Injury + Insult + Anger/ Amazement

**Bad Robot** · April 9th, 2011, 07:01 AM

I had a great day going yesterday, so I headed to one of my projects to work ahead and finish up my day. A tech I have known for years who works for the world's greatest locating company was already on site when I arrived. We talked about the project, and as usual, the business of contract locating. He informed me that he had been out there most of the day, because he had been sent home the previous day because his company was trying to limit overtime. He was unable to make it back out even though he told the contractor he would work ahead of him. To make matters worse, he received his annual e-mail from his company director asking for donations to his pet causes, because we live in the most generous and prosperous nation on earth.

Excuse me? Am I missing something here friend?

On top of all the crap that your average contract guy has to deal with, you have the gall to ask him for money, after you take it away? Are you insane, or just totally out of touch with reality?

These guys used to have some overtime to offset the running and gunning you expect them to do day in and day out. Now they run these guys ragged with the promise of overtime, and pull the rug out at the last minute! Then they come to you with their hand out!! I am not making this shit up!

**UULC** · April 9th, 2011, 11:28 AM

It must have been USIC. They did that to us before.

**ProfessionalLocator** · April 9th, 2011, 11:36 AM

I tell noobies that this industry generally offers / requires extensive amounts of overtime and be prepared to work it.

I also tell anyone who will listen not to count on getting overtime and plan their finances accordingly.

Sometimes some employees abuse OT and slow down production on straight time just to create OT, this needs to be curbed.

But I believe I know which firm you are writing about and they several times a year give blanket orders prohibiting OT regardless of work load or an individual's productivity rate.

I have seen this firm prohibit OT and then tell their locators to complete all tickets or be fired. This forces their employees to work for free after hours, falsely report work completed or rush through tickets doing poor work.

This is an old practice at this firm and they are fully aware of it's results.

**locator00566** · April 9th, 2011, 11:37 AM

USIC all the way.

**Bad Robot** · April 9th, 2011, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by ProfessionalLocator

I tell noobies that this industry generally offers / requires extensive amounts of overtime and be prepared to work it.

I also tell anyone who will listen not to count on getting overtime and plan their finances accordingly.

Sometimes some employees abuse OT and slow down production on straight time just to create OT, this needs to be curbed.

But I believe I know which firm you are writing about and they several times a year give blanket orders prohibiting OT regardless of work load or an individual's productivity rate.

I have seen this firm prohibit OT and then tell their locators to complete all tickets or be fired. This forces their employees to work for free after hours, falsely report work completed or rush through tickets doing poor work.

This is an old practice at this firm and they are fully aware of it's results.

Anyone who works for free after hours, or works anytime off the clock, is flat out crazy. I do not care how badly you need or want the work, if you get injured or get in a vehicle accident, do you seriously think your company will have your back? And falsely report work completed? They are back to the old shenanigans of yesteryear already. TV, and phone drops? Vapor. Stump tickets? Vapor. Pet fences? Vapor. ETC., ETC., ETC.... unless of course you take your job seriously like my project friend here. Great work, communication, follow up etc. And he gets HAMMERED ever week for not being productive because he has the misfortune of being one of the only techs in this area proficient enough to do this work!

There but for the grace of God go I.

**sprayandpray** · April 9th, 2011, 11:16 PM

Fact: I have never been denied the chance to work overtime if the work was there. I have never been told I had to complete x amount of tickets or risk being fired. In fact, the opposite is often the case. I have worked for USIC for over 10 years.

**locator_smbk** · April 9th, 2011, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

Fact: I have never been denied the chance to work overtime if the work was there. I have never been told I had to complete x amount of tickets or risk being fired. In fact, the opposite is often the case. I have worked for USIC for over 10 years.

Then you must work in a specific area where management actually has common sense and gives a crap....

**ProfessionalLocator** · April 10th, 2011, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

Fact: I have never been denied the chance to work overtime if the work was there. I have never been told I had to complete x amount of tickets or risk being fired. In fact, the opposite is often the case. I have worked for USIC for over 10 years.

Fact: USIC Locating Services was formed in 2008, three years ago.

**Bad Robot** · April 10th, 2011, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

I have never been told I had to complete x amount of tickets or risk being fired. In fact, the opposite is often the case.

Spray, I am glad that you get some respect there in the Lone Star State. This is not the case in the areas of the Midwest where I work,as far as how it applies to the contract locator. I am curious about your statement, that you have never been told you had to complete x amount of tix & that the opposite is often the case. Is it possible that you could elaborate on that some? Thank you for your feedback.

**sprayandpray** · April 10th, 2011, 07:01 AM

Well excuuuuuuuse Me ProLoc. To be anally specific(something anal retentives like to do) I have worked for SM&P and now USIC for over 10 years(like it really makes a great deal of difference what the company name was/is). When it's been slow in DFW ( normally about 3 months out of the year) some of us voluntarily travel to other areas and when it's busy, like right now , we work 60-70 hrs per week. Any Supervisor can look at the #'s and determine I do a decent job of production, safety and quality. If not , I point it out to them and remind them, respectfully, that I have been successfully doing this for 10+ years and take pride in and manage my own area quite well. So far, this is all I need to do.

That being said, if you run poor #'s, have damages, give Management reason to suspect you are a screw-up and/or a screw-off, you probably will get treated a little differently.

There are a lot of things I would change about USIC if I were GOD, but I'm not so I do what I am able to do and as well as I can and , so far, this has served me well.

**Bad Robot** · April 10th, 2011, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

Well excuuuuuuuse Me ProLoc. To be anally specific(something anal retentives like to do) I have worked for SM&P and now USIC for over 10 years(like it really makes a great deal of difference what the company name was/is). When it's been slow in DFW ( normally about 3 months out of the year) some of us voluntarily travel to other areas and when it's busy, like right now , we work 60-70 hrs per week. Any Supervisor can look at the #'s and determine I do a decent job of production, safety and quality. If not , I point it out to them and remind them, respectfully, that I have been successfully doing this for 10+ years and take pride in and manage my own area quite well. So far, this is all I need to do.

That being said, if you run poor #'s, have damages, give Management reason to suspect you are a screw-up and/or a screw-off, you probably will get treated a little differently.

There are a lot of things I would change about USIC if I were GOD, but I'm not so I do what I am able to do and as well as I can and , so far, this has served me well.

Thanks Spray, just trying to make sense of all this, and how it applies in different parts of the nation. I know Texas is not the same as Illinois, or Indiana. Or South Carolina for the matter.Each areas seems to have it's own unique pluses and minuses for you guys. Thanks for taking the time to elaborate!

**ProfessionalLocator** · April 10th, 2011, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

Well excuuuuuuuse Me ProLoc. To be anally specific(something anal retentives like to do) I have worked for SM&P and now USIC for over 10 years(like it really makes a great deal of difference what the company name was/is). When it's been slow in DFW ( normally about 3 months out of the year) some of us voluntarily travel to other areas and when it's busy, like right now , we work 60-70 hrs per week. Any Supervisor can look at the #'s and determine I do a decent job of production, safety and quality. If not , I point it out to them and remind them, respectfully, that I have been successfully doing this for 10+ years and take pride in and manage my own area quite well. So far, this is all I need to do.

That being said, if you run poor #'s, have damages, give Management reason to suspect you are a screw-up and/or a screw-off, you probably will get treated a little differently.

There are a lot of things I would change about USIC if I were GOD, but I'm not so I do what I am able to do and as well as I can and , so far, this has served me well.

Actually with SM&P it was not a simple name change like the Jerusalem artichoke. Growers needed to increase consumer sales and hired a consultant to rename their product. Under the new name Sun Choke their artichoke sales increased. SM&P did not chose to change their name, the company ceased to exist when it was purchased by USIC. The new company is USIC and the differences between it an SM&P have been made painfully clear by the testimony here of it's other locators.

In general when a purchase and change like this occurs changes are across the board except there are often areas that do not get changed until later. Often this is due to the old previous firm's managers being still in place and holding on to many of their old ways. Also these old legacy pockets of management are eventually changed and do not be surprised to see yourself getting the same treatment other USIC locators across the country have received, regardless of your past or current performance.

**FailedSafetyAudit** · April 10th, 2011, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Bad Robot

Anyone who works for free after hours, or works anytime off the clock, is flat out crazy. I do not care how badly you need or want the work, if you get injured or get in a vehicle accident, do you seriously think your company will have your back? And falsely report work completed? They are back to the old shenanigans of yesteryear already. TV, and phone drops? Vapor. Stump tickets? Vapor. Pet fences? Vapor. ETC., ETC., ETC.... unless of course you take your job seriously like my project friend here. Great work, communication, follow up etc. And he gets HAMMERED ever week for not being productive because he has the misfortune of being one of the only techs in this area proficient enough to do this work!

There but for the grace of God go I.

I knew a company once that would 100% prevent thier guys from getting overtime, and if the employees HAD to work over 40 hours to get their work done, they were told they could work less than 40 hours next week the same amount they had worked over 40 in the previous week.

Of course it's all bullshit, as hours over 40 are worth 1.5x as they are worth under 40. Not paying an employee for hours worked = Illegal.

**Isotopes** · April 18th, 2011, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by FailedSafetyAudit

I knew a company once that would 100% prevent thier guys from getting overtime, and if the employees HAD to work over 40 hours to get their work done, they were told they could work less than 40 hours next week the same amount they had worked over 40 in the previous week.

Of course it's all bullshit, as hours over 40 are worth 1.5x as they are worth under 40. Not paying an employee for hours worked = Illegal.

Ya have heard of that. I don;t know how the people working for them let them get away with that kind of BS.

**locator_smbk** · April 20th, 2011, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Isotopes

Ya have heard of that. I don;t know how the people working for them let them get away with that kind of BS.

Employees of most companies do not have a choice. Its either deal with and have a paycheck or jump ship and work for less money somehweres else. Money is the only reason I am still with a contract locating company.