# Employee tool list



## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Anyone who has worked for me for any length of time supplied their own hand tools/testers/meters. If they chose to use their own cordless tools then it was fine with me but i did not reimburse them for it. Beyond that i supply everything. If they needed new batteries for testers/meters then i supplied them too.


----------



## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

WNYcarpenter said:


> I'm with you....the new company owner decided to go with a tool list and lumped us all into 3 groups. Apprentice, carpenter, job captain......
> 
> Carpenters get a $50mo stipend, 'captains' $200mo. for vehicle compensation.
> 
> ...



I understand your frustration, felt the same way myself on several occasions, but if I may, I think that you would be better off in the long run doing your absolute best for the company while you are there.

I am not saying that Karma or some such sh!t will do you good in the future. One doesn't know what the future will bring, but you will be able to say "hey! I did my best even though I didn't want to". 

I know I probably sound smarmy and stupid but I swear to god you will be better off for it. Keep looking for that other company that will treat you better in the meantime, or get more of your own work. 

Andy.


----------



## Brutus (May 29, 2007)

We just carry pouches with: hammer, tape, knife, chaulk line, catspaw, pencils.
I usually carry multi-pit screw driver, just incase. But lost some of the bits out of it the other day at home, and haven't made it back to the big orange store to pick up a new one. When i first put it in my pouch, the boys told me it was a waste, and that I didnt need it. Twice this week I was asked to borrow it by someone or another, and i didnt have it with me..

Anyway, my boss usually says to leave our big ticket items at home, doesnt want them to break on site. I usually have my recip, some cords, drills, circ saw and two tool boxes with misc. items in them (generally back up stuff) in my vehical anyway, just incase he leaves, and we forget to grab something out of the van.

We generally get boxes of pencils for free from the supplier. I don't think I ever bought a pencil since working for my current employer. Which hits the 3 year mark in January.


----------



## darr1 (May 25, 2010)

who ever i work for i will only use my own tools


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

ScipioAfricanus said:


> I understand your frustration, felt the same way myself on several occasions, but if I may, I think that you would be better off in the long run doing your absolute best for the company while you are there.


Andy, I wish there was a high five smiley--I'd wear it out on this. :thumbsup:

When I do work for someone, whether as an employee or independent contractor, I use all of the resources at my disposal to give him 110%. I refuse to give anyone a chance to accuse me of dogging it. If I feel a need to do that, it's time to move on.

No, that hasn't made me rich. But I can hold my head high, and know that I'll never be truthfully accused of having a poor work ethic.


----------



## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

Tinstaafl said:


> Andy, I wish there was a high five smiley--I'd wear it out on this. :thumbsup:
> 
> When I do work for someone, whether as an employee or independent contractor, I use all of the resources at my disposal to give him 110%. I refuse to give anyone a chance to accuse me of dogging it. If I feel a need to do that, it's time to move on.
> 
> No, that hasn't made me rich. But I can hold my head high, and know that I'll never be truthfully accused of having a poor work ethic.


:thumbup:


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

im the same way tin... although i have been lazy the last week or so... stupid knee.... i mean christmas:whistling


----------



## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

Tinstaafl said:


> Andy, I wish there was a high five smiley--I'd wear it out on this. :thumbsup:
> 
> When I do work for someone, whether as an employee or independent contractor, I use all of the resources at my disposal to give him 110%. I refuse to give anyone a chance to accuse me of dogging it. If I feel a need to do that, it's time to move on.
> 
> No, that hasn't made me rich. But I can hold my head high, and know that I'll never be truthfully accused of having a poor work ethic.


I'm able to show emotion here that I don't at work....I take what I do very seriously. 

I'm honest, genuine and hard working, and I dedicate a lot of my free time to bettering myself in my career. 

IMHO, and I've said it before, I'd rather have an attitude adjustment here, and run my thoughts by strangers than do something stupid to harm the reputation I have spent years building.

I sincerely appreciate all the input and experienced points of view. I take it all to heart, and can't refute the checks and responses to my perceived naivety. 

I do recognize that I haven't earned much respect from the members here in 3+ years. I'm an employee on a forum of employers and I don't expect any sympathy.

I suspect some forget what it was like being frustrated. The question then becomes....what do you do about it. 

I'm personally working on that to the chagrin of CT members. I apologize to anyone who takes offense to my belly aching.....and I also apologize to the OP for the thread hijack


----------



## Bastien1337 (Dec 20, 2010)

back when I was working for a contractor me and my co-worker got into this very argument. I was the guy that brought all my tools to the job drills, pouch, bag, skill saw, sawsall, chop saw, table saw, w/e. I actually thought my tools were better then my bosses, because mine were new and all his were like 20 yrs old lol.

I felt that same pride everyone is talking about, my work down with my tools. If its my career then I need to invest into it, so I never felt like spending money on tools was a waste even if my boss was going to supply his. 

Also lets face it not every operation is a big one, sometimes the boss can supply tools but he might only have his set, so bunch of guys waiting to use 1 drill isnt very efficient. For my situation I thought I would make my self look better by bringing in my own stuff, because that would then mean we could add to our production rate.(this is the small side of contracting)

My buddy was on the other side of the fence, he side that it wasnt his responsibility to bring his stuff in. I was so shocked at that because I knew he had tools, but he didnt want to bring them in. I would get mad lending him my tools. He would slow me down plus I knew he had that bring new makita drill sitting at home lol.

That was years ago when I had a small tool set but even still I think unless youre just straight labour you need to have your own tools. Even when I started as a labourer I still went out and bought my own shovel lol!


----------



## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

WNYcarpenter said:


> I'm able to show emotion here that I don't at work....I take what I do very seriously.
> 
> I'm honest, genuine and hard working, and I dedicate a lot of my free time to bettering myself in my career.
> 
> ...


I've been self-employed and worked as an employee and back and forth many times in my life. 

What makes me great at whatever I do is I always give of myself as much as I can no matter which situation I am in, because I understand that both situations are the exact same thing.

(You understand that you're always working for somebody else no matter if you're an employee or an employer right?) You're never ever working for yourself no matter what you might think. 

As an employee you're working for your boss/owner. 

As an employer you're working for your customer.

You always have a boss above you, always.

So the situation doesn't matter, it's always the same. If you don't give it all you've got when you're an employee for your employer, you're fooling yourself thinking you will be any different if you were self-employed. Because there is no difference between the two. 

Cream always rises to the top in every situation. Be the best at anything you do. Don't sweat the small stuff and focus on being the best, no matter if it's running for coffee, putting up a wall, running a crew or anything else. 

Excel at what is in front of you, no matter what it is. That's the sign of a winner. You'll be rewarded. Rewards aren't measured in minutes or days, they are measured over your lifetime.


----------



## Diamond D. (Nov 12, 2009)

Mike Finley said:


> I've been self-employed and worked as an employee and back and forth many times in my life.
> 
> What makes me great at whatever I do is I always give of myself as much as I can no matter which situation I am in, because I understand that both situations are the exact same thing.
> 
> ...



Unless your working on your own house. No?

Yourself, probably, the most anal and demanding employer you'll ever come across. 
Yourself, probably, the most anal and demanding HO you'll ever come across.

Oh yeah, your right Mike, the wife. :w00t:

Never Mind.

D.


----------



## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

Tinstaafl said:


> Andy, I wish there was a high five smiley--I'd wear it out on this. :thumbsup:
> .


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

mr finley, you were bombarded with vince lombardi quotes as a child too it seems


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

WNYcarpenter said:


> I'm able to show emotion here that I don't at work....I take what I do very seriously.


Dats why we luvs ze internetz. :thumbsup: Except for those who take it as a way to get away with being an a-hole. 



> I do recognize that I haven't earned much respect from the members here in 3+ years.


Pshaw. If you think that, you're going to have to stay after class until we larn you some arrogance. :laughing: :thumbup:


----------



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

tcleve4911 said:


>


:clap: I'm too lazy to go get 'em from other sites.


----------



## Five Arrows (Jan 30, 2010)

*payroll deduction*

Have a list of required equipment they must have on the job: tools, safety equipment. I expect that if it fits into the bags they should have it. Bigger stuff I supply.( And take care of)

Issue them a set of the required safety equipment, have them sign a paper that says if they are on the job without this equipment that you will issue them another set and deduct the cost from their wages. I bet that they loose less


----------



## Young_Buck (Jul 19, 2009)

I bring a cordless drill and impact driver, skill saw, reciprocating saw, my belt and my hand tools. All that makes it inside is the drill and impact driver, and my tool belt. If I couldn't park nearby that would be different.

My current employer actually bitched me out for having to big of a footprint on his jobsite, when I brought all my hand tools inside. He would **** a brick if I tried to bring a table saw inside.

I think people who require Leads to provide chopsaw/table saw are full of it. I think people who will not hire carpenters who don't drive trucks are full of it. Sorry, but I can get anywhere I've ever needed to with my AWD 4door, and I spend less than 1/3 on gas.


----------



## Gary1 (Jan 12, 2010)

I always have a good basic set of tools with me no matter who I'm working for. Because you feel more comfortable with the tools and know that they have been taken care of. 
The person I am subbing for right now told me when he hired me on that I didn't need any tools at all, just my tool belt. Turns out that all his tools are either duct taped together or " hold them a certain way to work".
I started using my own tools to feel safe. My tools are gone through and cleaned once a month. Maybe that's to anal but it the type of craftsmanship I give when I'm on a job.

Blessings
GaryS


----------



## Framer53 (Feb 23, 2008)

As a former business owner I feel the pain of supplying tools. As a former employee I understand that side of the equation also.

First, an employee has no business supplying anything electrical. This is the responsibility of the business owner. If it breaks, that is your responsibility to either fix or buy new. You should realize you are liable for anything on your job site. That means if a tool is unsafe and hurts someone, you are responsible, not the employee.

I have never been required to either bring anything but hand tools, belt, tape speed square ,hammer, chalk line, knife, to any job. Shoot, the pencils, chalk and even knife blades are consumables and the responsibility of the business owner, if he wants his jobs to be done.


----------



## jmiller (May 14, 2010)

WNYcarpenter said:


> I do recognize that I haven't earned much respect from the members here in 3+ years. I'm an employee on a forum of employers and I don't expect any sympathy.


If you happened to get paid by 1099 you'd be just as much a contractor as anyone else here, and you may well be an employer yourself next year for all anyone knows.

Spending free time learning/chatting about the trade is more valuable than what tools you have in the van IMO, so I wouldn't feel bad that you lost that edge if there was one.

Maybe- if you don't already- you could start lurking in the business forums here and make suggestions to the owner (without making him seem like he missed anything) on ways to improve the business. E.g. check out his Google Places page, and if there is nothing there take some pics at work and suggest he claim his page and add the pics. It will either be like talking to a mother about her kids, or talking to a brick wall. Either way you will have gained knowledge that makes you a more valuable employee whether he realizes it or not.


----------



## jgar (Dec 20, 2010)

Iam on payroll and I bring in all of my tools. All that is required of me is to bring in some basic hand tools. The deal is my tools are there for me to use and not everyone on the job. But if others take care of my tools I have no problem with coworkers useing them. I get paid to roll out my gear and keep track of it-roll up at the end of the day. If the tool gets damaged it get replaced that day, not repaired. My boss has all of the same tools I have and then some but they are beat and I dont care to use them. He also has all of the guns for us to use but I prefer mine. Ladders,staging, lifts, etc. thats all on him.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 10, 2010)

jgar said:


> Iam on payroll and I bring in all of my tools. All that is required of me is to bring in some basic hand tools. *The deal is my tools are there for me to use and not everyone on the job.*
> 
> This is the number one reason I do not allow employees to bring on there own tools. I don't have the time to baby sit people arguing over tools. If there's two guys working on one side of the house and its YOUR tool I don't want to have to pay a guy to walk over to get two of the same thing in the same area. Also I'm not paying for tools that are not mine to get repaired or replaced.
> 
> ...


----------



## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

ubenhad4 said:


> jgar said:
> 
> 
> > Iam on payroll and I bring in all of my tools. All that is required of me is to bring in some basic hand tools. *The deal is my tools are there for me to use and not everyone on the job.*
> ...


----------



## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

That felt good!:laughing:


----------



## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

You need to come work for me. I give people all kinds of opportunity, even doing a lot of the crappiest jobs myself. I love teaching people, and a lot of times on not so busy days, I will teach how to layout steps, rafters, etc. I do agree with most here that how many tools a guy brings generally coincides with his ambition. Give me your ambition and tools, I will give you opportunities to learn and grow. Its win win!


----------



## Resta (Feb 11, 2009)

WNYcarpenter said:


> That felt good!:laughing:



Now you can calm you breathe - inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale....:laughing:


----------



## Diamond D. (Nov 12, 2009)

[quote, WNY... I did not get one single thank you or nice job. end quote]


I thank *everyone* that helped me, verbally, at the end of the day.
I make a point of it.

And monetarily, at the end of the week.

D.


----------



## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

Diamond D. said:


> [quote, WNY... I did not get one single thank you or nice job. end quote]
> 
> 
> I thank *everyone* that helped me, verbally, at the end of the day.
> ...


That's good. I'm glad you pay your your men! That's commendable!


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 10, 2010)

WNYcarpenter said:


> ubenhad4 said:
> 
> 
> > That's great if you have 1 crew.....what if you have 4+ crews and 30 other misc. projects demanding your attention? One reason I'm valuable is I don't need supervision and I have all the tools.
> ...


----------



## MisterCMK (Oct 17, 2009)

If you have guys that are consistently losing company tools and equipment it sounds like that employee needs to sit down with you and explain why they don't keep track of the stuff. If they have no good reason and the problem continues they should look for work elsewhere.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 10, 2010)

Diamond D. said:


> [quote, WNY... I did not get one single thank you or nice job. end quote]
> 
> 
> I thank *everyone* that helped me, verbally, at the end of the day.
> ...


 A paycheck is the biggest Thank you of all.


----------



## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

ubenhad4 said:


> WNYcarpenter said:
> 
> 
> > Easy man
> ...


----------



## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

ubenhad4 said:


> A paycheck is the biggest Thank you of all.


 A paycheck is to balance the books. At the end of the week, when the check is cashed, nobody owes anybody anything.

A thank you goes a long way to keeping your employees content.

WNY is working hard and takes pride in his accomplishments, as do many on this site.

A pat on the back and an "atta boy" surely won't make anybody a better man, but it will make them happier on the job site, which translates into better quality and production over the long haul.

Right or wrong, it's the facts of life.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 10, 2010)

loneframer said:


> A paycheck is to balance the books. At the end of the week, when the check is cashed, nobody owes anybody anything.
> 
> A thank you goes a long way to keeping your employees content.
> 
> ...


 I agree. As i said I tell guys Thank you probably not as much as i should, and I always commend a good job, or a super efficient job. 

I still think paying guys what there worth is a huge thank you. It sounds to me like WNY is pissed because among other things he isnt getting paid for the use of his tools which his employer expects. I he got paid an incentive bonus I would think it would make him alot happier along with an atta boy. Its like giving turkeys for thanksgiving and a bottle and bonus for Christmas. Three out of four guys said thanks. The other guy never said a word about the bonus. I think some times employees should be a little appreciative to.


----------



## jgar (Dec 20, 2010)

ubenhad4 said:


> jgar said:
> 
> 
> > Iam on payroll and I bring in all of my tools. All that is required of me is to bring in some basic hand tools. *The deal is my tools are there for me to use and not everyone on the job.*
> ...


----------



## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

ubenhad4 said:


> I agree. As i said I tell guys Thank you probably not as much as i should, and I always commend a good job, or a super efficient job.
> 
> I still think paying guys what there worth is a huge thank you. It sounds to me like WNY is pissed because among other things he isnt getting paid for the use of his tools which his employer expects. I he got paid an incentive bonus I would think it would make him alot happier along with an atta boy. Its like giving turkeys for thanksgiving and a bottle and bonus for Christmas. Three out of four guys said thanks. The other guy never said a word about the bonus. *I think some times employees should be a little appreciative to*.


 True. As a sub to many different contractors over the years, I never took a check without extending a thank you. Momma dun raised me up that way.:thumbsup:

A little extra in the check is a nice surprise, but as you stated, doesn't always produce the expected effect. Negotiations of pay are a business agreement between employer and employee. A friendly smile, a handshake and a verbal show of personal appreciation have a much more profound effect psychologically, than an extra days pay over a 4 week project.

Consider this. How would your wife feel, if you handed her a 20 every day, after she prepared a nice meal and cleaned up the mess, as opposed to giving her a hug and telling her she's awesome?


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

loneframer said:


> True. As a sub to many different contractors over the years, I never took a check without extending a thank you. Momma dun raised me up that way.:thumbsup:
> 
> A little extra in the check is a nice surprise, but as you stated, doesn't always produce the expected effect. Negotiations of pay are a business agreement between employer and employee. A friendly smile, a handshake and a verbal show of personal appreciation have a much more profound effect psychologically, than an extra days pay over a 4 week project.
> 
> Consider this. How would your wife feel, if you handed her a 20 every day, after she prepared a nice meal and cleaned up the mess, as opposed to giving her a hug and telling her she's awesome?


I hope $20 ain't the going rate. All this time I been paying $50 and thought it was cheap :thumbup:


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Warren said:


> I do agree with most here that how many tools a guy brings generally coincides with his ambition. Give me your ambition and tools, I will give you opportunities to learn and grow. Its win win!



Thinking back to all the guys I worked with that were no good and were in it for just the paycheck each week and nothing else your statement rings true.


----------

