Sometimes we take jobs because they’re interesting and not for the money – and sometimes, supervisors who don’t deserve the job actually get fired for being incompetent.
Both happened to OP’s brother, who worked in Australia in a tradesman capacity.
So this happened around 2010 in Australia to my brother who is a tradesman who worked for a small engineering firm.
The pay wasn’t great but the company had great conditions and interesting work. They did varied work from making custom parts for racing cars to large jobs for the navy.
There was under fifty staff on the floor. My brother Peter is the leading hand and answered to the floor supervisor who answers directly to the engineers (owners).
He applied for a promotion and didn’t get it, which would have been bad enough. Then the guy who did get it showed up and was an absolute jerk about it.
The supervisor retires and my brother applies for the job but misses out.
The new supervisor arrives and is a tyrant.
On his first day he harasses Peter about missing out on the job and that he is the new boss now so get used to it.
So, when he told OP’s brother to make his machine go 20% faster, he did as told – knowing what would happen.
A couple of days later the supervisor asks my brother to run his CNC machine 20% faster. My brother objects but the supervisor insists.
My brother says sure you’re the boss. i will make it go 20% faster.
Within minutes the alloy they were working gets damaged (not quite sure how or why as I’m not a tradie).
When the supervisor tried to blame the brother, several other employees called him on the lie.
Suddenly the engineers appear and question my brother about what happened.
The supervisor appears and blames my brother.
Fortunately a couple of tradesman heard the previous conversation and back Peter’s story.
He was fired and the brother ended up getting the promotion he deserved all along.
The supervisor get berated by the owners. My brother applied for another job soon after this and gets it. The new Job pays so much better and it’s a supervisors job.
About six weeks after Peter left, the owners from his previous job ring him and offer him the supervisor job as they have sacked the supervisor due poor work standards.
Peter declines.
It pays to have friends, right?
The top comment has seen guys like this before.
He’s got a ways to go to be a good manager.
Things don’t always turn out this well, though.
They do think OP’s brother should learn the “get it in writing” rule.
I’m happy this all turned out.
It definitely didn’t have to have a happy ending.
If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.
Source: https://twistedsifter.com/2023/12/new-supervisor-demands-that-employee-run-a-machine-20-faster-he-does-and-gets-his-boss-job/
