I recently had a labourer for 2 weeks and it was beginning to cause me so many problems! He had no enthusiasm which I noticed early on but I thought I'd try and praise him when he done something well to make him feel good/proud of himself and maybe start to try and enjoy it a little. TBH I knew he wouldn't last after the first week! It was the simple things like having water ready for me, buckets clean and enough bags of gear there ready for me to use. (IMO this is simple stuff that anybody can do)
It seemed like every time I asked him to get something or do something he wasn't even around and either on the phone or moaning that he didn't feel well or was aching (more like you just don't like a bit of hard work) I think all the youngsters these days don't even realise they are born and want an easy ride.
I remember my first ever day and I had to knock up sand and cement all day long and bucket it up a ladder to two spreads!! Honestly when I woke up the next day I was as stiff as a surf board and thought nonway am I going in but I stuck it out and so glad I did as I enjoy what I do very much now.
Anyway getting back to it after the first week I spoke to him and said do you want to come in next week and start fresh again or just leave with no hard feelings if it wasn't for you. He replied with I definitely want to come in and will get the hang of it so I said ok fine let's start again Monday and see how it goes. Well he didn't show up the first day as he didn't get up asked me to come in at 10am
, which I replied and said no don't bother but after a while I called and said come in tomorrow and we will forget about today. Next day arrived and he didn't want to be there, he was moaning all day about nothing and couldn't even bring me buckets of water in ready! Like a man idiot I had him the next day and same stuff again, standing around, moaning and when I asked him to do anything he was on the phone. That was it I'd had enough and told him to leave as was costing me time and money lookin after a child. He told me to f**k off and I calmly pulled him to one side and told him I know you don't care but I come to work to feed my family this is my reputation here and I don't need your attitude around customers and especially when there are children about.
In a nut shell don't think you can find the staff anymore and all it done was slow me down and cause me to mix up, get my own water, get my own plaster ect and clean up and wash out. These are simple things for a labourer and I didn't even ask him to mix up in this time really.
Rand over and breathe..