Backstory:
We were a team of four electricians and two mechanical guys. We got rid of one of our sites and as such could downsize on the team slightly, so we now have three electricians, two mechanicals and a plant attendant. Now our contracts administrator is one of the most kniving, two faced, back stabby people I've ever met. She knows how to abuse the system, gets loads of sick days off, sticks her nose in all our business and thinks she can call the shots. She's extremely vindictive so if she has a fallout with someone, she make sure to find a way to shaft them. She's 52 years old so is approaching "just suck it up, she's retiring soon" age. Thing is, any other company I've worked for, she would've been taken out ages ago but because our manager's spine is as stiff as a inflatable arm man and his manager is so lazy he just couldn't care less, she's gotten away with it.
Now this is where the plant attendant comes in. This guy is her "best friend" (a fact that they're both very keen to point out, bit odd for a 52 and 55 year old pair of people to feel the need to point it out every time they mention each other but whatever) and she suggested him to the company, and because of the incompetence and vetting failures of those higher up the food chain, he's now a permanent member of our team.
Now he's a great guy and someone I get along with but as a member of our team, he's a liability. He's clumsier than Laurel and Hardy combined, doesn't remember anything, gets confused with even the most basic things, can't do log books because nothing we teach him sticks, can't do ordering because he can't work a PC, can't stand on a tall pair of steps because he has something wrong with his leg and everything he does we have to double check because he messes so many things up. Now he's openly told me that this is the most money he's ever earned (he used to work for a council) and he was so excited last month to tell me that he made the last payment on his credit card. He loves this job and he really tries but not only are we technically a man down because he can't do anything properly but he's also dragging the other guys down because they have to check all his work.
Now the problem here is that his friend (the administrator) has way too much power in this company. If we move him on, we'll be known as the bad guys for getting rid of her "best friend" and we'll never hear the end of it. The fact is that this woman handles our overtime, orders, salary, the lot. She's in the position to really screw us up if we **** her off, but I don't think I can handle this guy being on the team any more. I really don't know what to do.
TL;DR:
Guy is keen but is a liability, doesn't remember even the most basic things we teach him, can't do anything heavy or at heights due to a disability and her best friend is the person who can cause the most damage to the team. What would you do?
I don't think we can do much anyway as he's past his probationary period but we may be able to move him to another site which isn't such high pressure.
What would you do?
We were a team of four electricians and two mechanical guys. We got rid of one of our sites and as such could downsize on the team slightly, so we now have three electricians, two mechanicals and a plant attendant. Now our contracts administrator is one of the most kniving, two faced, back stabby people I've ever met. She knows how to abuse the system, gets loads of sick days off, sticks her nose in all our business and thinks she can call the shots. She's extremely vindictive so if she has a fallout with someone, she make sure to find a way to shaft them. She's 52 years old so is approaching "just suck it up, she's retiring soon" age. Thing is, any other company I've worked for, she would've been taken out ages ago but because our manager's spine is as stiff as a inflatable arm man and his manager is so lazy he just couldn't care less, she's gotten away with it.
Now this is where the plant attendant comes in. This guy is her "best friend" (a fact that they're both very keen to point out, bit odd for a 52 and 55 year old pair of people to feel the need to point it out every time they mention each other but whatever) and she suggested him to the company, and because of the incompetence and vetting failures of those higher up the food chain, he's now a permanent member of our team.
Now he's a great guy and someone I get along with but as a member of our team, he's a liability. He's clumsier than Laurel and Hardy combined, doesn't remember anything, gets confused with even the most basic things, can't do log books because nothing we teach him sticks, can't do ordering because he can't work a PC, can't stand on a tall pair of steps because he has something wrong with his leg and everything he does we have to double check because he messes so many things up. Now he's openly told me that this is the most money he's ever earned (he used to work for a council) and he was so excited last month to tell me that he made the last payment on his credit card. He loves this job and he really tries but not only are we technically a man down because he can't do anything properly but he's also dragging the other guys down because they have to check all his work.
Now the problem here is that his friend (the administrator) has way too much power in this company. If we move him on, we'll be known as the bad guys for getting rid of her "best friend" and we'll never hear the end of it. The fact is that this woman handles our overtime, orders, salary, the lot. She's in the position to really screw us up if we **** her off, but I don't think I can handle this guy being on the team any more. I really don't know what to do.
TL;DR:
Guy is keen but is a liability, doesn't remember even the most basic things we teach him, can't do anything heavy or at heights due to a disability and her best friend is the person who can cause the most damage to the team. What would you do?
I don't think we can do much anyway as he's past his probationary period but we may be able to move him to another site which isn't such high pressure.
What would you do?