In work is it acceptable to refuse somebody else access to your tools?

Question

i get all the c**p jobs in work, i'm treated as the man who can but because i'm a temp the boss thinks i should do all the jobs required. as the sites only skilled labourer i eneded up bringing my own professional grade tools in as the site tools went walkies. i was expected to rebuild a wall with a pointing trowel the foreman scrounged( stole) of the brickies. so i'm doing all the heavy labouring and skilled work with my own tools. an unskilled ars'e l**k general "labourer from" my old site has been moved to this site i'm on. hes full time i'm a temp and hes a menace with tools, hes no respect for them. i got taken of making and filling sill boards with concrete that i mixed by hand and put onto lagging soil pipes so he could do it. i said fair enough but hes not using my tools, so i threw on the floor the firms tools that i found when i went on site. a pair of tin snips and a claw hammer. and i told the boss he can do that with them. was i a big child or what?

Answer 1

Under the circumstances I can understand where you are coming from and I have no doubt I probably have a lot more frontal than you were.

As far as tools go, NO-ONE has the right to use your tools without your consent. AND no employer can order you to allow other people to use them.

Further, if he were a decent employer he would have an assortment of tools neccesary for the type of works he expects carried out.

It would also be fair to ask him for a tool allowance to cover wear and tear and also an insurance cover to guard against theft.

STICK TO YOUR RIGHTS.

There is plenty of work around for good alround people like yourself.

Answer 2

No i dont think so. If the tools are yours , you have every right to refuse to let others who dont respect them use them, though i suggest that it would have been better to have kept your cool & politely refused.  

Where i work, we provide our own tools & all the new temps coming in take them, like its their right, its not. I now keep mine in a pouch & no one gets to use them.

Good luck & keep cool.

Answer 3

I think you did the right thing, if you had total disregard for whoever used your tools, sooner or later you could find that they have all gone on the missing list.

How can you do a proper job without the right tools, surely the boss should be providing these for everybody, not you.

Answer 4

If you buy you're own tools that gets expensive .Loaning them out is not good .I find most people don't treat my stuff as good as theirs .They did not pay for it .You buy it you use it .if you want to loan someone something it is you're choice .

Answer 5

Theres a lot of rant for little problems.  If you don't want someone using your tools, don't bloody let em.  Tell em to get their own.  They'll soon learn mate.  A labourer must have certain tools, but they are his.  So what if your on temp, maybe because you got your own tools you might get the fulltime placement ?  Goodluck mate.

Answer 6

No I totally agree with what you did. If he wants to have the better jobs, then let him go get his own tools. You protect what is yours you paid for them.

Incidently why are you working as a  temp. On my husbands firm they are crying out for good labourers that can turn their hand to anything, and they pay them quite well. There are loads of firms if you asked about who would take you on permanently.