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Dear YouDig? Archives

10.5.17

Crazy Jimmy? Get him Outta’ Here!

Crazy Jimmy? Get him Outta’ Here!
Removing A Contractor’s Wacky Employee From Your Project

Dear YouDig?,

We have a great ongoing relationship with a General Contractor. They have a team doing something for us almost every day. All has been smooth… that is… until recently when they brought a new worker to our plant. This guy is a real treat. Every day a disruption! While working he shouts obscenities. He bangs his lunch box on our supply cages. He teases our line workers about their weight. He harasses our female employees. At lunch he is the king of sophomoric gags, goofy jokes, lame impressions and absurd braggadocio. Just yesterday he backed his pick-up truck into our CEO’s Mercedes… and drove off! Our superintendent calls him “Crazy Jimmy” and he has GOT… TO… GO! Unfortunately, he is not our employee! Sure, we complain, but apparently this wack-job has skills or connections. How do we get our GC to dump this dude?

-We Don’t Do Crazy

9.25.17

Subcontractors? – No Excuses

Title: Subcontractors? – No Excuses

Dear YouDig?

We pride ourselves on great relationships with our subcontractors. We play it straight with them. If they do the job, they get paid. Unfortunately we are seeing an up-tick in excuses for slow or poor performance.  We know we have contract rights, but we don’t like to spend more time with lawyers than we do with our jobs. How do we manage the “excuse generation?”

-Dog Ate It

8.28.17

Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Laws and Contractors’ Drug Policies

Dear YouDig?,

One of our workers showed up to the construction site higher than puff the magic dragon! We were shocked when he pulled out a prescription. We are a drug-free, zero-tolerance work place. We sent puff home. Do we have a problem under Ohio’s new medical marijuana laws?

-In A Haze

8.14.17

Back to School – No More Excuses for Unfinished Projects

Back to School – No More Excuses for Unfinished Projects

Dear YouDig?,

A few years ago we planned an intricate multi-million dollar expansion of our facilities. We entered into a stipulated-sum construction contract with a premier general contractor.

From the beginning of construction, it seemed like not enough workers were on site and things were progressing slowly. We don’t build buildings but it sure seemed fishy.   The contractor pacified us with various excuses, which we didn’t really understand.  Now we are approaching the expected completion date, and we don’t see any way the Contractor can finish.

It’s damaging and, frankly, embarrassing. We feel like we failed our shareholders.  What should we do?

-Flunked Out

7.12.17

Tax Man Knocking?

Dear YouDig?

We are constructing a new, single-user office building in Ohio for an important international client. Our client requested that, as part of the contract, we directly purchase and install fancy furniture, portable storage units and cutting edge conference room audio/video equipment geared to their business and available to move with them down the road. After we installed the items, we submitted a pay application, with sales tax added on. Now the client is upset and feels the sales tax is our problem. We disagree. We just know the tax man will come a knockin’.

~Rock and Hard Place