Not trying to take away from your point at all because this guy is a mega douche, but it's standard to bring your own tools to work as a mechanic. I think it's standard in most trades.
European here, if you're getting employed, it's expected that you're provided with everything necessary to work. Anything else is capitalist exploitation of the workers, and a systematic attempt to keep the impoverished poor.
The only time it's acceptable to be expected to bring your own tools is if someone is contracting you to do a specific job.
In other words, you don't need to provide the necessary tools if you're calling in a plumber to unclog your toilet, but it most certainly is if you're opening up a plumbing agency and hiring plumbers.
Pretty much just mechanics I don't know of any construction companies that make the employees buy specialty tools but it also doesn't make sense to have a half dozen of every specialized tool and also if you own your own tools in construction there's no reason to not just be an independent contractor.
That's the really insane part like, you're the capitalist here bud! your only "job" is to own the means of production! what the fuck are you even here for if the workers have to pay for everything too? at that point you're just rentseeking on the garage.
tbf that is the norm in many garages, and it sounds like it was already the case beforehand, just more strictly enforced after. but its still pretty ridiculous
I'm of two minds about it because I know a lot of those types of guys and I don't think they'd have it any other way, but it also kinda presents a pretty high barrier to joining the industry if a majority of the shops expect you to come with $10k+ of your own tools and toolboxes (unless you're a kid just starting out, then, at least where I've seen, there are like, some communal tools you can use as you build up your own collection, and you can borrow from coworkers).
Its just sort of this long tail remnant of a time when these sorts of guys were fully treated as semi or fully independent craftsmen not just cogs or "technicians", I think. Sort of an extension of this american yeoman farmer phenomenon into a different industry. And that was probably a better/more desirable position for those craftsmen to be in. But in a modern context idk if that holds up, and clinging onto the trappings of independence like that may not really be in their best interests anymore, in the way that it ties them to an employer lest they have to pay a pretty penny to move all of their tools, etc.
Being a full-on wage slave would give them more mobility in terms of job hopping but less ability to take their tools and go home and just operate out of their own garage independently.
Anyhow I'm really not the one to make this argument, and I think I've had it before on this very website, but I suspect you'd find most people (in the industry at least) do like it the way it is
not too impractical if you hire mostly like, career-long master mechanics, and (this is key) don't treat them like such shit that you have crazy turnover. But it is weird for sure if you aren't familiar with the practice.
My employees were eating too many fun sized bags of chips so now I make them front the expense of buying their own tools lol
Not trying to take away from your point at all because this guy is a mega douche, but it's standard to bring your own tools to work as a mechanic. I think it's standard in most trades.
That's a dumb standard, employer should provide ALL equipment necessary for work.
I'm sure you're right, but I've not seen that to be true where I live in Europe. That makes absolutely no sense.
it's an american thing. tradies often have their own tool collections
European here, if you're getting employed, it's expected that you're provided with everything necessary to work. Anything else is capitalist exploitation of the workers, and a systematic attempt to keep the impoverished poor.
The only time it's acceptable to be expected to bring your own tools is if someone is contracting you to do a specific job.
In other words, you don't need to provide the necessary tools if you're calling in a plumber to unclog your toilet, but it most certainly is if you're opening up a plumbing agency and hiring plumbers.
There's your mistake, you don't hire the plumbers, you contract them!
Pretty much just mechanics I don't know of any construction companies that make the employees buy specialty tools but it also doesn't make sense to have a half dozen of every specialized tool and also if you own your own tools in construction there's no reason to not just be an independent contractor.
That's the really insane part like, you're the capitalist here bud! your only "job" is to own the means of production! what the fuck are you even here for if the workers have to pay for everything too? at that point you're just rentseeking on the garage.
tbf that is the norm in many garages, and it sounds like it was already the case beforehand, just more strictly enforced after. but its still pretty ridiculous
well it's fucked!!
I'm of two minds about it because I know a lot of those types of guys and I don't think they'd have it any other way, but it also kinda presents a pretty high barrier to joining the industry if a majority of the shops expect you to come with $10k+ of your own tools and toolboxes (unless you're a kid just starting out, then, at least where I've seen, there are like, some communal tools you can use as you build up your own collection, and you can borrow from coworkers).
Its just sort of this long tail remnant of a time when these sorts of guys were fully treated as semi or fully independent craftsmen not just cogs or "technicians", I think. Sort of an extension of this american yeoman farmer phenomenon into a different industry. And that was probably a better/more desirable position for those craftsmen to be in. But in a modern context idk if that holds up, and clinging onto the trappings of independence like that may not really be in their best interests anymore, in the way that it ties them to an employer lest they have to pay a pretty penny to move all of their tools, etc.
Being a full-on wage slave would give them more mobility in terms of job hopping but less ability to take their tools and go home and just operate out of their own garage independently.
Anyhow I'm really not the one to make this argument, and I think I've had it before on this very website, but I suspect you'd find most people (in the industry at least) do like it the way it is
i guess I can see the argument for it, but it just seems like a wildly impractical way to run a shop of any kind.
not too impractical if you hire mostly like, career-long master mechanics, and (this is key) don't treat them like such shit that you have crazy turnover. But it is weird for sure if you aren't familiar with the practice.
Ok when you lay it out like this it does kind of make sense and I get but my noodle is still pretty cooked that this is the norm lol
My employees were eating too many fun sized bags of chips so I started fucking with the temperature of the workplace
Dudes gonna be posting in like a month how nobody wants to work anymore