I don't know if this has been covered on this forum before, but I wanted to hear some opinions.I'm a younger guy, and I've been making a living as a welder/fabricator for 5-6 years now. I've worked at three different companies and gotten a taste for a wide variety of jobs and situations, everything from heavy equipment repair to precision stainless fab and everywhere I have worked the phrase "That's not my job" pops up over and over again, primarily among the welders. It kind of pisses me off. I understand that there are reasonable limits to what somebody should be asked to do, but it seems like over and over that phrase gets thrown out not because somebody can't or is unable to do a job but simply because they don't want to or feel like it's beneath them.I don't really enjoy tedious polishing or cutting stock or any other number of odd jobs you find in a shop, but if doing that is what it takes to move parts out the door then I will do as asked, and I will do as good a job as I can or know how. That seems to have made me more of a 'floater' than a 'welder' as the 'welders' all seem to be able to skate by doing the bare minimum required, intentionally doing poor/slow work when they don't like it, and generally acting like spoiled children when they are asked to *gasp* pick up a grinder! And this crappy sort of attitude seems to be worth on average $5-10/hr more than my willingness to get the damn thing done. What gives?
Reply:Very funny topic I must say. I'll put in my 0.02$ cents worth I guess.As a professional welder for almost 35 years I've said that before, but I do have my reasons I guess. At first, when I was breaking out, I too was willing to grab a big ol'e 15 lb grinder and go-at-it, but one day I was asked by an experienced welder, "how can you weld after doing all that heavy grinding?", and he was right. All that heavy work would wear me out so that I would find myself unable to do my best at what was making my living, ie: weld.What if I were to grind and get hurt? How could I weld then, being hurt like that? What if I were to lift heavy things (when I didn't really haft to - not my job) and hurt my back and couldn't weld! How do I make a living then.I can weld and if I can weld good enough then no, its not my job to lift steel or grind metal. Its my job to weld and do a good job at it. I must keep myself able and available to weld, not grind and lift heavy items around.Yea I can grind and I have ran a grinder many times in my life, no - its not my job to grind. lolHope you understand my thoughts here.Good luck manLater
Reply:They way i look at it is i will do what has to be done to get the job done. Weld,grind,lift,unload the truck,forklift duty,sweep floors...Ya gotta spend money to make money!
Reply:I'm a department of one. It's always my job.Tough as nails and damn near as smart
Reply:I have been in alot of job's and done alot of diffrent welding in my short seven years as a welder I have had many other job's before that (wasnt me ) I have only seen that it's not my job crap one time it was in a boiler in Cinn,Oh and the youngest guy on the job not that that should matter , That's not my job I am a tube welder! I couldnt belive it but it didn't take long and the forman ran him off . I cant imagine saying no to work that wasn't hard and that you depend on to feed your family. That being said I can understand what slow hand means but I belive there is a much better way to conduct your self than it's not my job.1997 SA 250
Reply:As another younger guy whose job depends on his ability to float and do a lot of things, you just need to hold out for more money.If its most profitable for the company for you to only weld, and not do a single other thing to help move product out the door, then you should be doing that to get the most out of them. My guess is thats not the case - so either the company should be hiring someone else to do the bitchwork/grinding/whatever, or you should be making more to do that work in addition to your mainstay work as a welder.
Reply:The way I see it, grinding, cutting, lifting, polishing, and other forms of metal work or odd jobs relating to metal are what a welder should be specialized in and expected to do as part of their occupation. When is the last time you heard a carpenter say it's "not my job" to: cut, chisel, or move wood? You'd get kicked off the job site so fast your *** would light on fire due to friction from the atmosphere."...My pappy was a pistol I'm a son of a gun...""...God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy..."
Reply:Originally Posted by CrawfordWhen is the last time you heard a carpenter say it's "not my job" to: cut, chisel, or move wood? You'd get kicked off the job site so fast your *** would light on fire due to friction from the atmosphere.
Reply:I worked as a supervisor in a major home appliance manufacturing facility for the last 27 years and very little pissed me off more than someone saying "that ain't my job". And no offense to union members here but that phrase is seldom said outside of a union environment. Many don't seem to get their head around the fact that whether you are in a union or not the same company logo sits atop your paycheck. Operators that jump in and do what's needed rather than what they want to get off their *** and do earn a lot more respect also.Last edited by goinssr; 11-03-2010 at 11:10 PM.StephenMillermatic 251Miller Syncrowave 200Miller 30A SpoolgunHypertherm Powermax 30Etc., etc., etc.............Cancer Sucks!
Reply:It ain't just in the trades, but the phrase "It's not my job" has come to haunt most of the jobs out there. Many know I'm a nurse & a damn good one. I've worked the floor as a staff nurse, as supervisor, as Director of Nursing, consultant, social worker & a whole lot of other jobs in the nursing field. I've worked in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, given advice long distance in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kentucky, North Carolina..........the list goes on. I've published research articles & policies I've personally written, are now standards of practice in multiple states. In other words I know what I'm doing. That said, I manage people by helping them succeed, not berating them or firing them for the smallest infraction of the rules.One day (I was Director of Nursing), we were preparing for the State inspection that was due any day. I had noticed there was a form that hadn't been completed. It is the one that determines "Code" status (if your heart quits, do you want us to do CPR... Yes/No). Regulations require this form completed on every resident within 24 hours of admission. Many residents had been there for several weeks, yet this form had not been completed.Essentially this was one of the forms the Social Services completed, but this facility was the first place I had ever run that had Social Services complete code status. For 20 years in every other facility it was always a nurse's job to complete this form, never the Social Worker's job.Flash back to June 2007, a Registered Nurse was assigned to get the code status forms updated on 4 people she was taking care of that day ( we had a total of 36 forms to get completed). When I went to give her the papers, she told me "That's Not My Job", in no uncertain terms. I asked her if she had ever questioned a resident about CPR, she said "Yes". I asked her to explain what she meant by "it's not my job", she said "I'm not a Social Worker, I'm a RN". I insisted, firmly that she complete the assigned duties, as this was a part of her nursing duties. I then left her to complete the task, went to a meeting & when I returned, the forms were on my desk with a note, "IT'S NOT MY JOB!".I found the RN, "told her" (gave her a direct order) to get the task done & I wasn't taking no for an answer, she turned to me & stated in no uncertain terms once again "I've never been trained on this form". Said form has the wording to say when determining code status. Basically it says "if for some reason, your heart stops, do you want us to do chest compressions?" I blew a gasket at that point and demanded to know
CAN YOU PHUCING READ? OR WERE YOU TRAINED IN ARIZONA???????"Long story short, I've never out & out refused to perform a task my boss asked me to do. If I don't think I can get it accomplished, I will ask for time/assistance/further instruction or what ever I need to get the job done.Arizona nursing education leaves a lot to be desired. I thought Missouri nurses were stubborn & dumb. Missouri nurses could teach some of these idiots how to do a job.MarkI haven't always been a nurse........Craftsman 12"x36" LatheEnco G-30B MillHobart Handler 175Lincoln WeldandPower 225 AC/DC G-7 CV/CCAdd a Foot Pedal to a Harbor Freight Chicago Electric 165A DC TIG PapaLion's Gate Build
Reply:Originally Posted by CrawfordWhen is the last time you heard a carpenter say it's "not my job" to: cut, chisel, or move wood? You'd get kicked off the job site so fast your *** would light on fire due to friction from the atmosphere.
Reply:To the OP:You just keep on doing what you are doing. Someday you will be a master at all phases of metalworking. Those others will not. Therefore you win.Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:As a business owner, I can tell you the fastest way to get fired is to tell me, "It's not my job!" That narrow minded, self serving mentality will cost you in the long and short run.From a productivity perspective, certain job functions can be identified as craft specific or sequence specific. If there are job travelers (time card input), the weld at station 2 should take 30 minutes, but your spending 12 mintues redoing work from station 1, then you ca't get your work done on time!Generally we win as a team or lose as a team.What do you want to do? Win or lose?Weldtek
Reply:When I was starting my training at EB, all the new hires had to take this class called "incidental grinding". The instructor explained the title: Incidentally, you are a grinder. EB used to have separate grinders and pretty much separate trades for everything, but in the name of cost cutting they rolled that all together.
Reply:I never said "thats not my job" , i preffer to say "that's out of my paygrade"--------------------------------------------------------------www.becmotors.nlyup, I quit welding.. joined welder anonymous
Reply:Originally Posted by WeldtekAs a business owner, I can tell you the fastest way to get fired is to tell me, "It's not my job!" That narrow minded, self serving mentality will cost you in the long and short run.
Reply
eople need to remember it's as much the employers fault as it is the lazy person refusing to do what there asked. It's called insobordination[spelling?] and can and will get you fired if your boss/employer has balls to do so.I'm a union Boilermaker and also a officer of my local[chairman of trustees] and I hear this crap all to often. Bottom line is the more you can do and are willing to do the more money you and your craft are worth.Just look around people, how many have noticed the nation-wide trend of employers going to multi-craft maintenance ? If you do all thats asked of you and you do it better than anyone else you have bargaining power like no other. If your the best welder in your shop or on your job-site I'd be willing to bet you will do nothing but weld and your boss will get someone else to do the other bs. I totally agree with whomever said this is the attitude and reason our good jobs are going over seas. Do your job people and lose the I'm better than that attitude your country is depending on you.
Reply:I worked in telecom, but the "not my job" mindset is just about everywhere. Early on I was in a union job and had other people tell me "Slow down, you're making us look bad". I didn't slow down. Later I was a steward, but others never brought BS complaints to me because they knew I wouldn't support crap requests/complaints - they already had a couple of "Union is everything" stewards who did just enough to keep their jobs, without the union's protection, they would have been out the door.. I got some of the "cherry" assignments, such as working with the latest technology. Seven years after being hired, I was promoted to supervisor and doing technical training. I retired after 33 years with that company, was called back by another department for 1 1/2 years, then did some consulting work: from a local start-up to the US Joint Chiefs. I've now retired for the third time - but am working with a friend an a new way of using dogs in military actions. I've never yet said "That's not my job", although I may draw the line at cleaning up after his dogs - my body no longer bends to ground level easily ;-)John
Reply:friggin primadonna welders ..theyre all the same..too high and mighty to do anything physical...were trained in technical jobsahhahaha...ive heard that...but that guy dont werk here anymore...aaaaaahahahahahahahahagary
Reply:My...well, A nickname of mine is "Slash",Pipe Welder/Boilermaker/Pipe Fitter/Combustion Technician/Service Technician...Am I under-paid, yupDo I get 40+ hrs a week, yupDo I Genuinely like my job, yupAm I going to write my own book at work in <5 yrs....Bet Yer ***...Lincoln Power MIG 210 MP ( boat anchor )Lincoln Weld-Pac 100 HDHobart IronMan 230Cutmaster 42Jackson NexGenSumner Ultra ClampsDWM120
Reply:Well it's nice to see I'm not the only one that feels this way. I also really feel for the owners of smaller shops such as the one I work at. They need skilled labor to build quality parts, but when the pool of available (skilled) help consists of one trick ponies it turns into a real pickle.Now I know that I am relatively inexperienced, I don't claim to have been everywhere and done everything. I haven't worked on the road or worked union, but at every fab job I've worked there has been a steady stream of welders in and out the door. The majority have been everywhere, have done everything, can walk the cup like nobodies business and are used to putting 2k in their pocket every week. I can count on one hand how many of those guys backed their talk up, and there's still some fingers left over. I'm sure everyone here has known some like that. Then the real kicker is that in talking to these guys it seems like the hot ticket is doing shutdowns, it comes up over and over! WTF?! Talk about not being able to see the forest for the trees. I'm not saying that it isn't legitimate work, but when you make your living hopscotching around picking up the pieces from the latest corporate merger and then have the nerve to come in to a business that's giving all they have (and sometimes more) to stay afloat in this economic climate, and act like your time is far more valuable than the people who are willing to knuckle down and throw some dust in the air...I don't know, I just don't see a place for people like that in this day and age.The scary part it that reading through the responses here it's not an isolated problem in this trade, it's everywhere. And people throw up their hands and wonder why jobs are going overseas and the economy is in the toilet. I'm not saying that bad attitudes are the culprit, but the culture of entitlement in our workforce is out of hand. What does it take to change this?! So I guess this has turned into more of a rant for me than anything else, but sometimes I really do feel like the loner as far as my work ethic. It's nice to know there are other people out there with their eyes open. I'd also like to hear the other side of the story. Slowhand made a good point at the top of this thread, there is a time and a place for skilled laborers doing what they are skilled at, but where do you draw the line?Anyhoo, Thursday is my Friday so I'ma crack a six pack and quit thinking about it for a few days. Cheers.
Reply:I'm a long time professional union pipeline welder with many jobs and positions under my belt. I've worked many positions in my years and some as foreman and also as steward. And yes I've met and welded with a lot of welders in my time. Some good, some indeed very good!!!!!My consensus on this stuff is this. If the supervision, contractor, whoever is running the job, does his business right then I don't have time to do anything but weld. If I've got all that free time then he/they are not running their job right and are probably loosing money. They keep me working and I'll make them money. Not by sweeping floors, but by welding pipe together. Thats what I do. They need someone to sweep then they need to hire more laborers. Sweeping is their job, not mine. They keep me busy then I've got my stuff to do and I won't have time to do anything else, nor would I even be thinking about it.Indeed, if I were working in some small shop and they couldn't keep me busy welding then I'd probably be expected to either do some sweeping or find a different job. Been there, did that, and yes I did do my fair share of sweeping, but thats been many years ago. And at the time, we actually had some good times sweeping back then.Personally I'd rather be welding. Besides we don't have floors to sweep at work. If need some cleaning done - we grade it off with a D8. hahaLast edited by slowhand; 11-04-2010 at 07:20 PM.
Reply:I'll take you all back to my days at the Merry-time Academy. When a senior said, "What's a young man's purpose?"We the youngies would spout, "Mine is not to question why, mine is but to do or die, mine is not to question how, mine is but to do it now. Sir!."It was adapted from "The Charge of The Light Brigade." by Alfred Tennyson. "Forward, the Light Brigade!"Was there a man dismay'd?Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had blunder'd:Theirs not to make reply,Theirs not to reason why,Theirs but to do and die:Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.I understand seniority would allow you to weld and weld only. But if I ran the business, you'd find something to keep busy with... filing paperwork, organizing, anything. If you're on the clock you're busy, otherwise the ship is sinking around you. or... Idle hands spend time at the genitals, and we all know how the lord feels about that. -Joe
Reply:I've been on the opposite end.The last couple of places that I worked were very uptight about employees staying in their assigned holes. I've always been only too happy to help a fellow employee out when needed, or when my assigned job was done, to pitch in somewhere else to keep busy until my next job came in. the foremen would tell me "that's not your job. They'd rather I stood around leaning on a broom. And it we're not talking union shops..
Reply:god I ****ing hate that attitude. I've had ONE guy say that to me...ONCE. He spent the rest of that day and all of the next cutting and fitting. **** gets done and gets out the door regardless. That's what makes companies AND EMPLOYEES successfull in this economy and this country. Our multi millionare(in the 100s of millions) owner was grinding for us and painting products for about 6 months when we were just ****ing slammed beyond belief. The dude doesnt own a 5 million dollar jet that he paid cash for by saying, "thats not my job"****ing idiots out there in this world.Having been a pipewelder for 20 plus years I've seen both sides of this statement(that aint my job) and for me it depended on the job.There were times when I was expected to be ready when the fitter said TACK and being ready meant pulling lead getting an argon bottle in position having sharp tungstun the filler material and your rod caddy plugged in and making sure you got fire and a good ground,and usually your 3 or 4 floors from your welding machine.Welding heavy wall pipe with a J bevel means everything is X-ray,and that means after a couple of repairs your on the carpet and a cutout,reweld will get your money and your run off.So I,m not going to grind or prep pipe in this case or hang chainfalls,I,ll help pull them or com-a-long,but when the fit is close,I have to be ready to TACK.But on a sawmill shutdown I have done some of everything,I do not mind helping anyone I have helped,insulators,scaffold builders,millwrights,electrical,instrumentation,an d iron workers I like being apart of a team,but management usually determines how people work together.I have had to take 5 pipe welding test that were side bent,and when you get to the field you are given a 1"7/16 knock wrench and a 10lb. sledge hammer and tighten bolts as pipefitters bolt up flanges.This will give a welder an attitude.I worked on Johnstone Island and to get the job,I took five welding test,hastalloy,inconel,carpenter 220,bimetal and carbon these were hardtest and were all side bent,but when I got to the island I was expected to do any and everything and because this an excellent paying I did it,so for me it depends on the job,Good luck my friend.
Reply:Glad you mentioned that man. I though I had but reading back I didn't. (i'm old )I've worked on jobs that 1 repair would get your money. Many times I worked were 3 repairs got it. The job I'm on right now it seems to be 7 because a few weeks ago the word came down that 7 was the unlucky number.Yea, grind all you want. Throw skids and lift heavy loads. Run, stumble, and grunt all you want, but when it comes time to weld you better be at your best because if you **** up you'll be the next one to go down the road. This brings us back again to what I was told by an old experienced welder many years ago, "how can you weld after doing all that heavy grinding?". What he ment was how can you do your job properly after doing someone else s job.My job is to weld, not run and stumble trying to impress some boss that could care less if I was alive or not. Remember this man. If they own you then they don't respect you. If they buy you then they will treat you good as long as they need you. I'm sorry if that sounds crude or whatever, but when you're my age tell me I'm wrong. And for the guy who had the boss worth $100 million dollars (+) and owns his own personal jet airplane and he was painting your welds - then "I have no comment for you man. Thats about the funniest thing I've ever heard. Did he fly in to do the painting or did he fly out while he waited for it to dry? Give me a break.......Have fun guys I know I am. This is a fun topic for sure.
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhandGlad you mentioned that man. I though I had but reading back I didn't. (i'm old )I've worked on jobs that 1 repair would get your money. Many times I worked were 3 repairs got it. The job I'm on right now it seems to be 7 because a few weeks ago the word came down that 7 was the unlucky number.Yea, grind all you want. Throw skids and lift heavy loads. Run, stumble, and grunt all you want, but when it comes time to weld you better be at your best because if you **** up you'll be the next one to go down the road. This brings us back again to what I was told by an old experienced welder many years ago, "how can you weld after doing all that heavy grinding?". What he ment was how can you do your job properly after doing someone else s job.My job is to weld, not run and stumble trying to impress some boss that could care less if I was alive or not. Remember this man. If they own you then they don't respect you. If they buy you then they will treat you good as long as they need you. I'm sorry if that sounds crude or whatever, but when you're my age tell me I'm wrong. And for the guy who had the boss worth $100 million dollars (+) and owns his own personal jet airplane and he was painting your welds - then "I have no comment for you man. Thats about the funniest thing I've ever heard. Did he fly in to do the painting or did he fly out while he waited for it to dry? Give me a break.......Have fun guys I know I am. This is a fun topic for sure.
Reply:All is not in employers hands. If crane is tied up or you are waiting on material because the truck is late then you better be working somehow some way. I've ran the forklift,tied re-bar,poured grout and done everything I could do to help my co-workers if I was on down time. We are a team, a crew and a family. I ain't the the type to say "that ain't my job". By the way we always finish on time,under budget, and in a safe manner. I don't have 30 years under my belt but as long as I'm not retired I'm gonna do what it takes to be the best hand, not just a welder but a hand, I can be. I understand every situiation has different circumstances but as a construction hand, a crew that goes above and beyond will be rewarded with another project and a sense of pride. I just think Americans should suck it up and git'r done
Reply:Wherever I've worked there was the catch all phrase "other duties as needed or assigned".Pretty much summed it up. Do it or get fired for insubordination.Employee = Slave Slave = Do what is asked or leave. Pretty simple concept actually.
Reply:just a thought..\yer selling hours of your life to someone for moneys....basically what a job entails...is yer job worth it..mine aint i hate my job..but it pays the bills so i keep doin it
Reply:Back when the United States was the greatest country in the world, leaders in just about everything, do you think people had this attitude? Nowadays everyone is all about "that's not my job", "someone said something to hurt my delicate feelings", "I did something stupid, but because it happened on someone else's property, I'm gonna sue them and be set for life". Bunch of crybabies. No wonder the Chinese are gonna own the county in the next 20 years.Campbell Hausfeld Fluxcore 80Thermal Arc 185Millermatic 250JD Squared model 32 bender
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhandAnd for the guy who had the boss worth $100 million dollars (+) and owns his own personal jet airplane and he was painting your welds - then "I have no comment for you man. Thats about the funniest thing I've ever heard. Did he fly in to do the painting or did he fly out while he waited for it to dry? Give me a break.......Have fun guys I know I am. This is a fun topic for sure.
Reply:Some good responses here. I'm looking from the angle of small business owner/sole member. That means I'm owner to janitor and everything in between. If I had employees working for me and I heard 'That's not my job' that person would be helped out the front door so fast the dog wouldn't have time to get up off his pillow to see what's going on.To the OP, keep doing all the work you're doing, but start valuing yourself higher. Not only will your skill come along, but you'll be a better commodity in the field in general than those with only one trick. While it might not matter in a very large place of business (where the volume of an entire business can overshadow an individual's contributions), you'll be able to make very good headway in smaller places, maybe even own your own some day because you can work at those smaller levels too, where your skills will be evident.Lincoln AC225 and CartLincoln WeldPak HD and CartOne hand
Reply:Originally Posted by romanianbusinessmanWell, with all due respect, if the welder's skills are phenomenal and the job is of monumental importance, then yes the boss should have hired hands to assist said welder and do all of the related tasks. Much like a doctor and his many surgical assistants. Your skills will speak for themselves and a boss who needs you for your skills will know that the value in employing you is in your welding skills and not to be wasted on sweeping. That is at the appreciation of the employer not the employee. However, my dad and i are that guy whom you are laughing at, we may not be worth 100 million or have our own jets, but what we do have we have worked every day since we've arrived LEGALLY in this great country. After 25+ years of sacrifice, sweat, tears and hard work we are running a successful business. If anything needs to be done, my dad or I will do it! Yeah we have employees that can do it, but we work, eat, and sweat side-by-side with our employees. Funny enough I will drive through the alley and parking lot every day in either my benz or jag and WILL paint over graffiti or pick up trash that's around my building and while I'm at it, I'll also pick up that dirty penny on the ground (no I'm not Jewish :-D). Doesn't matter what my net worth or what I'm driving, I WILL DO THAT! And if someone laughs at me, I'll be laughing even harder all the way to the bank with my head held up high!
Reply:Originally Posted by romanianbusinessmanI will drive through the alley and parking lot every day in either my benz or jagI'll also pick up that dirty penny on the ground
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhandGuess what!!! I'm back. You guys are killing me. This is so funny I can't stand it. Why isn't this thread dying like it should be.Ok, while you're driving around in your big fancy cars and picking up dirty pennies off the ground..... [ deleted ] And for my comment to the guy with the $100 million in cash and the big fancy jet airplane. You actually want me to feel something about this guy painting your welds? If times were that tough then why didn't he pawn the jet? You guys are killing me. Later man
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhand You actually want me to feel something about this guy painting your welds? If times were that tough then why didn't he pawn the jet?
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhandGuess what!!! I'm back. Why isn't this thread dying like it should be.
Reply:i have never said "thats not my job" but i have thought it a few times. i am a welder, not a fabricator, and there have been a few times when the forman asks a fabricator to go weld something, and me to go fab something.that is iritating, but i do it.
Reply:I'm sure slowhand can talk plenty bout welding. He helped me with machine last week. He's out in the trenches and gets a lot of respect from this guy. Even though I disagree with saying that ain't my job he's still entitled to his opinion and to post whatever is on his mind. And by the way if my helper told me it ain't his job to do something I told him to do i'd definitely fire him
Reply:BlackDog, you get this in many places. There are some things that are good to keep in mind. Prolly the biggest is there is only one “bull of the woods”. That would be the person who signs the checks. People with whiskers often just seem to bounce this stuff off the younger people in the shop. But make no mistake about it, those welders making that statement are not going home for lack of work and leaving you there to cut parts and sweep the floor.The youngest people in the group usually support the production of a working shop with whatever needs done, it’s part of the usual old school learning process. In most job shop type welding and machining houses workers progress to the things they like to do because it’s productive and business is competitive. When this happens, a person’s task list shrinks if things are in good order. In a 50 man shop most will have only one to several tasks and in the 3 man shop the list is pretty much everything.In short you are following a very well traveled path, you’ll get the tap on the shoulder in time if you stay at the things you are asked to do, worrying about others only slows your climb up the ladder.All that said, if you have people spending a good time of the day standing around and making comments like that the shop is failing while you are watching...Matt
Reply:Originally Posted by BlackDogI don't know if this has been covered on this forum before, but I wanted to hear some opinions.I'm a younger guy, and I've been making a living as a welder/fabricator for 5-6 years now. I've worked at three different companies and gotten a taste for a wide variety of jobs and situations, everything from heavy equipment repair to precision stainless fab and everywhere I have worked the phrase "That's not my job" pops up over and over again, primarily among the welders. It kind of pisses me off. I understand that there are reasonable limits to what somebody should be asked to do, but it seems like over and over that phrase gets thrown out not because somebody can't or is unable to do a job but simply because they don't want to or feel like it's beneath them.I don't really enjoy tedious polishing or cutting stock or any other number of odd jobs you find in a shop, but if doing that is what it takes to move parts out the door then I will do as asked, and I will do as good a job as I can or know how. That seems to have made me more of a 'floater' than a 'welder' as the 'welders' all seem to be able to skate by doing the bare minimum required, intentionally doing poor/slow work when they don't like it, and generally acting like spoiled children when they are asked to *gasp* pick up a grinder! And this crappy sort of attitude seems to be worth on average $5-10/hr more than my willingness to get the damn thing done. What gives?
Reply:I am going to have to admit here, that on my last "job", after having been there only a couple of days, I told them "if this is my job, then I quit'.It worked. Son-in-law was moved to different location and I took over his spot. Then I put my head down and worked my @$$ off! Got raises and many good responsibilities.They cried when I went back to my own gig full time and then later simply hated me for it.Now I FIX Chinese crapMiller Dynasty 700Miller 350P with Aluma-pro push-pullMiller 280 Dynasty with expansion card Dynasty 200 DXMigMax 215 Enuff power and hand tools to create one of anything..... but mass produce nothing!!!
Reply:As a self-employed carpenter, there is no" thats not my job" If they want me hang curtains, then I will, Shovel the drive, Sure.. It all pays the same. The one big but is when my liability insurance will not cover it. So plumbing and electric are no. I can cut/drill holes, pull wires, but I can not connect these items.Carlohttp://public.fotki.com/Naudi2U/
Reply:Originally Posted by gtcwayBack when the United States was the greatest country in the world, leaders in just about everything, do you think people had this attitude? Nowadays everyone is all about "that's not my job", "someone said something to hurt my delicate feelings", "I did something stupid, but because it happened on someone else's property, I'm gonna sue them and be set for life". Bunch of crybabies. No wonder the Chinese are gonna own the county in the next 20 years.
Reply:BTW- I don't know Zapster at all, I just have followed his quality of work for years.. He is quite impressive to say the least. I bet he shows up early, works without crying and works to specs until the job is done...In my experience, that is about one in a million.....Bet, plenty of people hate his work ethics.......the ones who gave china our soul.
Reply:[QUOTE=Stick-man;435067"it is harder to look busy than it is to keep busy."[/QUOTE]You said it all right there.Gordie -- "I believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
Reply:I am a full time artist. In the advent of this economic downturn my art sales have dramatically declined. Yesterday I spent the morning cleaning out a wall infested with rats and rat **** making close to minimum wage. After framing back up that wall I spent the rest of the day welding in sheets of metal in a Volkswagon Van a homeless family was living in. The father of that family paid me with a bag of highly prized Matsutake mushrooms he had picked that morning. Times are tough. I suppose that credo "That's not my job" will be obsolete here pretty quick. If not it will soon be someone else's job.Shop rigs -Miller Syncrowave 250 DXMiller 252Home rigs -Esab Caddy c200iHitachi E71 GeneratorMetabo chop saw, grinders, etc Two catsUnhealthy addictions to surfing and demolition derby
Reply:Originally Posted by i4sillypwrgod I ****ing hate that attitude. I've had ONE guy say that to me...ONCE. He spent the rest of that day and all of the next cutting and fitting. **** gets done and gets out the door regardless. That's what makes companies AND EMPLOYEES successfull in this economy and this country. Our multi millionare(in the 100s of millions) owner was grinding for us and painting products for about 6 months when we were just ****ing slammed beyond belief. The dude doesnt own a 5 million dollar jet that he paid cash for by saying, "thats not my job"****ing idiots out there in this world. 
