Miserable Subcontractor Foreman

nedpelger · Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 41 Location: Lititz, PA USA

When a subcontractor foreman comes on the job and acts rude and cusses out one of my foreman, how far should I push to punish this guy? His work is done so I'm not going to see him, but I talk to his bosses regularly.

I can easily make a stink for this guy, but hesitate when I don't know all the details (I almost got thrown off a bridge one time for getting in a subs face and having the details wrong).
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Ned Pelger
The knucklehead who spent all that time writing this stuff.

DoubleHead · Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 20 Location: Southeast USA

Unless your foreman has given you reason to mistrust his judgement, give him the benefit of the doubt and back him up immediately, especially in front of others.

You don't, however, need to support him with such enthusiasm that it inspires an inclination to test whether or not a wingless engineer can fly.

Shane Groff · Joined: 13 Apr 2009 Posts: 8 Location: Ephrata, Pa

Well Ned you know some of the hot heads we've all worked for and with in the past. I can honestly say that a hot head boss of mine when I was in the field lost the company customers. Fortunately after 10 years I have been able to mend the relationship and now that customer is my customer. On the jobsite I don't feel that there is any room for that kind of behavior, not only does it stop all production on the site while everyone watches, it generally promotes an us and them mentality where no one will work together. All the contractors on a site have the ability to help one another or hurt one another, let us make it help not hurt!

glgto · Joined: 13 Apr 2009 Posts: 5 Location: YORK,PA

It is just like the a guy or woman you almost hit when you are not paying attention in your car or you really did not see them. they go off over what COULD have happened. life is to short. if nothing happened then let it lie but it sounds to me this guy is deserving of some disipline. We all got to get along and unless the problem started with mal intent but even then you have weigh if it is worth it or not.
you know grade school kids are taught not to bully

nleininger · Joined: 09 Mar 2009 Posts: 6

I would second DoubleHead's support comment.

Understand before being understood, there are always two sides to the story; what caused the cussing would be my first question.

We've all been there when our head isn't in the game, always presume the best intent.

If it were my site, pulling the Sub-Foreman aside over coffee and understanding the issue after the customary 24-hr cooling period may go a long way.

If he's still a d*ck, I would blacklist him for the reasons Shane Groff outlined, even if the work got done, and he's off your site, in the future he WILL lose you a customer.

mandylee216 · Joined: 08 Feb 2010 Posts: 2 Location: Sydney

I agree, losing you as a customer should do it. That's what i did with a contractor I've worked with before. He asked for commission that is way above the trend, and I agreed thinking that he will do the job well. But I was very disappointed. I would never deal with him again.
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