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pushed into position I don't want

Posted by: oldschool
Date: 2/16/2006 4:05:42 PM

I am in construction, and I am union. My job is to install new material, and report my production. Lately, my company has been requiring more and more detailed production reports. At the same time they stress being as productive as possible. (I find filling out reports to be unproductive, as no production is being done while I am filling out reports). Anyway, when there is a large job, one of the installers is picked to fill out the paperwork for the whole job. I don't mind being responsible or accountable for my own work, but I am uncomfortable doing so for the others on the jobsite. My boss picked me to run this particular job. I told him that I didn't want to, for those reasons. My boss showed up the other day, and I got a lecture about people taking extra breaks, telling me that I am to monitor everyone on the jobsite. I asked him what kind of production was expected, and he got offended, saying that I shouldn't be asking that, just working as hard as I can. I told him that I always work as hard as I can, but I wanted to know what was expected so that I could head off problems early on. He said that I was expecting problems that I should just work extra hard now. I told him that I wasn't expecting any problems, but that I would like to know where I stood, so that if a problem came up, that I would know right away, and be able to either fix it, or ask for help. He said that me asking for production estimates was telling him that I was planning on screwing the company. I asked him if I had ever given him any reason to doubt me or my intentions, and also asked him if I had come in over on any bids, and he replied 'no', but that this is the slow time and he doesn't want anyone to take for grated work (or artificially extend work). He pointed out that when our trade is slow - that I am working and left it at that (I think that he meant it to mean that I should be grateful for my job, but I took it to mean that I do good work, reliablilly, and therefore I am employable). He then followed me around criticizing my processes. I always had an answer as to why I was doing something (and he always seemed satisfied with my reasoning), but I was getting frustrated with the constant questions and second-guessing.

Does anyone have any suggestions on dealing with someone like this?

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