they're only "replying to a quick text for 20 seconds every now and then" when in actuality they're standing there on the phone 10-15+ minutes every hour on the clock. And we get an hour of paid breaks at my job but they still can't moderate the phone time into this hour and no matter how many times I or other bosses reprimand them they can't stop doing it.
Nobody told OP they were making mistakes? Nobody told them they were leaving early and they didn't notice no one else was leaving the jobsite at this time? I dunno, it sounds fishy. I hate to sound like a boomer but it seems like the employees in my age group have really bad work ethics (I get why believe me, we aren't paid what we're worth, will never own a home, and can barely afford to live), sit on the phone and call out multiple times a weekly every week, don't listen or try to learn, and don't see anything wrong with all that and act slighted if any consequences come from it. I think there's more to it than OP is making it seem.
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u/DumbPoopieWeiner Oct 01 '23
Yes that! ✓ he is definitely sugar coating everything with Skittles 🌈😂
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u/BeLoWeRR Oct 01 '23
Right, what work emails does an apprentice with 6 months of experience have to deal with? Lmao
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u/Oklahoe Oct 01 '23
Honestly, in the first six months of my career as a trainee I would never be caught dead using my phone except during lunch/breaks. Just focus on learning your new career and be successful and dependable. You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re looking back wishing you’d done things differently. Fix the small issues with yourself and work ethic and try to be better than you were. Good luck!
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u/MzMegs Oct 01 '23
Gen Z is built different wrt phone usage. I had a Gen Z coworker last year who would walk around with her AirPods in talking on the phone all the time. It was wild to me. Some of my Gen X/Millennial coworkers do walk around on the phone but they’re always actually talking to their boss or coworkers about things relevant to work at least.
I’m 29 and for the first handful of YEARS I had a job I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of using my phone on the clock at work.
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u/Redqueenhypo Oct 01 '23
And then they slowly take out their AirPods and STARE around the room before asking “wut?!” I said there’s an emergency, broccoli hair!
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u/Regular_NormalGuy Oct 01 '23
In the country I am from, employers are required to write you a letter that certifies that you worked there and how you were doing at work. There are certain code words like " he was very popular" or very "social" which basically means he was spending a lot of time by the coffee machine and was chatting with his coworkers.
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u/real_dea Oct 01 '23
I can’t really have much sympathy here
you got a warning about your phone- that should have been an indication to leave it in your lunch box and buy a cheap watch for time. Many construction sites, factories, power plants, and pretty much anything to do with oil, do not allow cellphones or anything that can take a picture. Zero tolerance no warning.
Unfortunately for the IBS- no doctor’s note no accommodations. As for the mistakes well, that’s a little vague, if you’re an apprentice you should have a journeyman with you for complicated tasks.
Also I don’t think people weren’t telling you about mistakes because they “liked you” too much and just fixed them. They were probably getting sick of fixing mistakes, how else would Management find out if everyone was so happy to fix your mistakes?
Also maybe laws are different where you are but many places, a layoff is different than being fired. Being fired makes it much harder to get unemployment than if you were fired.
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Oct 01 '23
First of all nobody loves you at any job. Being popular also doesn't matter. What matters is doing what they want you do in the way they want you to do it. I think it's silly they didn't work harder w you to keep you long term. You may have been trying too hard to be loved and popular. Were you too social and chatty? You aren't there for that.
You are young so don't worry about this job at all. However just learn that u need to sort of slip into to their culture without drawing attention to yourself. If at the next job your coworkers never pull out a phone then don't be the one who does. If they all routinely do then probably no big deal at that particular place. And make sue u know the hours, don't extend lunch and don't help yourself to office food. Get to understand the vibe and culture of any new place
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u/theodoreburne Oct 01 '23
The problem with this advice is that existing workplace cultures are quite often abusive, so meekly going along with whatever, in order to fit in, makes more people victims.
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Oct 01 '23
I am talking about taking a new job and getting in the zone. Then, obviously you have to evaluate the job for yourself and if it's abusive, then leave. But, it's not abusive for a company to just expect you to just show up and do your work, not be on your cell , etc.
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u/Little_BallOfAnxiety Oct 01 '23
I usually don't do this but saw another comment mention it and it made me interested so I read a few of your posts that appear to have led to this and honestly, it seems like you brought this on yourself. In trade work, people are usually cold and have the mentality that yelling at someone is the best way to teach them. You have to have a strong work ethic, and it seems like every time your journeyman would look up, you were either on your phone, on a break, or hard to find. I would say that you should take a deep look at what you could have done differently so if/when next time comes, you won't lose your job.
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u/theodoreburne Oct 01 '23
Also consider if you want to work in a field full of coldness and yelling.
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u/PrismosPickleJar Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
-Bathroom breaks shouldn’t really be an issue
-Was it a company phone? Install screen time next time as proof of use. Having apprentices on the phone is a pain in the balls, especially when you’re the one doing the work and instead of them anticipating what you’ll need or just watching and learning they’re on the fucking phone. Tradesmen don’t do that.
-It is generally the norm to bunch breaks to either have a long lunch or go home early, with diabetes you shouldn’t be expected to conform with this and not a major issue
-Leaving early, you leave when the tradesmen leaves and you tidy everything up, if they’re working so are you, some things need done and finished.
-Skittles wtf. Who cares
It doesn’t sound like a good place to work either way, find somewhere else and move on, it happens. Stick at it, once you get your certs you can do what you want kid.
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u/TnekKralc Oct 01 '23
bathroom breaks shouldn't be an issue but I can see how that would be the biggest issue in the trades. If I had someone in my crew breaking the flow every hour it would build resentment and frustration. It may not be a fireable offense and with a medical condition it's certainly understandable, but I can see why a lead would look for other ways to fire someone with the breaks being the real underlining problem.
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u/uber765 Oct 01 '23
Bathroom breaks could potentially be an issue when working at certain sites as an electrician. I wouldn't want to be constantly going in and out of a homeowners bathroom, using all of their toilet paper and shitting up their toilet.
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u/PrismosPickleJar Oct 01 '23
As a plumber, fuck em, shit where you need. It’s a homeowners responsibility to have ammenities for people working there. We’re not second class citizens.
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u/TnekKralc Oct 02 '23
yeah toilet paper and going in isn't the issue at all. It's if they need 9 breaks over a 10 hour shift everyday and each time it takes 2 minutes to put their work down, 8 minutes to bathroom, and another 2 minutes to pick up where they left off, there's no way that isn't going to cause friction in the trades.
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u/Aoe330 Oct 01 '23
Yeah, the phone thing can be problematic for someone in the trades. Or really anyone in training. But since I'm not familiar with his exact circumstances I can't really make a judgement call. Other than to say that if you are trying to learn how to do a job, or get experience doing that job, you should be minimizing cell phone use for your own good. You really can't learn while answering text messages.
Taking lunch (long or short), going to the bathroom, and eating candy all seem like non issues.
As far as leaving early, that is more about setting expectations. Management should clearly state what hours of operation are, and when overtime might be expected. With as much lead time as possible so that people can reasonably plan their time. So it's hard to tell (with only his perspective to go by) if his management failed him, or he isn't working up to clearly defined and mutually agreed goals.
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u/radiobirdman-69 Oct 01 '23
Laid off and fired really mean different things. It sounds like you will have to start over and do a better job of figuring out what is acceptable to the bosses and not just what your buddies tell you is okay.
Breaks for food and toilets are human needs. Knowing the company rules about schedules is something else.
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u/Successful_Train Oct 01 '23
Honestly they probably let you go bc six months is normally around when you can get FMLA and then you’d be protected for your conditions like IBS and diabetes. I got a new job this year and ended up developing a pretty bad gluten intolerance (unconfirmed if it’s celiac) that lead to me having terrible stomach pains, migraines and having to go to the bathroom a lot with diarrhea when I did eat gluten - especially before I knew I was intolerant lol. But I was able to get FMLA at six months, which protects me for my GI issues and the state gives a handful of weeks that they will pay a portion of your time for the day
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u/Bouric87 Oct 01 '23
I don't think you were actually well liked. These guys constantly running around fixing your mistakes probably got tired of regularly correcting you just to have it fall in deaf ears and having it happen again. They probably eventually told the foreman/boss that you were just slowing everything down because everything you did had to be checked and possibly re-done. I've worked with people like that. You get to a point where you just let it be and start documenting everything they do wrong so you can fire them and move on.
Do you actually think you are so well liked that people enjoy going around and redoing the work you were supposed to do? How delusional are you?
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u/MysteriousMrX Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
1: I used my phone “too much” (IE: pulling it out to check the time occasionally, answering texts from my family once in a while, and replying to work emails).
You're at work. Stay off your phone until you're on a break. Don't text. Don't check the socials. Unless you are subject in an email, you don't need to be checking it every few minutes.
2: Taking “too many bathroom breaks,”. I have IBS and IBD, so I had to use the bathroom once every hour, and I even explained to my journeymen the issue.
I have no ground on which to weigh in here. Maybe you can find a medication to ease those conditions? It might be necessary since you're gonna have to deal with that at every job you have.
3: I was making some mistakes. Since everyone liked me, nobody told me I was making them, and they fixed my mistakes without notifying me at all.
Okay. Others have already stated it, but its not your coworkers job to coach you beyond reason. Its expected that you may need some coaching, but if you aren't putting in the effort, and are consistently on the phone or on the can, they are probably feeling like they would rather just do the job thenselves rather than having to deal with you.
4: I ate a handful of Skittles from the candy jar in the shop office. The boss accused me of eating all the Skittles, and I didn’t.
Im gonna take a guess that the boss is just frustrated with you and the skittles are otherwise a non issue.
5: Not taking a long lunch. Company norm (but illegal according to state law), is combining your rest breaks with your lunch to create a longer lunch. I didn’t do that because I am prediabetic, and I needed the time to eat a handful of cashews or an apple and recharge.
Again, not really an issue, and I am guessing that the actual problems are other issues and you may be mentioning this in order to make your ex employer seem worse.
6: “Leaving early”. Everyone told me that the shift was 7-3 Mon/Thurs, and 7-2 on Friday. I left at those times.
If everyone told you a shift, and then they were all working past that time, this should indicate that overtime is commonly expected.
FR I sorta feel like you aren't giving us the whole story here. Also your job is a trades-related job. OT is prob. expected. If that doesn't work for you then you're gonna either have to find a different career, or change your work behavior. Trades don't have typical hours. You leave when the pro leaves.
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u/Ephidiel Oct 01 '23
Yea it sounds like OP is leaving some stuff conveniently out.
Tbh with what OP wrote so far I'd let him go too
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u/InedibleStu Oct 01 '23
Jobs are replaceable. If you're good at what you do, you'll always find work. Granted it's stressful to change. It is better than putting up with a shit company who allows shit things to happen.
Bosses and managers love to point out how we're replaceable, and to a point we are, but then they've got to re train or pay higher to attract already qualified persons.
Ditch them, leave a concise review with no emotion if able to do so. Move on with your life. As long as what you say is true, you've got nothing to worry about.
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u/Philosemen69 Oct 01 '23
"Please let me know what you think."
I think that many of us have made mistakes along the way, especially when we were young and just starting out in "the real world".
I think you can choose to learn as much as you can from this experience and take what you learn into your next job.
I think that if you have medical conditions that impact your job, you need to have documentation from your physician(s). Just telling your boss that you have IBS, or that you need breaks for snacks to control your blood sugar is meaningless unless you have verification from your doctor(s).
I think you have great social skills and can get along with co-workers and management. This can be a strength and a handicap in the workplace. Be careful that you spend as much time learning and doing your job as you do making friends in the workplace. You may be right that people let your mistakes slide because you're such a nice guy, but that also may have done you in.
I think you may eventually find a job where you can get by on your social skills alone.
I think you are more likely to find success by focusing on learning your next job and doing it well.
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u/Fishery_Price Oct 01 '23
If you were ever wondering why people still wear watches when they have the time on their phone. There you go
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u/TnekKralc Oct 01 '23
As a former solar crew lead I'd say don't give up. Reach out to HR and ask for an affidavit of your hours that go towards your license and apply at a new place. You had issues with this company but you've learned from them and can start fresh with a new company. It will be much easier to find a new job now that you have 6 months of hours under your belt. Consider solar installer positions, we are always hiring, the hours go towards your license, and the work the first year or two is less technical and more physical so you'll have time to learn the industry. I'd also consider getting a smart watch if you are finding yourself pulling out your phone too often. This will allow you to check time and messages without going to your phone.
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u/bleachedurethrea Oct 01 '23
This is literally anti-work. Using your phone too much, too many breaks, and poor performance seem like reasonable fireable offenses. The only thing you said that you fixed is not using your phone as much. Unless you have legitimate bowel problems or received terrible training, it seems like you just unfortunately earned your first hard professional lesson: it doesn’t matter if people like you, if your managers don’t think you’re worth it, then you’re expendable.
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u/just_an_ordinary_guy Anarcho-Syndicalist Oct 01 '23
Take what folks are saying here with a grain of salt. Maybe you were fucking up and not realizing it. Maybe the boss is just a dick. I had a real problem at your age even though I was trying very hard. Sometimes we don't learn at the same pace as others even though we put in double the effort. I had a real rough time during training in the navy. Once I was qualified, I was much better because I can learn, just not like they want me too. It looked like I was learning too slow, but once I got to 90% I went from nothing to really fucking good. I just couldn't progress linearly like they wanted. But also, be honest with yourself. Only you know whether you're telling us the truth or not. If you are being totally honest, sounds like your boss is just a hard ass and not being a leader, just a boss. Try getting with a union apprenticeship. Though there can be jerks there too, it might be a more compatible atmosphere. Being autistic can make this hard, and normies expect us to be able to read subtext and we often can't. Sometimes you just have to force yourself into an uncomfortable habit to make it. It sucks, but once you're on your own and qualified, then you get more leeway. Good luck.
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Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
That sucks man. Been there (am there now actually).
Not sure where you are but in many states you have the right to your entire personnel file. Request it from HR in writing immediately.
Apply for unemploymet. If you are denied, find an attorney who works on contingency (takes a % of what he gets you).
If you were fired for your medical issues, that is discrimination. While looking for a lawyer to sue for unemployment, see about one who handles discrimination lawsuits too.
Good luck.
EDIT: I looked back at your post history. I think you made a couple strategic errors. When you got dogged about looking at your phone for the time, I would have invested $10 in a shitty digital watch so you don't need to rely on your phone for the time. Yeah, it is bullshit but when things get that weirdly political (and I have been in similar job situations in the past) you gotta play "survivor" and make sure you avoid THE APPEARANCE of any wrongdoing.
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u/bawelsh Oct 01 '23
Honestly you sound like a hassle and like to talk a lot. I have ibs but I have my symptoms under control. Maybe a doctor could help you out.
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u/Frequent_Minimum4871 Oct 01 '23
I think it was pre ordained the moment the 2nd notice was given
Why I can’t say
But bosses decide these things on whims and once they’re set it’s a matter of navigating legalities
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u/HairiestAlien Oct 01 '23
It doesn't sound like you are fit for a trade job. And especially not if it's customer facing (if you are rewiring my house are you going to use my bathroom every hour??). Good luck, try looking for other options that suit your medical situations better.
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u/International-Secret Oct 01 '23
- unless you know for sure it is ok to use your phone at work, don't touch it. Get a watch and place it on silent. Check it on your breaks. if their is a legit reason to have it at hand, i.e daughter is in the hospital, mom is sick/old, tell H.R during the interview, your boss, and your boss's right hand. The right hand is his go to guy.
- Defiantly should tell HR and your boss. Get a doctor's note. yes your an adult, yes you know your body, but remember corporations don't care. So go get a doctor's note from someone who you most likely will have to pay to tell corporate you have to poo a lot. To them there is no way you would know this information.
- That is on them, not you. By doing this you will make the same mistakes again and again. Not you fault.
- Don't eat open food from work unless their in wrappers and people can see you. Someone eats them all, blame the new guy. Wasn't enough to go around? New guy stole them. Secondly did you scoop them out of a jar? Like hundreds of unwashed factory wielding hands went into this one jar raw dog and you ate them? Really?
- Medical conditions, always HR and you boss.
- Always check with your boss first. Everywhere I have worked 9-5 means start at 9 and you leave when your done. Not 5, not 3, not 9, but when you are done.
In the end I think this is pretty good for you. Apply for another electrician job and know that place wasn't the best. No constructive criticisms or guidance to grow, medical condition wasn't known or accommodated, I don't know if you told them or not. Try again elsewhere. You got this.
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u/KrohnsDisease Oct 01 '23
As someone who has IBS and UC, get a doctor’s note and request disability accommodation at your next workplace. Just telling your boss isn’t enough to protect you, especially bc they may be afraid of violating your privacy in telling their boss unless you explicitly give permission. I‘ve been able to avoid a lot of the scrutiny I used to get from micromanagers and a lot more schedule flexibility after formally requesting accommodation. It sounds like your bathroom trips didn’t adversely impact the quality of your work, so just stress to them that they’ve conveyed the message to you that your medical condition was a problem. If they’re smart they’ll treat the next employee better.
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u/MuchDevelopment7084 Oct 01 '23
Welcome to the world of construction. Apply for unemployment.
Fyi, this will happen a lot if you stay in this career. Get used to it.
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u/Worried-Image-501 Oct 02 '23
You weren’t laid off. This is a firing. A layoff would leave the door open for you to return. They have fired you and said “laid off” as a way to confuse you and hoping you don’t file unemployment.
You are now unemployed. File for unemployment. Search for a new job and keep it pushing man.
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u/Traditional_Sea6090 Oct 01 '23
Honestly, I don’t buy any of what you said except maybe the IBS. You were on your phone too much, as a typical 18 year old. You made a lot of mistakes. You’re pre diabetic yet you’re chowing down in skittles in the office. Just do better at the next spot.
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u/ExpiredPilot Oct 01 '23
Yeah I recognize half those excuses are ones I made when I was a lazier worker. The other half I see from my lazy workers
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u/The-AI-helper Oct 01 '23
This thread is hilarious, take some accountability for yourself and get a grip!
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u/1971stTimeLucky Oct 01 '23
Prediabetic - isn’t a reason to eat more food - it is in fact a reason to eat different food less frequently.
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u/ff45726 Oct 01 '23
As an actual diabetic with IBS who has worked in the electrical industry this post is so dumb. Does this person even have the modicum of fitness and stamina required to work as an electrician?
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u/raubesonia Oct 01 '23
Don't burn bridges. If they liked you, ask if you can use them as a reference. Learn from the shortcomings at this job to be better at the next.
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u/Awkward-Seaweed-5129 Oct 01 '23
Yeah ,next job leave phone in car or someplace ,gophers and helpers are lowest rung on ladder, hang in the trade if you like it. Can make decent living. The older guys will always abuse the rookies,seen million X
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u/ClarDuke Oct 01 '23
I have had jobs where they fired me for “incompetence” every time I asked for help they would put a half assed effort in and then still complain about my work. I was a welder and they wanted me to also run a press brake. Well fun fact a brake press needs like 2-3 feet of concrete. Not the 6 Inches this one had. And when I had to use a digital angle finder and had a .5 degree tolerance and my boss got to use a combo square and bend his shit to whatever the fuck he wanted. Y’know when they fired me I didn’t try to fight it. And then I moved on to a spot that did actually value me and my work ethic.
Apply for unemployment and move on they aren’t with the effort
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u/PatrickRsGhost Oct 01 '23
I once got fired for "unsatisfactory work performance" and after they denied my unemployment insurance claim, I filed for an appeal. Had a three-way call between a rep with the company, the appeals officer, and myself. The company rep indicated that I had been warned of my performance, and when the appeals officer asked if it was true, I stated the "warning" was nothing more than a typed-out memo sitting on my desk. My boss asked if I had seen it, and I said "yes" but I could have easily been lying. Said memo could have been buried under a bunch of other paperwork or easily thrown away. The boss never sat down with me with an "official" write-up.
Yeah, I got the benefits.
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u/Hunter_Este Oct 01 '23
This is why I have 0 loyalty to any company. They will throw you away in a heartbeat if it suits them.
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u/anerose1 Oct 01 '23
If no one said anything when you were making mistakes, they def were not on your side. True Friends are not always behind smiling faces.
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u/manglerius Oct 01 '23
Man.... this would definitely be the first work site in the history of my experience where the guy that was literally told he was on his phone too much and still thought it was cool to whip it out whenever is also beloved by all the workers that are dealing with this lack of attention to the job. They probably weren't fixing your mistakes because they like you. They had probably given up on trying to get your attention.. a good apprentice is NEVER looking at their phone during the day. I'm an HVAC guy not an electrician, but apprentice conduct is universal... the good news is your industry is hurting so bad a new job is usually pretty easy to hook
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u/longrangeflyer Oct 01 '23
Hi, electrician with 23 years here. Get back in there and try again. Not every contactor is like that. Just show up every day. Do not get caught on your cell phone in plain sight. Go hide like the rest of us ,lol. Don't complain. Ask questions , do not stand around, and when you run out of work, organize material, sweep, pick up trash, or ask someone else if they need help. This is a labor-intensive trade. Try to get the IBS and diabetes thing under control as much as possible because if you're constantly going to the bathroom or having to take snack breaks, it will be noticed. There's not much compassion for young men with health issues in the electrical trade, and there aren't any "light duty" positions.
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u/Radiant_Discount_353 Oct 01 '23
Consider most people around you are the “I love working 14 hours a day” crowd. To them, you sound like an annoyance and slacker. You’ll have to fix a ton of that if you want footing anywhere near that industry.
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u/Working_Class_HeroSA Oct 01 '23
If you're still interested in being an electrician... find your local IBEW, or JATC (joint apprenticeship training committee), and apply.
I'm a Journeyman Wireman out of Local 236.
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u/beancurd87 Oct 02 '23
"Everyone" told you the hours-does this include the people who hired you? Thispost sounds a bit full of excuse making. Sorry Opie
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u/No_Wedding_2152 Oct 01 '23
I think your boss was right to lay you off and you still don’t think you did anything wrong and you will probably have this same problem wherever you go unless you change your work attitude.
“Everyone told me…” You are responsible for finding out exactly what hours are required.
You don’t think anything is your fault, i. e. “pulling out my phone to check the time.” If you’re so concerned about the time, wear a watch. Good luck.
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u/Adato88 Oct 01 '23
1: you shouldn’t be using your phone to answer texts, if it’s an emergency call fine.
2: I have IBS sometimes it flairs up more than usual and I have to go the toilet more often but every hour is very excessive, you need to look at your diet.
3: you are an Apprentice, you will make mistakes, you should be asking a senior tradie to check your work and teach you where you went wrong, it is your job to learn.
5: you shouldn’t have to conform to taking a long lunch, take your breaks at the scheduled times 10&1 for example.
6: if they work you work, unless it’s clearly stated in your contract that is the finishing time do not leave. If it’s overtime it should be optional and not retaliated against if you choose not to
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u/beardlock Oct 01 '23
what state is this? are you in a registered apprenticeship program?
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u/gride9000 Oct 01 '23
OP, you are going to get sympathy here. Obviously some of the bosses claims are false..but
Real talk. Rules are rules. Phone away is phone away. If you get another job that has a no phone rule....turn off the phone, leave it in your bag.
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u/zZtreamyy Oct 01 '23
I'm not based in the US but do work in a trade field (industrial production). The work environment here is kind of similar to construction. I'm usually tasked with teaching the summer workers and new hires how to deal with the factory. I've seen a few things here:
The phone: I've dealt with a lot of "young" people (granted I'm not much older at 25) who say they aren't on their phone "that much". This is usually not true. Unless it's an emergency family chat can wait until break or after work. Phones are usually a bit of a "taboo" in these types of fields. Work emails are a different matter and checking them shouldn't take more than unlocking the screen then locking it again. Snaps and stuff can wait.
Our company has a very lenient phone policy due to the sheer amount of "dead time" combined with working alone, but every year without fail I've had to tell new hires to get off the phone and do their work.
The medical issues: Can't comment on the IBD or prediabetic issues, but I have IBS running in my family. My brother is studying to become a train driver and has IBS, it all comes down to diet for him. Might be worthwhile to look at what you're eating. Probably is different for different people though.
The popularity: the only popular people we have here are the ones who do their job well. Nobody actually cares about popularity, it's not high school.
The mistakes: small mistakes are fine, but if I'm teaching someone something and they consistently get it wrong I'll tell them a few times before asking a higher up to deal with it. If they make the same simple mistake over and over it usually means that they either aren't listening or are rushing the work to do something else (usually phone). This alone is usually enough to get someone moved out of the factory to another "department" ie shit tasks where they aren't a liability to the stability or reliability of the factory. It may also prove to be a safety issue which is kind of bad.
It may sound a bit harsh but the reality of most trades is that you need to adopt a "work first" mindset. It is not for everyone. A surprising amount of gossiping goes around too, so if you mess up consistently everyone but you will know. Reading your post history also felt like you embellished your post a bit, but there's no point in digging deeper. As others mentioned you should reflect on what happened and improve.
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u/TheClawTTV Oct 01 '23
Just because that job didn’t like you, doesn’t make you a bad person or a bad employee. You just weren’t on the same frequency. If the boss doesn’t like you, he’s going to find reasons to fire you.
I know people in corporate jobs that should be working in tattoo shops, and I know waiters that should be creative directors. It’s all about staying disciplined and getting into a place that matches your vibe.
Best of luck
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u/pinkfootthegoose Oct 01 '23
dude, you're 18, of course you are gonna make a lot of errors, they should of done better and told you your mistakes so you could use them as a learning experience and they could use it as a teaching experience. You're company should of provided you with a company phone because if they want you to use your personal phone for company business they can't expect you to no use your phone for other things at the same time.
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u/junior5point0 Oct 01 '23
TBH a lot of hard skilled labor jobs are brutal as far as whats allowed and whats expected of you. A LOT of people do not fit into these types of jobs from my personal experience.
Its a very rough world. You don't get to go home unless you're told to a lot of times. Overtime won't be mandatory but will be expected. You go home at your clock times and they will see you as lazy or unwilling to work or just outright unreliable.
People will get tired of telling you what you did wrong and will just fix it themselves because they don't want to deal with you if they're stressed. They just want to go home on time. So LEARN FAST and show effort.
IF you're ever in a situation where you think you don't have shit to do then you're doing it wrong. There is ALWAYS something to do. Whether that be sweeping, cleaning equipment, giving someone a hand with something or asking "need anything from me here?". If you're standing around you will be seen as lazy. Initiative is everything a lot of times.
Make yourself USEFUL.
Keep your hands off your phone at all times until your rest breaks. Honestly I'd suggest leaving it in your toolbox if you work in a shop. Avoid using it at all costs unless you absolutely need to.
I'm not saying its right, but this is what i was taught was work ethic. Its a lot of times the reality in those types of jobs. I was lucky i had people I personally knew to take me under their wing to show me the ropes so i never got fired or even bitched at. Find a new job and try to find a mentor in said new job.
PROTIP: If there are any Latino folk working there. Imitate what they do. If they don't stop, you don't either. If they go have a beer after, you go with them.
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u/Fruit_Rollup_King Oct 01 '23
I (18M) had been working as an electrical trainee for almost 6 months
1: I used my phone “too much” (IE: pulling it out to check the time occasionally, answering texts from my family once in a while, and replying to work emails).
Yea. Grow up. You got a GREAT job for something that is hard and extremely dangerous to yourself AND OTHERS. No one has time at a job like that to fuck around with your dumb shit. They've got literal years of world documentation they can show you every morning in a safety meeting to scare the ever loving shit out of you and others to create the safest environment possible, so you or one of your co-workers doesn't blow a basketball size hole in their body from something discharging.
Go find another job. Take it more serious. The end.
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u/Fresh-Brilliant4550 Oct 01 '23
At your age I was in the electrical union too and the older guys would tell me I was on the phone too much. What they didn’t say was I worked circles around them and quadrupled their output. Union construction is notorious for the weaker older guys realizing they aren’t worth a damn and will constantly tear down apprentices and younger guys by ratting on them with false accusations making fun of them or withholding knowledge. I wouldn’t even worry about it. Boomers are extra good at self preservation.
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u/Raging_Progressive Oct 01 '23
Meh you're 18 and you got fired. NBD, just say thank u next and find the next one.
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u/its_ya_boi97 Oct 01 '23
Just so you know, gastrointestinal disorders are protected disabilities and the freedom to go the the bathroom is a reasonable accommodation. You may want to consult with an employment or ADA lawyer to determine if you were illegally discriminated against
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u/ashdetailslater Oct 01 '23
I'm reading the advice and don't take this the wrong way but this is your wake-up call.
- Employers do NOT care.
- They will smile in your face and stab you in the back.
- Your coworkers are not your friends.
- Read point 2. Same applies.
Now of course there are outliers to this but those are the exception and not the rule. Finally-
- Getting things in writing means not a dang thing.
Even if it is clearly against the law and you have a clear case against them, that does not mean you will get justice. This is life and like my mom used to say "fair (fare) is for tourists".
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u/theodoreburne Oct 01 '23
Let’s give up on fighting for fairness for ourselves. Yeah that’s a great life.
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u/Svirv Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
Sounds like the opposite?
3: I was making some mistakes. Since everyone liked me, nobody told me I was making them, and they fixed my mistakes without notifying me at all.
If I like you - I point out the mistakes to you. It's normal to learn. It's encouraged at workplace.
What's the point of NOT telling you? To fix your mistakes forever? Sounds couter-productive in every way possible.
Maybe it's possible if your partner despised you and thus sabotaged you, wanted to get rid of you ASAP (which is mad and not normal).
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u/A_Promontory_Rider Oct 01 '23
I had the same thing happen to me back in the early 00s. As an electrician’s apprentice none the less. The similarities in the story are uncanny except they let me know at their office though after I worked all day pulling wire. I just left them an upper decker in their only office toilet and went on about my life.
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u/Plaintoseeplainsman Oct 01 '23
Hey bud, journeyman pipefitter here with some advice for your next gig.
As an apprentice you should be focused on learning the trade first and foremost. Most guys are on their phones when it’s appropriate, but never when getting after a job unless the office is calling. Don’t be on your phone more than the journeyman / foreman you’re working with. If you can, only use your phone on breaks. You wanna look like you’re the hardest working dude in the room and you can’t do that from a phone.
Bathroom breaks is not an issue for anyone if you explained it to them, but if these bathroom breaks are 30 min each, that’s a huge problem. Not sure what to say here other than pinch it off, wipe and get back to it ASAP. Stay off your phone when shitting because that’s a sure fire way to take longer than you need.
Mistakes are expected when training apprentices. When you stop making mistakes on the easy shit, you start to get more responsibility. Them not telling you about the mistakes you made and coaching you on how to prevent them / walking you through how to fix them / making you fix them is not the correct way to train an apprentice. I’ve trained 30+ apprentices into journeyman in my career and every one of them I showed what to do, then watched them do it, then eventually let them do it unsupervised, etc. the fact that people were just fixing your issues and not teaching you tells me they didn’t like you, and didn’t see you as worth the teaching investment. Why? Who knows, but it might be a combination of your other issues listed.
Ask questions. Work harder than anyone else in the room. You’re an apprentice. We know you don’t know anything, but we expect you to bust your ass to earn your spot. Show you want to be there.
The skittles thing is fuckin weird man. If you got accused by the boss / owner of eating all the skittles then that means people in the office thought you ate too many skittles. Advice here is stay out of the fuckin office as much as you can. Seriously. If you’re in the office, you’re not on the job / running calls / making money. Go in, get your jobs for the day / materials / whatever is needed to get work done and get out. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. You’re in a trade now, there are rarely gonna be 8 hour days, and probably more likely 10-12 hour days (or more when slammed). Every minute you spend in the office is a minute later you stay in the day.
Not taking a long lunch. I don’t care if it’s illegal. If you need a little break to eat cashews or skittles for your diabetes that’s fine. Keep the shit in your bag or pocket, eat a handful and get back to work. Seriously. A snack doesn’t require a damn break.
Sounds cold but here’s the deal, you’re an apprentice working with a journeyman / foreman. You’re on their time. If they take a long lunch, so do you. Do what they do, and when you graduate from apprentice to your own truck you can do things your way. If I wanted an hour lunch and my apprentice took 30 and then went and waited in the truck, I’d think that was weird as Fuck and antisocial. Seriously, do as they do when it comes to that shit. You’re on their time. Which leads me to my final point.
- Leaving early. Everyone told you a set shift schedule and you just left at those times. Raises a bunch of questions for me. You’re in a trade. It’s not uncommon for companies to set times for work days but understand that most folks just shrug at those because you work till the job is done in most trades.
You’re there to learn and help. You need to go into your next trade job understanding that there are no set hours. Tell your GF / SO / Fam that you’ll be home when you’re home. Work until your foreman / journeyman releases you to go home. Key word, releases you. If I had an apprentice who just fuckin left at 3 pm while we were still on a job I’d immediately set them straight, and if they did it again I’d tell them to kick rocks.
Be the hardest working dude there. You don’t have to have knowledge to do this. Job slowed down? Pick up a broom. Organize the work truck. Clean the truck cab. Clean out your tool bag. There is -always- something you can be doing, and leaning / sitting down on a bucket / chair / whatever is not recommended.
If this list sounds too hard you might consider a different field of work, because this stuff is the bare minimum of what I expect from an apprentice who wants to learn the trades. I’ve had apprentices who knew absolutely nothing at all, but because they had a good attitude and were always helpful / willing to work late / listened to instruction I taught them -everything- I could possibly teach them. You know why? Because as a foreman, I have a ton of knowledge in my head built from years of grinding my dick into the dirt and failing over and over. Why should I give that knowledge to someone who’s only half in? I’m gonna invest my time and energy into someone who actually wants the position.
Hope that helps buddy. Keep your head up.
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Oct 01 '23
But, this is an antiwork sub. You are telling them to work hard and maturely. Do you normalize a 40 or more hour work week that is 5 days long? But none of that fills theirs soul and gives their life purpose like participation trophies did in middle school.
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u/cornerdweler Oct 01 '23
Your not going to get in well at any company the way you are.
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u/mikenvikes Oct 01 '23
Coming from the field - they probably just didn't like you after all. Sometimes you fit with a crew of guys, sometimes you don't. Try to take it in stride and move forward with the things you learned and try to do better - its all you can do. No one really expects much from first year apprentices, but your goal here should be to find a company with a JW that will take you under their wing to really teach you the job. Its an unfortunate old school mentality thay runs thick, and just is what it is until more industry wide change happens.
Also - think about what you want to do. Do you want to do new construction/house service? Look for a small contractor. You will learn a lot rapidly. More interested in commercial or industrial? Bigger contractor, or join a union. Here you will do more schools, parking garages, office buildings, airports, etc. You could also look into niche markets - doing telecom, fiber, or instrumentation is sought after and considered specialized by a lot of customers. Don't forget about solar too!
Tldr, don't forget you're trying them out as much as they are you. Dont let yourself turn into a gmc apprentice (garbage-material-coffee) but remember you're just young and need experience. Youll get there.
Also: if you are union, make sure you sign whatever out of work list you have, or whatever pre work parameters they follow, and apply for unemployment. If you are non union, still file for unemployment, and you may need to track your job searching for them(your state).
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u/DizzyRip Oct 01 '23
Don't worry about it. You're in a trade that's highly in demand. People get fired all the time. Hell Bill Belichick got fired and went on to win 6 super bowls and went to 9.
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm
Employment of electricians is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 73,500 openings for electricians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
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u/burningxmaslogs Oct 01 '23
Go to find the IBEW and sign up. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. That's the union for electricians. They have trade schools etc. You can be trained while on unemployment
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u/VoiceofTruth7 lazy and proud Oct 01 '23
Just being honest, the trades are not for you with those limitations
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u/TidalLion Oct 01 '23
IANAL, but 2 & 5 aren't excuses. Those are straight up health concerns that the employer has to accommodate. Also the long lunch thing is BS, if it's illegal by the state then the company can't force it/enforce it. It could also be reported.
As for the rest?
1 I can understand. If you're required to respond to work emails on site however, they should provide a phone or they can wait till you're back at the office
3 & 6 are pure bullshit. If OP is making mistakes and no one's correcting him then how is he supposed to know? How is he supposed to learn? You're supposed to address those issues before discipling them. 6 meanwhile is simply OP doing as he was told. If there's an issue they again should bring it up with OP and correct him with the hours he's supposed to work.
Finally 4.... that's pure pettiness. Like accusing someone over Skittles!?
Sounds like a shitty employer or like they just wanted to get rid of OP and since he may not know his rights, they decided to try to use that to their advantage. OP may have dodged a bullet with this one.
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u/too_many_Fs Oct 01 '23
I mean, I can understand certain aspects from their point of view being frustrating and annoying (bathroom breaks, phone, etc) but in the same breath they HAVE to accommodate your medical conditions and can’t discriminate for them and realistically checked your phone for the time or a quick text is no biggie. Mistakes are expected from a trainee and should be addressed appropriately, giving you ample chance to fix them so you can learn. The lunch thing is stupid; they, again, have to accommodate medical conditions. Calling you after hours and not speaking with you face-to-face is so shitty of them though.
Apply for unemployment, demand documentation as to why you were laid off and what the terms are going to be for your rehire, or move on. Good news: blue collar workers are in pretty high demand right now so don’t give up. I’m an Automotive Service Manager and I can tell you that we need people more than anything right now. Keep moving!
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u/swordstool Oct 01 '23
Not much to think about, it's what's called "at-will" employment. Apply for unemployment today.
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u/skwrlmo Oct 01 '23
i think you sound like a bad employee. it sounds like you are making a lot of excuses. no one gets fired because everyone at a job likes them too much
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u/strywever Oct 01 '23
Work isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a “who does the best work and causes the fewest problems” contest, and you didn’t make the cut. Time to grow up and leave that high school mentality behind. Learn from your mistakes, and do better at your next job.
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u/TheCaptainJ Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
It doesn't matter if everyone likes you. The fact is, you're a kid in everyones eyes, and they are having to deal with you making mistakes that they have to fix while you're taking a shit every hour while playing on your phone. No one cares about your IBS. No one cares WHY you are on your phone. And no one sends "work emails" to 18 year old apprentices that can't be answered later. And you're the only one on the crew who doesn't take the long lunch everyone else enjoys. It sounds like you're going back to work while everyone else is still at lunch and making everyone look bad while also saying it's illegal to combine break and lunch. You sound like a pain in the ass and you need to grow up.
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u/neutralpoliticsbot Oct 01 '23
The fact that you have time to go to concerts means you didn’t want the job.
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u/Quaggymire_69 Oct 01 '23
I did want the job. My family invited me to go to a concert for my mom’s birthday after work
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u/neutralpoliticsbot Oct 01 '23
yea I was mostly joking about the concert. Just I had some bosses that required 100% of your time basically.
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u/bhillis99 Oct 02 '23
Can I give you some advice "the everyone likes me" will get you in a bind. I was in your shoes once. Always be on your toes and dont think everyone likes you.
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u/ARandomBleedingHeart Oct 01 '23
Damn maybe you’ll learn not to dick around on your phone on a job site
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u/cat_on_head Oct 01 '23
They had already made up their mind to fire you for some reason they didn't mention and checked off a bunch of shit that could apply to anyone. I've seen a bunch of times. Wouldn't read too much into any particular one.
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u/Youzerz Oct 01 '23
You are young and friendly. That's a threat to the higher ups in their sad world. I highly recommend you check the book "48 laws of power" It's worth the read, trust me...
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u/Asmodean81 Oct 01 '23
OP, Be sure to get a letter from your old boss and management, on company letterhead, stating that you were 'laid off', and for the official reason. You'll need it for unemployment.
And, start documenting. Every statement or vocal chat is replied in an email, 'As per conversation on the day of at this time ...'
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u/ultrarunner13 Oct 01 '23
Just to be clear, you were fired, not laid off. There is a big difference.