A Work Story

Posted by Reid at 8:27 p.m.

Monday was a pretty normal day. I went through the normal resumes, did a bit of filing and picked up coffee. But this story doesn't start on this Monday. No, it starts about two weeks ago.

The construction industry is in dire need for Scraper operators, so when we find anyone with any experience on their resume, they automatically get a call. A resume lands on my desk for someone who has worked with us before. He has a fair amount of experience on Scraper so I call him up and have him in for an interview. As protocol requires, I pull his file. It was an interesting file to say the least.

First off, it said DNR (Do Not Rehire). I called up his old Foreman to find out if he rememebered the person at all. The Foreman didn't, but said to give him a shot regardless of the DNR because we need a Scraper operator so badly. I hang up and read further in his file trying to figure out why he was dismissed.

First off, he took one of these and ran over one of these. Okay, not an overly big deal (apparently). I read on. He also managed to flip on of these. Yes, I said flip it. Those are heavy mother fuckers to pick back up. Nonetheless, after bringing this up with the Superintendent, we hired the guy to run Scraper. Yes, we hired him back on.

Everything seemed to be going well, I hadn't heard any complaints about his work or anything being destroyed. Friday comes and he gets stuck because he was driving where he wasn't suppose to. Not once, not twice, but three times in one day. Yes, he managed to get stuck 3 times in one day because he was where he wasn't where was supposed to be. The Foreman lost it and sent him home early.

Monday comes, he calls me up and asks what's going on.

"I haven't heard from the Foreman at all and rumor is that I don't have a job anymore", he says.

Shocked that we would be getting rid of a Scraper operator, I tell him I will try to find out for him as soon as I can. He gives me his cell number and says if he doesn't answer it, just call back in two minutes because he is in the hospital.

"My wife is in labour, we're expecting a child in a couple of hours", he tells me.

I tell him congrats, hang-up and start my inquiry. His termination has been phoned in, but being persistant because of him being a Scraper operator, I call the Foreman to see if things can be repaired.

"Either he goes, or I go", the Foreman says.

Well, it was time for me to call the operator back to inform him that the rumors were indeed true, but now he'd have time to spend with his new child.

I called. I like to think that the tears were of joy for the new child coming into the world, but I could be wrong. Infact, I am almost surely wrong.

Thank-fully I am a heartless person that not only didn't feel bad doing "the deed", but I also have no problem telling this story to anyone who will listen.