Can I actually get fired for this?!

[Asinine]

Alright. Well it all started when I was loading and we had our oh so great "interviews" that we are so fortunate to have from our safety committee. Basically, they run you down basic topics, asking you questions about your job, etc. Well to say the least, I do horrible at these. I have every single one they've brought on me. I take the blame and admit, I'm not the kind of guy that will go home and study up on my 5 slips and falls. I clock in, do my job to the fullest I can that day, and clock out. Well my (not sure what exactly he is, but he manages our entire belt, I suppose not a center manager) caught wind of this, and asked how long I had been there. I told him about 3 months or so, and he went on a tangent about how me failing these interviews make HIM look bad and look like a jackass when he has to attend a meeting and is asked about it, and that as an employee, I have to know everything they had asked. And what caught me, was the fact that he said that it is a TERM as an employee, which to me, is implying that he could easily get me fired for not knowing the 8 keys to put one box on top of another damn box. Now don't get me wrong, if this is true, I would be glad to study up on how to make my job seem as complicated as possible each night till I get it right if someone here could point me in a direction where I could find all the material so he can quit worrying about HIS reputation. But from what I've seen posted here, it seems like a complete joke and he just wants to keep his boss happy/get me scared straight.

TLR version: Can I actually get fired for not knowing everything you were taught on your first week of orientation?

 

[TearsInRain]

stop arguing and just do what you're told as best you can, and if that's not good enough, oh well, not your problem

you'll be a lot happier in the end, take my word for it

 

[Asinine]

stop arguing and just do what you're told as best you can, and if that's not good enough, oh well, not your problem

you'll be a lot happier in the end, take my word for it

Not arguing, just wondering I suppose. Now if I could only find all of the material it covered..

 

[TearsInRain]

ask your PT supervisor for it, they have loads of printouts available, or better yet, ask for a methods card that has all the requisite safety stuff printed on it

it really is pretty important stuff, and will keep you safe if you take the time to follow it

 

[Asinine]

ask your PT supervisor for it, they have loads of printouts available, or better yet, ask for a methods card that has all the requisite safety stuff printed on it

it really is pretty important stuff, and will keep you safe if you take the time to follow it

Yeah I will if I don't find it around here somewhere lol.
And I know most of it is in the best interest of the employee, but it seems a little...much to want to threaten a decent hire with termination because they can't remember the 8 INTRICATE steps to get a box from A to B when there are far more worse offenders out there, not to mention the effort of finding another new hire in the bunch that won't come and go.

 

[TearsInRain]

ask your PT supervisor for it, they have loads of printouts available, or better yet, ask for a methods card that has all the requisite safety stuff printed on it

it really is pretty important stuff, and will keep you safe if you take the time to follow it

Yeah I will if I don't find it around here somewhere lol.
And I know most of it is in the best interest of the employee, but it seems a little...much to want to threaten a decent hire with termination because they can't remember the 8 INTRICATE steps to get a box from A to B when there are far more worse offenders out there, not to mention the effort of finding another new hire in the bunch that won't come and go.

i've never seen or heard of anyone fired for that, and it took me several months to learn it, though i was a peak hire so i had time

your PT supe might be a bit of a dick for talking termination, but he's probably getting his ass chewed out because his employees aren't in compliance
on the flip side, he's not doing his job either

if one of my people had problems remembering, i would quiz them daily until they had it down perfectly

there's no shame in taking time to learn something, but there is, or should be, shame in not trying to be the best employee you can be

 

[soberups]

.... Can I actually get fired for not knowing everything you were taught on your first week of orientation?

No.

It is not a condition of employment to be able to play word games or recite safety drivel like a parakeet.

Nor is it your responsibility to find copies of the material they want you to learn so that you can take it home and study it on your personal time. This isnt junior high school. They cant make you do homework. And the fact that your boss "looks like a jackass" in a meeting is his problem, not yours.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Do your best, whether it is remembering everything or remember nothing. You made 30 days, you were good enough then; you are good enough as-is.

 

[menotyou]

This piece of dirt is harassing you. I would file charges. Hostile work environments are grounds for lawsuits.

 

[over9five]

Please don't study at home. You are an hourly employee, and must be paid to learn this.

 

[Catatonic]

It's your back ... if you learn the safe methods and can repeat them then there is a much higher probability you will apply them.
Think for yourself and do what you think is best for you.
These jack wagons don't care anything about you.

 

[Re-Raise]

It's your back ... if you learn the safe methods and can repeat them then there is a much higher probability you will apply them.
Think for yourself and do what you think is best for you.
These jack wagons don't care anything about you.

Hoaxster why is it that management is so convinced of the importance of these keys, acronyms and slogans as a way to affect safety? Is it becasuse the ability to recite them verbatim is something they can measure?

I know them because I have a decent ability to memorize things. As a 25 yr employee I see no correlation at all between the ability to recite these things and working safely.

Talk is cheap in my opinion and having the employees actually buy into the importance of safe ACTIONS is much more important than rattling off key phrases.

 

[Asinine]

Thanks everyone. And I do work safely, regardless if I know all of the fine details they expect me to know or not. I think I might still look over everything for the hell of it, but what do I tell him if he happens to have an issue with me again? I don't want to loose this job over something so small then have to fight my way back for it.

 

[upserr1]

No they can't fire you for not memorizing them or knowing them in order.If he tells you again or hints that you'll be fired immediately file a harassment grievance against him.Also never ever study on your time,if they tell you you have to know these things have them bring you in earlier before your shift to study on their time.Contractual they have to.
I'm a senior driver and have been through this myself have been paid many times to study on their time an still can't repeat everything in order and I'm still here.

 

[dilligaf]

The basic answer to your basic question is, "The company can fire you for almost anything.". Never doubt this.

The next question is, "Can they make it stick?". In most cases, no, they cannot.

Over is correct. You learn this on their dime.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Thanks everyone. And I do work safely, regardless if I know all of the fine details they expect me to know or not. I think I might still look over everything for the hell of it, but what do I tell him if he happens to have an issue with me again? I don't want to loose this job over something so small then have to fight my way back for it.

Ask your FT supervisor with a steward ! if you can take time during the shift to study them because you will be working to the best of your ability while studying.

If they accept, make sure you learn them like a good soldier the best you can.
If they deny, that is fine too...

Your FT sup threatened termination for not memorizing safety information
You asked to study during shift to learn them, the best of your ability
FT sup denied you time to learn the material

Basically, you are in a no-win situation at that point and under threats of term employment. Perfect grievance material.

 

[Catatonic]

Hoaxster why is it that management is so convinced of the importance of these keys, acronyms and slogans as a way to affect safety? Is it becasuse the ability to recite them verbatim is something they can measure?

I know them because I have a decent ability to memorize things. As a 25 yr employee I see no correlation at all between the ability to recite these things and working safely.

Talk is cheap in my opinion and having the employees actually buy into the importance of safe ACTIONS is much more important than rattling off key phrases.

In my workplace I don't have to memorize or repeat safety stuff.
However, if a person can not explain or describe something then they most likely don't know it.
It has nothing to do with being management or not.
Are you going to go to a doctor that can not explain or describe an operation he/she is going to perform on you? I know I'm not.
And you are the one blindly reacting to this as a union / management issue.
If you go back and read what I said, it never mentioned union or UPS or remembering acronyms or slogans ... what I advised was for this person to look out for him/her self.
I'm not the dipstick trying to prop up my feelings of inadequacy by turning everything into a management versus union employee situation.
Why don't you try thinking about someone other than yourself on occasion.

Just my opinion on people looking out for themselves.

 

[soberups]

The basic answer to your basic question is, "The company can fire you for almost anything.". Never doubt this.

The next question is, "Can they make it stick?". In most cases, no, they cannot.

Over is correct. You learn this on their dime.

A better way to phrase this would be to say that the company can certainly try to fire you for almost anything, but only in extreme or obvious cases of wrongdoing by the employee will they risk owing back pay over a wrongful termination.

Bottom line; you cannot get fired for failing to score 100% on a word game. Period. The safety stuff is useful to know and you should make a reasonable effort to learn it (while you are on the clock) but any supervisor who threatens to fire you for not reciting it verbatim is flat-out full of sh%t. It is not a condition of employment.

 

[Re-Raise]

In my workplace I don't have to memorize or repeat safety stuff.
However, if a person can not explain or describe something then they most likely don't know it.
It has nothing to do with being management or not.
Are you going to go to a doctor that can not explain or describe an operation he/she is going to perform on you? I know I'm not.
And you are the one blindly reacting to this as a union / management issue.
If you go back and read what I said, it never mentioned union or UPS or remembering acronyms or slogans ... what I advised was for this person to look out for him/her self.
I'm not the dipstick trying to prop up my feelings of inadequacy by turning everything into a management versus union employee situation.
Why don't you try thinking about someone other than yourself on occasion.

Just my opinion on people looking out for themselves.

Wow I wasn't anticipating this reaction. I don't feel inadequate but thanks for asking.

I just know that management at my center feels these slogans are incredibly important. The workers who can recite them are no more or less likely to be injured in my experience.

I just found it interesting that even though you aren't responsible for the safety of any employees that I know of, you also feel these slogans are necessary.

As far as having my doctor recite acronyms before trusting him to do surgery.. I think you are helping make my point. I will trust the doctor whose work proves his competence.

 

[Re-Raise]

In my workplace I don't have to memorize or repeat safety stuff.

Sometimes I have to. How do you manage not to hurt yourself?