The QUICK question thread.....

Knuckles

Lives under a bridge
My chain had worn to the point that 12 links equalled 12 1/16 inches so it was time for a new one but now I find the old cassette is not playing nicely with the new chain. The 2 highest gears (11-13) skip under load.

So time for a new cassette.

I currently run 1x10 with an xt cassette with a one-up 42T cog and 16T cog replacing 15-17.


Do I buy a sunrace 11-42 for $90 as a cost effective replacement for the whole cassette or spend $280 on XT level 11 speed parts?? (Cassette, derailleur, shifter and chain)


Any long term views on the sunrace mx3 11-42 cassette?
XO1DH, who needs all those teeth anyways...

#knucklesisachunt
 

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
This is a bit of an ethical dilemma/employment question. Current situation is this: I'm a casual mechanic and I'm leaving my current job in exactly one week. I gave my boss just over 2 weeks notice even though I technically don't need to as a casual. He is very understaffed and also away a few days this week, so I thought I'd do the right thing and give him the shifts he'd rostered me on for for this month. He is making my life hell and he's really upped the ante on everything. He also owes me 2 weeks pay. My question is, do I just leave because I don't owe him anything (I'm the only other current employee able to open up the shop while he's away and I'd feel bad for leaving my work mates and customers in the lurch. On the other hand, I might find it hard to get him to pay me if I just leave) or, do I ride it out even though I have no contractual obligation to and endure the bullying and verbal abuse?
 

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
Lay out the situation to him.

You need to get paid.
I've already fought for 4 weeks to get him to pay me 4 weeks he owed me! I gave notice as soon as he paid me that, but hasn't processed the last pay, so he's back to owing me 2 weeks. He is away for the next few days, so I'm flying solo looking after the shop (again I'm the only other person able to open up the store to trade). He is then going overseas on Saturday and I won't see him again.

Do I trust that he'll pay me while he's overseas, or do I demand he transfer everything up to paying the current shift right there in front of me, then leave?
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
This is a bit of an ethical dilemma/employment question. Current situation is this: I'm a casual mechanic and I'm leaving my current job in exactly one week. I gave my boss just over 2 weeks notice even though I technically don't need to as a casual. He is very understaffed and also away a few days this week, so I thought I'd do the right thing and give him the shifts he'd rostered me on for for this month. He is making my life hell and he's really upped the ante on everything. He also owes me 2 weeks pay. My question is, do I just leave because I don't owe him anything (I'm the only other current employee able to open up the shop while he's away and I'd feel bad for leaving my work mates and customers in the lurch. On the other hand, I might find it hard to get him to pay me if I just leave) or, do I ride it out even though I have no contractual obligation to and endure the bullying and verbal abuse?
Tell us his name and I'll call asking for left threaded spark plugs and a bottle of headlight fluid.

There is no easy out here, do you have a timesheet or other records to prove hours worked? Then you can threaten a call to Fair Work Australia, they'll get to you after the 7eleven mess.
 

mitchy_

Llama calmer
if you have some form of proof as to hours worked, then i'd inform him you will go to the ombudsman if you're not paid in a reasonable time frame.

i tried it with an employer before... obviously it angered him as he started sending threatening emails that he's going to dob me in for theft, fraud, etc. (none of this actually happened...) after a few weeks i lodged a complaint with the ombudsman showing them i tried to resolve the issue, low and behold i had what was owed a week later.
 

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
Tell us his name and I'll call asking for left threaded spark plugs and a bottle of headlight fluid.

There is no easy out here, do you have a timesheet or other records to prove hours worked? Then you can threaten a call to Fair Work Australia, they'll get to you after the 7eleven mess.
I do have time sheets, they are on his computer, so I will make copies of the unpaid weeks' timesheets before I leave.
I also have records of emails I've exchanged previously where he withheld my pay for up to 4 weeks (happened twice now).

While I'm worried about the pay, my main concern is about whether I should just leave now or work through all the shit. This is in the bike industry btw, don't want to name names.
 

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
if you have some form of proof as to hours worked, then i'd inform him you will go to the ombudsman if you're not paid in a reasonable time frame.

i tried it with an employer before... obviously it angered him as he started sending threatening emails that he's going to dob me in for theft, fraud, etc. (none of this actually happened...) after a few weeks i lodged a complaint with the ombudsman showing them i tried to resolve the issue, low and behold i had what was owed a week later.
Thanks for the reply mitchy, I will make sure I do this if it comes to it.
 

schred

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Tough spot to be put in, which is how I see your situation. If it were me, and my love for the job and customers was > than all the sh1t, I might consider a few more shifts. Otherwise I'd be inclined to treat them as they have you, weighing up any possible ramifications. Chances are you'll do the shifts and it will be the exact same scenario as now, just a few wks later. Some people need a crisis to motivate them to action.

Document everything if you think it is going to get messy, and maybe give your key customers a heads up you'll be leaving soon if u think it genuinely impacts them, tbh not sure one employee would. Would be good to get some guidance from the owner how he wants it managed but doubt he will give any useful guidance, so might fall to you to be proactive about it.

As for him jetsetting around without staff in place to trade, too fcking bad, maybe consider resourcing more appropriately next time.
 

Tubeless

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Tricky...
I'd hang tight and keep the shop running.

The biggest reason I'd go out of my way to help is so its not seen in any way as YOU (how he may see it) leaving him in the shit. Which I see is a way of helping to defuse the situation or at the very least minimising twisting of stories/muddying your name when you're gone.

Help your boss out, keep your name clean.
Worry about your pay once you've left.
 

thatsnotme

Likes Dirt
"and endure the bullying and verbal abuse?"
There's your answer. Nobody deserves that in the workplace. I'm all for not just leaving an employer in the lurch, but they've gotta earn that respect and loyalty, and it sounds like they've well and truly missed that boat. Even having a single casual worker as the only other person who can open up the shop screams terrible management to me.

Make sure you've got copies of all your timesheets, and whatever records you may need, and blow the joint. With management like that, it surely can't survive long anyway.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
This is a bit of an ethical dilemma/employment question. Current situation is this: I'm a casual mechanic and I'm leaving my current job in exactly one week. I gave my boss just over 2 weeks notice even though I technically don't need to as a casual. He is very understaffed and also away a few days this week, so I thought I'd do the right thing and give him the shifts he'd rostered me on for for this month. He is making my life hell and he's really upped the ante on everything. He also owes me 2 weeks pay. My question is, do I just leave because I don't owe him anything (I'm the only other current employee able to open up the shop while he's away and I'd feel bad for leaving my work mates and customers in the lurch. On the other hand, I might find it hard to get him to pay me if I just leave) or, do I ride it out even though I have no contractual obligation to and endure the bullying and verbal abuse?
Firstly...nobody deserves to be abused or bullied in their workplace. It is actually illegal and your employer has a legal obligation to ensure that it doesn't happen. Are you handling the unnecessary stress of this situation well enough? Do you need any form of support at this time to help you through?

Now onto resolving the situation...your employer is probably behaving in what fair work would call an "unreasonable" manner and it is this that gives you leverage. The other guys have provided you with some solid advice - document, report, discuss, personal integrity. These are what will see you through the next couple of weeks.

If you aren't hard up for cash and can endure the shit, just sail through and then move on. If the cash doesn't come you can pursue it through the fair work ombudsmen at a later stage, and it should be a fairly swift process. But if you're low on bank get on the phone/web now. Dont delay!

I would:
- Lay it all out (the debt, your efforts, his behaviour, the bullying) verbally in a non-volatile way in a neutral environment. Back that up with an email that documents your conversation. You may even wish to take notes during your conversation and ask him to agree that the notes represent the conversation. Have a support person with you. Someone who won't aggregate the situation or bring their own agenda (you know...don't have his ex wife or last employee to leave in there).
- if the conversation doesn't yield results send a second email. Keep it to the point and advise that you're going to take action if the situation isn't resolved by a specific date (a short but achievable date).
- If he fails that, contact the ombudsmen. They will get a result, unless he goes out of business.
This should see you paid up and on the road. He may even stop being a bully!

If you want to take on the bullying, make diary notes of everything. Every time he attacks/harasses/excludes/etc you. Time, date, his action, your feelings, efforts you made...build a case and show a pattern. Bullying is about a pattern or system of behaviour and is ongoing. The more you have recorded to show this pattern the stronger your case. Confronting and overcoming a bully is a daunting thing, in my experiences working with or representing the victims of bullies, most of the time they are just happy to escape. That is ok for the individual, but it doesn't help the next victim. It's tricky though, as I understand it you need to be employed at a workplace to make a complaint to Fair Work about being bullied...and your leaving sooner than they can shuffle their papers. Still it doesn't take long to punch out and email and their replies are reasonably fast.
 

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
Thanks everyone for your replies. I think the best course of action is along the lines of what Tubeless said. I'll ride it out and deal with the money side of things later. I know he'll bad mouth me after I leave regardless of what I say or do, it's what he does with everyone, so for my own benefit and integrity I'll put up with his behaviours and keep working so I can at least say I worked hard to the end and whatever's left is on him. He's done this to the last 3 employees that have left, but I never experienced it myself until now. I didn't realise how vindictive and manipulative he would become once he realised he was losing another employee. He's pushed so many people to their limits (mentally, financially, etc); a real nasty piece of work.

I'll keep working and let karma deal with the guy. I would be surprised if the shop is still trading within the year.
 

scblack

Leucocholic
Thanks everyone for your replies. I think the best course of action is along the lines of what Tubeless said. I'll ride it out and deal with the money side of things later. I know he'll bad mouth me after I leave regardless of what I say or do, it's what he does with everyone, so for my own benefit and integrity I'll put up with his behaviours and keep working so I can at least say I worked hard to the end and whatever's left is on him. He's done this to the last 3 employees that have left, but I never experienced it myself until now. I didn't realise how vindictive and manipulative he would become once he realised he was losing another employee. He's pushed so many people to their limits (mentally, financially, etc); a real nasty piece of work.

I'll keep working and let karma deal with the guy. I would be surprised if the shop is still trading within the year.
I was about to say the same thing to you. You should do what YOU are comfortable doing. He is the f*ckwit, you are not. So do what you think is right.

The details of when paid etc can be dealt with later, but doing vindictive things yourself is not a good path to head down.

Keep it going and just keep telling yourself you are gone from there very soon.
 
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