dependability?

[CR55]

Just sitting here waiting for my helper who I suppose isn't going to show up today and i'm wondering if any of the younger generation has any type of work ethic or a value of how important dependability is to employers. I pay well and I treat my employees with the utmost respect but lately it seems to be getting worse. I've had employees since 1974 and I can count on one hand the amount of really good ones that I've had....seriously a sad situation.....i'm simply ranting......its. over!

 

[YBeNormal]

Just sitting here waiting for my helper who I suppose isn't going to show up today and i'm wondering if any of the younger generation has any type of work ethic or a value of how important dependability is to employers. I pay well and I treat my employees with the utmost respect but lately it seems to be getting worse. I've had employees since 1974 and I can count on one hand the amount of really good ones that I've had....seriously a sad situation.....i'm simply ranting......its. over!

I am only 30 and I understand where you coming from. I run a cleaning company and I have to hire older people because it seems 25 and younger feel they don't need to work and if they do work they deserve more than I am paying. I have even had them go as far as explaining how broke they are and still refusing to work. It doesn't make any sense to me at all.

 

[gassersgarage]

I can't understand the younger generation. They seem to want something for nothing, showing up 20 minutes late and taking time off whenever there is time on the books. My last two jobs, I never took a vacation and that's a 38 year span. Granted, I was single and didn't like to travel. My last job, they finally ordered me to take time off, so I would sneak in on Mon, Wed and Fri to stay caught up.

 

[Gastrick]

Welcome to the entitlement generation. Not to say everybody is that way but it's quite prevalant.

 

[izzy]

I know what your talking about, I had to cash in vacation days the last 3 years, bonus I have extra money for swap meets. I do have two kids a boy and a girl, the boy is a hard worker, the girl not so much, not blaming her mother but.

 

[Sniper]

Man...I could write volumes on this subject. Seems to be less and less commitment to others, no accountability, as far as pride in a job well done, pretty well gone out the window. Instead of doing the little extra, there is more energy spent on how not to do the job in the first place. And deliberate stupidity just drives me nuts. You know the type...screw up the most simple job enough to get out of it, because they know the person that cares will take over in frustration. Because if the person that cares doesn't take over, they will have to fix it all anyway. Ok blood pressures way up there...got to go.

 

[donsrods]

Being responsible comes with age, I think. I am not the same person today I was when I was in my 20's, today I look back and wonder what I was thinking. When I was young my thoughts were centered around what I was going to do that night, if I was going go get lucky or not, and stuff like that. As time goes on you mature and your priorities change.

That is why I am always surprised when a company refuses to hire someone because they are "too old." At 67 I would be a much better employee than I was at 30. I show up on time, don't play at work, focus on making the company money, am honest, and don't have the normal distractions of sick kids, cars breaking down, marriage issues, etc. Plus, I have years of experience in pretty much every area of business. But I bet if I went out today looking for a job they would immediately look at my age and hold that against me.

Don

 

[Sam_Fear]

I've noticed over the years that kids from rural areas (generally) have a better work ethic than city kids. My bro in law got a job at John Deere - quit at about 40 days because they wanted him to work overtime for a couple weeks?! Working JD is still one of those 'set for life' union jobs and he walked. Now he is on his 3rd job since then, at a furniture chain store, living with his Mom at 27 yrs old.

 

[CR55]

My new helper worked his first day then didn't show up for the second day. Called me three hours later with some bs....I hope I'm not fired! No you're not cause I can't find anyone better! Let my last guy go...missed 4 different days....I depend on them to show up cause there are jobs that I can't do alone. Messes me up completely.....I just don't get it.....complain complain and complain about no job and no money and don't show up for work![S

 

[donsrods]

This is a true story. In 1998 I was working for a large marine discount company (I'll leave it nameless). They opened a new warehouse in Rockhill, SC that was something like 800,000 sq ft, and they were having major problems with personel. This warehouse shipped orders via trailer truck to all the stores on the east coast and the orders were getting so screwed up that when the truck pulled in on Wednesday you never knew if your orders were going to be correct or even on the truck.

So, the company asked for volunteers to go there and work for as long as you could to train the people about boating supplies and how to fill orders. They put us up at a Ramada, paid all our expenses, and gave us bonuses if we went. I was just going through my divorce so I figured why not, and I went there for a month.

It was a real eye opener. First of all, there are so many warehouses in that area that unemployment (at the time) was zero. You could literally walk out of one company, go across the street, and be working there immediately because they couldn't find enough people to fill jobs. I would be working next to someone and after a break they would be gone and one of their relatives would tell me they moved over to the GE warehouse and would not be coming back !

But here is the funny part. Even with all those employment opportunities you still couldn't get people to come to work ! In fact, the company had incentives and if you showed up for work 5 days in a row you were eligible for a drawing each week for things like a color TV, etc. All of us from the stores were flabbergasted that they had to bribe people just to get them to come to work !

I could tell you stories about that adventure of mine that would curl your hair!

Don

 

[YBeNormal]

Being responsible comes with age, I think. I am not the same person today I was when I was in my 20's, today I look back and wonder what I was thinking. When I was young my thoughts were centered around what I was going to do that night, if I was going go get lucky or not, and stuff like that. As time goes on you mature and your priorities change.

That is why I am always surprised when a company refuses to hire someone because they are "too old." At 67 I would be a much better employee than I was at 30. I show up on time, don't play at work, focus on making the company money, am honest, and don't have the normal distractions of sick kids, cars breaking down, marriage issues, etc. Plus, I have years of experience in pretty much every area of business. But I bet if I went out today looking for a job they would immediately look at my age and hold that against me.

Don

I would hire ya

 

[donsrods]

Well thank you. I even show up with doughnuts in the mornings sometimes ! [cl[cl


Don

 

[choppintops]

Its just upbringing. My daughter is 20, and gets full time hours because the other kids call in or want days off and my kid gobbles up all the hours she can. Then she comes home and helps make parts. [cl

 

[Bamamav]

I've been self employed for the last 16 years, and last year was the first time I took a couple of days off. Before that , I worked for another company as a driver, and we got a vacation every July, but they offered us the option to work as they always had a few loads that still needed to be delivered. I always worked most of the vacation time, maybe taking one or two days off. If there was work to be done, I did it. Off time could wait.

I'm still a workaholic, but now I take a day every now and then when I can afford it, which isn't very often anymore!

 

[oldskool]

When I ran a warehouse for (un-named) very large office supply company the "Boss" would hire these young clowns that wouldnt last a week. Once I got them I was suppose to run them through training. I had one come in(droopy pants, and more metal on his face than most late model grills for trucks) ran him down what we did and told him to wait here and I'll get you a time sheet....two minutes later i returned and havent seen that cat since!!

 

[GJunktionMike]

I would agree it has to do with up bringing, not just parents but also older siblings. I grew up in a family where I’m the oldest of 6. My mom would baby sit for extra income and my dad worked two low paying jobs, we got the bottom of the barrel basics. We didn’t get allowance, you had your share of chores and you did them period. For us 4 older kids it was understood that if we wanted the nicer clothes, soda/nacho money, and play money, we found after school jobs, weekend jobs, or pick up aluminum cans off the side of the road. The two youngest of the brood always got the trickle downs from us 4 older kids. And it showed later in life as far as work ethics.

Kids now a day just have money handed to them. I never got paid to clean up a mess that I made at home, mowing to yard was my responsibility so dad didn’t have to, so he could work that second job and at least get to enjoy a day off every now and then. Home responsibility where something you did and that was just the way it was. If you wanted extra money you got a job, and chores was not a job.

And for you young single guys (sorry Don) when you think you have meet miss right. First thing you do is pick her up for your first date and pretend to run out of gas right in front of a gas station, Then ask her to get out and push. If she jumps right out and starts pushing, one of two things, she’s a keeper or she’s able to beat you up. If she starts ragging you, it is going to happen to you the rest of your life. If she asks “what do I get out of this” Promise her the moon and as soon as she gets to the back of the car, take off because your going to have kids down the road that are going to wonder what they are going to get out of this.

 

[choppintops]

And for you young single guys (sorry Don) when you think you have meet miss right. First thing you do is pick her up for your first date and pretend to run out of gas right in front of a gas station, Then ask her to get out and push. If she jumps right out and starts pushing, one of two things, she’s a keeper or she’s able to beat you up. If she starts ragging you, it is going to happen to you the rest of your life. If she asks “what do I get out of this” Promise her the moon and as soon as she gets to the back of the car, take off because your going to have kids down the road that are going to wonder what they are going to get out of this.

My daughter is a true car gal,,,,,, she would write you off as a loser that is too stupid to check a freaking gauge [ddd

 

[earthman]

And here we have another aspect. Mexicans work cheap and they work long and hard.
A lot of incentive to give jobs to Mexicans legal or not.

 

[GJunktionMike]

My daughter is a true car gal,,,,,, she would write you off as a loser that is too stupid to check a freaking gauge [ddd

Then you raised her good [cl

 

[earthman]

I figured we would be in trouble when the last of the farmboy Presidents were gone.