Dealing with blatant disrespect.
How do you handle a situation where an employee basically has a temper tantrum and freaks out on you when you try to correct something? I work with a large variety of people in construction. I am more than reasonable, especially considering my company's strict safety protocols. I treat everybody with respect and expect the same thing in return. Most interactions I have are good. But today I was told to "go F myself" because I politely told an employee to put on his high visibility vest while working on a roadway. Requesting that he put on high vis is not an unreasonable request. I always keep my cool in these situations and try to recognize that they might be having a bad day, but for certain projects, it gets harder and harder. I don't get upset by these statements, I get angry, like really angry. I have been walking it off but I need better coping mechanisms. Any similar experiences or tips?
Comments (6)
That is unacceptable. I am sorry you had to deal with that. If that happened to me, I would go to their manager. If it happened again, I would elevate it above the manager. Depending on the incident(s), maybe get HR involved.
I would have sent him home for the day, on the spot.
What I try to do is make corrections through the foreman. Tell the foreman he needs a vest on, then let the foreman deal with his crew. I never correct a guy that has a foreman present. Ultimately it is the foreman's responsibility.
That’s horrible. I would elevate it up the chain of command. If this employee is throwing a fit over a vest, then in all likelihood they’re probably throwing fits over other small stuff too. This stuff gets picked up quickly by management. Hopefully this employee can get some help, or it sounds like they will have a short career at your company. Chin up and keep grinding
Everyone should expect to be treated with respect, and give that same respect back to others. It's not unusual in "rough neck jobs" to hear curse words or rough talk, that's expect. No one should ever curse in you face, especially when your doing you job. That employee has zero respect for you, and unfortunately it won't change unless you take it up to management. Talk to the foreman or supervisor, remember they are paying to enforce safety rules. 2 things will happen.
1) They will address the situation with the employee. Either he follows safety rules, or they'll fire him.
2) They ignore it and say "Well that's just how he is". If they go this route, they don't have a good safety, or management culture.