Question for dealership auto techs

"jim" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Kevin wrote:
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>> >I work at a Chevy dealership. I was pulling a monstrous SUV into a
>> > tight stall and scraped the side. I am told that I need to pay for the
>> > $600 in damages. Shouldn't the dealership have insurance for this?
>> > This is the first time I have ever done this.
>> >
>>
>> In most states they can not legally make you pay for the damage, but they
>> certainly have the right to fire you if you do not.
>> When I ran a shop I would try to determine if such an accident was
>> careless
>> or virtually unavoidable. If it was carelessness on the part of the
>> employee, he had a choice of easy payroll deductions or a pink slip.
>
> I don't know what state you are in but in most states simply asking an
> employee to pay for damages is considered to be extortion and is quite
> illegal. You have various things you can do to discipline an employee
> including immediate termination. Requiring that an employee buy their
> way out of a disciplinary action is blackmail.
>
> -jim
>

Yeah, I realize that. I guess my reply did sound like I was saying pay up or
get fired. I should have worded that differently. There are ways to
accomplish that without actually comming across as an extorsionist. Don't
get me wrong though. In 18 years there were only two times a tech did
somthing so stupid and with such disregard for common sense and safety that
I actually expected them to be finacially responsible for their actions. I
know what you mean by extortion and I must say I wouldn't do that. Of
course, it was never put to the the idiot that he had to pay up or be fired,
but he certainly understood that if he did not take responsibility for his
actions then it wouldn't take me long to find a legitimate reason to get rid
of him. In one case the employee just quit without complaint and the other
actually wanted to make good his mistake. He continued to work for me for
another ten years and 20 years later he is still a top tech at the shop I
was supervising.

As for the OP. I don't think the shop should charge him for the damage, even
though I do not know all the circumstances, but it sure sounds like the shop
should absorb that one and take a close look at their safety situation in
the future.

Kevin

>
>> We did
>> have liability insurance to cover the damage, but our rates went up if we
>> made too many claims, so we only used the insurance when necessary.
>> --
>> Kevin Mouton
>> Automotive Technology Instructor
>> "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
>> Red Green
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet
> News==----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+
> Newsgroups
> ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption
> =----

wrote:
> I work at a Chevy dealership. I was pulling a monstrous SUV into a
> tight stall and scraped the side. I am told that I need to pay for the
> $600 in damages. Shouldn't the dealership have insurance for this?
> This is the first time I have ever done this.

Hi, you need real legal advise from a lawer familiar with your states
laws. A lot is going to depend on your precise status, are you a paid
employee, or are you a contractor. If you are a contractor what are the
terms of the contract .

If you have been told to pay up , I would send a letter to the
dealership requesting clarification (of their legal position on this
request), and I would start looking for another job.

« Paul »"wrote:

> Perhaps you should assume responsibility for your actions?
> When I worked at a Ford dealership as a line tech I accidentally
> backed into a pickup truck bed cap that another tech temporarily
> placed behind the car I was working on.
> I accepted responsibility for my actions and paid for what was
> clearly my fault - I should have looked behind before moving my
> vehicle.

Very big of you.....but a foolish thing to do. I've been working
in the trade for close to 30 years, and until recently, most
employers I worked for always wanted the tech's to "be
responsible". It's flat out illegal to make a tech pay for something
like this...but there are enough tech's around that are either
afraid for their job, or don't know their legal rights.

It's the same thing as "chargebacks". This was very common
in the dealership that I work at now, but I have never been
charged back for anything. I simply told them it wasn't legal
and that I would move on if they wanted to continue doing it.
I guess they like my work so far. I've always been of the mind
that the employer shouldn't try to nickle and dime me on things
like accidents....if I have too many of them....get rid of me!

Having worked for so long as a "flat rate" mechanic, it's been
bred into me that I will fix a "comeback" that is clearly my
mistake for no labour charge. Even this is illegal, but I am
willing to take responsiblity. Fortunately, my dealership is
fairly reasonable about "comebacks". Can't figure out why
they are so silly about charging tech's back for other things.

The funniest (or perhaps the saddest) part is that when the
economy is in the dumper and it's more difficult to find a
job, the employers turn into real assholes. Then when they
can't find any tech's for the life of them.....all of a sudden
they treat us like gold.

Ian

> As for the OP. I don't think the shop should charge him for the damage,
> even though I do not know all the circumstances, but it sure sounds like
> the shop should absorb that one and take a close look at their safety
> situation in the future.
>
> Kevin

The key point being that the shop chose to use that stall for that kind of
vehicle... The shop was taking the risk that something like this would
happen.