Company won't let him get his toolbox..

[Defender Chassis]

Then the company should plan their layoffs better.....

Enlighten us as to how to properly "plan" a payoff please. For all anyone reading this thread knows all the people getting laid off are getting severance. That sure would take the sting off of the guys not being able to work with their tools for a few days? Before we form a mob why don't we take a deep breath and wait for Paul Harvey to get back with us on the outcome?

 

[porphyre]

Then the company should plan their layoffs better.....

Damn straight.

Look at it this way. I've got a used car. Cost me about $7,000. From many posts here, it is commonplace for a tech to have $10,000+ ******* in tools and box.

Assume my toolbox is in the workbay. Assume my car is parked in the company parking garage.

Is it ok to put me out on the street without my car? I could have all sorts of company stuff stashed in it Hell no. If I had a large investment in tools, there is no goddamn way I would leave the building without it. Sure, they can search it, no problem. I'm not a thief.

But if they try to make me leave without it....

Voices would be raised. Police would be called. Box would be taken home.

 

[csp]

For all anyone reading this thread knows all the people getting laid off are getting severance.

Getting laid off doesn't mean there's a guaranteed severance and the OP hasn't mentioned anyone getting severance.

 

[MrSnicks]

Enlighten us as to how to properly "plan" a payoff please. For all anyone reading this thread knows all the people getting laid off are getting severance. That sure would take the sting off of the guys not being able to work with their tools for a few days? Before we form a mob why don't we take a deep breath and wait for Paul Harvey to get back with us on the outcome?

The company should stagger the layoffs. Don't do them all on the same day at the same time. Give 1 person the chance to go through the process, get their stuff and leave before starting the process with the 2nd person.

Patrick

 

[porphyre]

The company should stagger the layoffs. Don't do them all on the same day at the same time. Give 1 person the chance to go through the process, get their stuff and leave before starting the process with the 2nd person.

Patrick

Yeah, it's not hard. The company didn't just up and decide to fire 40 folks that morning. A reduction in force that large probably took a month to plan.

 

[Boost Creep]

start this place on fire[/mumbling]

 

[rsanter]

call the police but he can also call the fair employment something or another for the state and cause some **** for them
that may get them off their attitude

bob

 

[daveroy]

The management doesn't want 40 techs walking back into the shop spouting off all kinds of **** about losing the job while others are working. Bad for moral, bad for business, bad for whatever car is on the lift at the time. The techs will likely be asked to come get thier stuff on an appointment type schedule, one at a time on a Sat when the rest of the staff is not there, and everything can be controlled.

 

[MartyO]

The company should stagger the layoffs. Don't do them all on the same day at the same time. Give 1 person the chance to go through the process, get their stuff and leave before starting the process with the 2nd person.

Patrick

Then teh company may as well pay the employees not to come in. Once folks are told they are being laid off, they start phoning it in.

 

[MartyO]

Getting laid off doesn't mean there's a guaranteed severance and the OP hasn't mentioned anyone getting severance.

The OP left a lot out.

 

[mrholeshot]

I would have never left the site without my tools. Well I may have left long enough to grab my Bushmaster. Not kidding.

 

[ptschram]

The techs will likely be asked to come get thier stuff on an appointment type schedule, one at a time on a Sat when the rest of the staff is not there, and everything can be controlled.

In the meantime, they are unable to earn a living.

 

[bmfenn]

So I am going to "borrow" your tools and your car.... no you can't have them back at this moment, but I will contact you when you can.

You can retrieve your tools and car at a later date should I decide to do so.

Sorry, but that's theft. $10 says tools will be missing.

That's a completely different story, you're changing the events. Once again, I think what the company is doing is wrong, but where I live, what was stated by the OP is not theft. In the OP there was no "You can retrieve your tools at a later date should I decide to do so." The company isn't "borrowing" anything. They're letting you go from employment. Nowhere did they say they were going to keep his tools. If they did so, then it would be theft. They escorted him off the premises, and told him he was no longer welcome there. The OP implied that the company was going to make arrangements to retrieve his property.

A closer analogy would be you coming over to use my garage to work on your car. You bring your own car, and your own tools over on Saturday. The next day I go away on vacation, and because my wife was running late as usual, we were late to leave for the airport, and I forgot to leave a garage key for you. You want your tools and your car, but I'm not going to give them to you until I get home from Disney World with my family in another 4 days. You're pissed, because you need your tools to go to work on Monday. I have not stolen your tools, nor your car. Am I keeping you from accessing them, absolutely. Is that theft? Not in NJ. If you say that because I did not grant you access to your tools there you are losing work, then it's a civil matter.

Once again, what this company did is horrible, and I think they should have let him retrieve his stuff right then.

 

[scott37300]

The management doesn't want 40 techs walking back into the shop spouting off all kinds of **** about losing the job while others are working. Bad for moral, bad for business, bad for whatever car is on the lift at the time. The techs will likely be asked to come get thier stuff on an appointment type schedule, one at a time on a Sat when the rest of the staff is not there, and everything can be controlled.

Then the company should have had times set up already and let the techs know when they can come get their stuff. They just told them they will contact them later, leaves a lot open as to if you will ever get your tools back or when. All they had to do was stagger the appointments over the next couple days and let the techs know the appointment date and time when they let them go. Then at least the tech knows he will get his tools back and also when he will. Little things go a long way to avoid problems. It's crappy enought that a company would just spring this on them one morning. But then employees are supposed to give a two week notice when leaving? Ya right. And then they wonder why there is no loyalty between companies/management and employees anymore.

 

[MartyO]

Is there an employee manual or other agreement by which he agreed to be bound?

 

[Displaced Hokie]

Way too much left out in this story, as something seems fishy.

 

[treasureseeker]

I would imagine the OP would have to turn in uniforms if the company paid for them but the company probably has his last check. I don’t know the details but it only becomes an issue if the company isn’t letting him get his tools by appointment or walk in. At Roush if I had my keys in my box or something I needed that day it would have been an issue and they didn’t give severance.

 

[vssjim]

Unless you have an employee manual that you read and signed a statement saying you understand the policy of them keeping your property I'm sure they can't. Being escorted off the property is one thing kept personal property with out a court order or your consent is another thing. The courts are funny about a lot of things but keeping someone from the ability of making a living is something they seem to uphold for workers mostly. I also never would have left without my property when I had not been charged with a crime just laid off they would have to have called the cops on me. DID HE EVER SIGN A DOCUMENT SAYING THIS WAS POLICY?????

 

[vssjim]

I would imagine the OP would have to turn in uniforms if the company paid for them but the company probably has his last check. I don’t know the details but it only becomes an issue if the company isn’t letting him get his tools by appointment or walk in. At Roush if I had my keys in my box or something I needed that day it would have been an issue and they didn’t give severance.

I knew a guy that worked at Roush in the mid to late eighties and left because he thought they were dishonest to customers at best. Has anybody ever left there said anything good about the company???

 

[MartyO]

I would imagine the OP would have to turn in uniforms if the company paid for them but the company probably has his last check.

It is not the OP that was laid off.

 

[porphyre]

A closer analogy would be you coming over to use my garage to work on your car. You bring your own car, and your own tools over on Saturday. The next day I go away on vacation, and because my wife was running late as usual, we were late to leave for the airport, and I forgot to leave a garage key for you. You want your tools and your car, but I'm not going to give them to you until I get home from Disney World with my family in another 4 days. You're pissed, because you need your tools to go to work on Monday. I have not stolen your tools, nor your car. Am I keeping you from accessing them, absolutely. Is that theft? Not in NJ. If you say that because I did not grant you access to your tools there you are losing work, then it's a civil matter.

Once again, what this company did is horrible, and I think they should have let him retrieve his stuff right then.

No, your story is incorrect too. Let's do it this way.

A closer analogy would be me hiring you coming over to use my garage to work on mycar. You bring your own car, and your own tools over on Saturday. The next day I tell you that I'm going to keep your tools and car for the next 4 days. You can't come get them and are not welcome on my property. You're pissed, because you need your tools to go to work on Monday. I have not stolen your tools, nor your car. Am I keeping you from accessing them, absolutely. Is that theft? Not in NJ. If you say that because I did not grant you access to your tools there you are losing work, then it's a civil matter.


There. That's more like it.

 

[E.Marquez]

As others have stated, get a LEO involved.. NOW. I wold not have left, the site, politely, professionally and simultaneousness on the cell phone contacted the police while ensuring the management on site understood this was not a completed action until i left WITH my property. Indirect answer to the question.. Yes I have seen it once before.. I have been near Line mechanics and shops for the last 20 years, indirectly. My wife is a service advisor, Jeep this year, previously, Chevy, Ford, and a Drive line specialty company in Alaska. As such I get to hear all the juicy tidbits the shop foremen , managers, dispatchers, service advisors, lead techs, line techs, dealership GM and owners have to spill.. For some reason the Male spouse of a female employee, who is a career US Army Soldier ,a gear head, metal fabricator, motorcycle builder , rider and racer,, is a tempting ear to bend. When silly stuff arises. the ONLY time I have seen a Box withheld, was when the employee was accused of stealing company diag tools.. and the foreman believed some of them were in his box..... but in that case the COMPANY called the LEO, and then held on to the box until they arrived (Tech had been fired that morning)

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

I don't know where this is taking place, but here in AZ all it takes is a call to law enforcement. As was mentioned before, they WILL come do a "civil standby" while the techs get their tools.

 

[briggsguy17]

I don't think we are getting the whole story here. The question of theft or not is going to vary by state. I would like to know the "rest of the story"......

 

[LIVELY]

Unless you have an employee manual that you read and signed a statement saying you understand the policy of them keeping your property I'm sure they can't. Being escorted off the property is one thing kept personal property with out a court order or your consent is another thing. The courts are funny about a lot of things but keeping someone from the ability of making a living is something they seem to uphold for workers mostly. I also never would have left without my property when I had not been charged with a crime just laid off they would have to have called the cops on me. DID HE EVER SIGN A DOCUMENT SAYING THIS WAS POLICY?????

i kinda agree--if no signed rules then they can not keep your tools.
i worked at a body shop years ago-got laid off and was told to leave and come back later and get my tools[this was about 10 in the morning]-i called the police in town and told them i was not leaving without my tools or at least locking my tools up-they came to the dealership and i left with ALL my tools and boxes.

it took them 1 month to get my final check but by the time the states attorney got done with them i got interest on my money also[plus they got a visit by the labor board about the wages!]

 

[kc-steve]

I'm not sure what has changed in 30 years, but I was one of 200 or 300 laid off by a company doing government contract work back when the gubment would sometimes STOP spending money.

It wasn't fun, but it was civil, meaning we all packed our things up in the engineering department that day, tools included, and quietly left early forever. Severance pay came later. I suspect the OP's friend/mechanic will likely be paid for the days without his tools though.

Steve

 

[treasureseeker]

I knew a guy that worked at Roush in the mid to late eighties and left because he thought they were dishonest to customers at best. Has anybody ever left there said anything good about the company???

I worked in Allen Park and every minute had to be billed to a Ford vehicle and work done posted to the Ford website. There were weeks following a build being finished that there is nothing to do but we still had to bill Ford on a vehicle along with blocks of hours waiting on parts. I just posted what my Manager instructed. Roush either used a vehicle that was recently finished or one that hadn’t been started yet. They did builds in batches of around 30 vehicles and many different builds went on at the same time. When they did the layoffs I was in the last batch that was temporarily laid off and offered a five dollar pay cut and work in Ohio as a driver until they got more builds from Ford. I said no. This year Roush has tons of builds and I applied through a temp agency and had a great interview with the shop manager. The Recruiter from the temp agency said I had the job, he was just waiting on a start date, but instead I wasn’t allowed to return because of attendance. I missed one day that was OKed before hand as I had to put my dog to sleep. They work done there is awesome. The way they bill Ford is sickening.

 

[fordbroncodave]

civil case or not, they should be allowed to get their items and leave.

for all they know, the company probably hired a lock smith to open each toolbox and sift through there stuff. things are looking grim every minute for those guys who lost their jobs.

unless the company is planning separate times for each person to pick their stuff up so they can't socalize with eachother or ralley

 

[cdseven95]

If 40 others were laid off and none of them were granted access to toolboxs then why would there be more to the story... It makes sense... I doubt all of them were stealing...


I would not of left... I would of just made my way to the box and pushed it out... Security wont put a hand on you.. If they do then you will get "paid"... If anything they will call the police and that is what you want...

 

[dirtrider]

Yes I think this is bull, but I also think something is missing in this story. But it seems since they did a mass layoff, this was not an individual case of stealing company property. I would certainly consider all available option's I could including calling Law enforcement or possibly consulting an attorney. Since we don't really know the specific's just from the OP's initial post it's hard to determine the reasoning of the company but I think it's safe to assume they have previously planned this mass layoff and have probably even gotten legal advice as well, especially since they hired security, normally half way intelligent business's will not take this big of a risk if they don't have the legal standing to do so. To me unless there is a specific difficulty or outstanding reason they cannot let laid off employees take there tools once they leave the property the company should have no right to hold employees personal property especially tools whether they have the right to do so or not, it is not morally right. I would personally take all available action including taking legal action , I would also anonymously make a call to Osha if any work place hazard's exist which I'm sure they do by Osha's standards and is alway's a headache for employer's, I would also call the State Labor commission if even the smallest discrepancy existed in pay. You may even try calling your states Attorney General or in certain factory type jobs you could try calling a Union Representative and going through the process of trying to Unionize. I would also try filing a complaint with certain online websites that specialize in rating business's practices like Ripoffreport of the BBB and spread the word to future employees and customer's. These are just some ideas I had off the top of my head if you don't receive your tools back in a timely manner, which may or may not help you. Good Luck.

 

[ptschram]

Those of you who are referencing employee handbooks, every job I've had, the employee handbook wasn't worth wiping your ***. They all had a statement that management could change the rules at any point, but the employees had to abide by those rules and could not make any changes, that was a right reserved for management.

 

[Skyline]

It's not like most techs could take their boxes home with them right away even if they wanted to. Arrangements have to be made for a truck, trailer, rollback or whatever. I'm sure some don't even have a place they can keep their tools at home, and have to make arrangements for that. If they don't let the techs back to pick up their stuff at a later date, by appointment, or fail to safeguard the techs' tools, that's another story.

 

[Eagle Point]

I would be curious if the fired employees were given their final paycheck? Here in Ca they hand it to you with a kick in the ***. If I was laid off because of cutbacks or I quit then I would come back after hours and get whatever is mine. If they fired me I would get everything out now, make a phone call, get a trailer or truck and haul what is mine home. I would make sure that I took anything that was shop property out of the box and leave it with the foreman/manager present. This situation would have been overwith in a very short time. If they choose to argue with me I would stand next to my box, make a call to the police and proceed to move it out when the cop arrives. This matter would be done. To me it seems pretty simple. I, like others here, feel that we are not hearing the entire story.

 

[ZRX61]

How the hell did we get from "& several others" to "40 others"?

 

[mcdtommy23]

I would have never left the site without my tools. Well I may have left long enough to grab my Bushmaster. Not kidding.

Agreed. 100% It is theft plain and simple. Sounds like it's time to get evil..


Here's an idea- find the managers car, rap a chain around the son of a *****, and tell him he can have his car released when your tools are. or-- write a note that you are taking X property as collateral against your tools, when tools are released so will X. Tires/rims, perhaps a torch to the top of a vehicle, rear axle, etc. Just a thought..

 

[jay50]

No way in hell I would have left without my tool box and there wouldn't be a SOB big enough or bad enough in that shithole to stop me. First off, I'd grab a BFH and lay it on top of the box while moving; just waiting for the first SOB to try to stop me...he'd be picking up his teeth and eyeballs off the floor....

 

[TheGrooveking]

Way too much left out in this story, as something seems fishy.

Fishy, hmm, what is left out? I wasn't there, the guy called me, told me what he told me. As I know more, you'll know more, till then, keep guessing as to what is missing.

TheGrooveking

 

[E.Marquez]

No way in hell I would have left without my tool box and there wouldn't be a SOB big enough or bad enough in that shithole to stop me. First off, I'd grab a BFH and lay it on top of the box while moving; just waiting for the first SOB to try to stop me...he'd be picking up his teeth and eyeballs off the floor....

Sitting in jail for aggravated assault may make one feel vindicated and righteous, but it's awfully hard to earn a living from lockup .
Rule # 1,, If you’re going to be stupid, ya better be tough.
Rule # 2, no matter how tough you think you are, there is someone tougher, and or more semi tough guys waiting for an opportunity.

 

[porphyre]

How the hell did we get from "& several others" to "40 others"?

Post #15.

 

[Honda guy]

I would advise the OP to immediately consult with an attorney who specializes in employment law. For a small consultation fee, he'll find out what he can/can't legally do to get his tools.

I worked for a crooked dealership that would try to keep toolboxes, or hold paychecks, until you "payed back"money that you supposedly owed. I consulted with an attorney before putting in my 2 week notice. He told me that if the boss kept my toolbox, and the police couldn't convince him to give it to me, that he would have a judge file an injuction and I'd have my tools back within a couple of days. Thankfully, he didn't try to keep my tools but I least I knew where I stood, and exactly what steps I could legally take.