Blackballed?!

[MidnightMeterMan]

Is it true that companies will Blackball you for working for a different company?

Is it acceptable to work for a different company if your usual company doesn't have work at that current time? 

Lets hear what everyone has to say on this topic.

[retired nuke]

Is it true that companies will Blackball you for working for a different company?

Is it acceptable to work for a different company if your usual company doesn't have work at that current time? 

Lets hear what everyone has to say on this topic.

my experience is over 10 yrs old, but...

If you skip on a job you have confirmed for, to go with another company - likely you will not be on the "favored sons" list for the original contract. It may not be "blackballed" but it will feel like it..... The amount of notice you give, and the professional behavior you exhibit when you have to do this may limit this feeling. Being a no-show makes you and the contractor look bad to the utility. They (the utility) will remember, even if the contractor doesn't.

I have backed out of a job, and not been penalized, by taking an unpopular spot for the original company at another time - kinda earning my way back in.

Right now the industry has more techs than work - so dragging on a job will probably not pay off in the long run....

Just figure that you will reap what you sow...

[Eric_Bartlett]

Is it true that companies will Blackball you for working for a different company?

Is it acceptable to work for a different company if your usual company doesn't have work at that current time? 

Lets hear what everyone has to say on this topic.

since you posted this under "Bartlett-Blackballed" I feel the need to respond...

Working for another company will not impact your eligibility with our company, in fact if we don't have work for you, taking a job with another company will only get you more experience thus making you more marketable in the future.   

With that said you have to take into account we have an obligation to take care of those techs that most recently supported us, so if I have a choice between Tech A whose last job worked was for BNI and Tech B whose last job worked was for Shaw or QNS or whomever, I will urge my recruiters to hire Tech A.  The reasons are twofold - 1. it takes someone off our unemployment rolls & 2. it rewards the individual for working for us/supporting us in the past. 

I understand that sometimes by this methodology it may seem like someone is being blackballed, but should we switch it up and hire techs coming off of other jobs with our competition prior to techs coming off of our own jobs it just wouldn't make good business or people sense.    There are of course exceptions to every rule as there are times when we are persuaded to do just that at our clients request. 

I hope I have answered your question to your satisfaction.  If you feel like BNI is blackballing you, please give me a call directly so we can talk and i can look into the situation.  I cant guarantee you'll be happy with my answer, but it will be an honest one.

As always,
Eric

[hoghunter]

I have worked for a few over my 30+yrs and as Eric kind of  said each company is going to keep their people going first and at the same time try and keep the utility's happy ( such is life), because with all said this is a business  even though we know times are hard!We as humans want to complain and fuss if things aren't just as we want and with that just due to the fact you go from one company to another and can't get in remember you are one of many after that same spot and with time as they are the spots are few and Farr between. I wouldn't call that BlackBall

[Chimera]

Is it true that companies will Blackball you for working for a different company?

Is it acceptable to work for a different company if your usual company doesn't have work at that current time? 

Lets hear what everyone has to say on this topic.

While the Companies may not "blackball" you, the site you burned may not want you back.

[ski2313]

You reap what you sow.

[hoghunter]

the site you burned may not want you back.


Although this is true I don't think just working for another company after finishing one and then confirming to another would be bridge burning, but look at it like this, you take your car to the same shop you and that shop trust and are devoted to each other. Then one day you need work done and the shop takes another over you because he gets more pay out of it, would you not be angry!but in the end when all settles that same shop you trusted will be back working on yours- so the utility's count and trust on some returning when they don't WELL WE ALL KNOW?

[61nomad]

Let me say this.. I very recently "confirmed" for an outage starting 3 months from now. Personally, I believe the commitment timeframe has been stretched too far. Being out of work with a family to suport, if something decent comes along I will take it. I am replaceable and I would expect that if I gave Bartlett a month to find a somebody else that would be sufficient to avoid hard feelings. I would be interested to here Eric's take on the long commitment time.

[hamsamich]

I know this guy he wasn't aiming at bartlett he just didn't know where to put the question....since bartlett has most of the contracts though it may be the best place for it.

[Chimera]

The days of "double secret probation" are long gone . . . but the memory lingers on.

[Eric_Bartlett]

Let me say this.. I very recently "confirmed" for an outage starting 3 months from now. Personally, I believe the commitment timeframe has been stretched too far. Being out of work with a family to support, if something decent comes along I will take it. I am replaceable and I would expect that if I gave Bartlett a month to find a somebody else that would be sufficient to avoid hard feelings. I would be interested to here Eric's take on the long commitment time.

I, as many techs will confirm, am willing to work with anyone regarding situations like this - but when someone confirms and holds a slot for 2-3 months an then backs out within a couple of weeks of the start date it does cause problems as security has already started, the site most likely has already assigned the individual to the area they will be covering, etc...  When it comes right down to it we aren't in business to hold slots for someone until something better comes along so the practice of confirming early for Plant A w/BNI, holding the slot for 2-3 Mo's then backing out to go with Brand X to Plant B is highly frowned upon and could result in us choosing not to utilize your services in the near future or only as a low priority rehire.  With that said I am always willing to work with someone as long as we get enough notice to replace them, especially if they are just looking to swap BNI sites.  I understand situations change over time especially confirming 4-5 mo's out.  My recommendation is unless you are dead set on going to site A, or you even have the slightest inkling that you may want to go somewhere else other than site A but are waiting on site B to open, don't confirm in for site A - that way it saves all parties the grief of having to go through the back-out scenario.  I know it's a crap shoot and may not seem fair, but I have a staffing department, with at times in excess of 30 plants to staff in a season, to run and we need to work by some sort of standard.   May not be what you wanted to hear, or it may be exactly what you expected me to say, either way as mentioned earlier I am willing to hear out and work with individuals as long as they can try and give me adequate notice to have a legitimate chance of backfilling the slot they are about to vacate.

Eric

[BWSlayer]

Well Eric, what you are talking about is ILLEGAL and you folks at BNI have always thrown tantrums back to the Bruce days

[Marlin]

Well Eric, what you are talking about is ILLEGAL and you folks at BNI have always thrown tantrums back to the Bruce days

Can you be specific as it relates to at-will employment? If not at-will employment, what are the terms of your contract that he is violating? Please explain, what law is he breaking?

[Eric_Bartlett]

Well Eric, what you are talking about is ILLEGAL and you folks at BNI have always thrown tantrums back to the Bruce days

What exactly is illegal and how?  Or are you just one of those S&%t bomb throwers that throw the bomb then hide behind your anonymity?

Eric

[bill10249]

Well, It has been a while since I have commented but it is time for my two cents worth.  I can tell you from experience of over 30 years in the industry. Barlett never did me wrong and I worked for them all from NSSI, to RAd services and IRm in the olden days. when Bruce was there he would always take my call and if they had work I never felt blackballed. I always met my commitment to any company i worked for and  they met thiers to me.  I know it has changed over the years.  I am getting ready to retire from DOE work and hope to work some short term stuff to buy more corvettes. The 2014 stingray looks soooo good. 

[BetaAnt]

Does anyone remember the Diablo Canyon IBEW 1500 strike. Bruce admitted to the probation (blackballing is such an ugly name). NLRB ruled in favor of the IBEW. Techs receive compensation due to lost wages from the 'probation'.

Now, the recruiter withdraws your senior resume and gives the job to a junior. That happened recently (w/i 18 mos). It's no longer probation or blackballing. It's called "Oops, we lost your resume and now all the slots are filled". 

It still happens and will always happen when a bunch of narcissistic type A personalities are put in a position of scheduling people. Any perceived slight will bring rapid retribution and little recourse (at-will employment). When any company states that "We don't do that", they are either lying, uninformed, delusional, or stupid. 

@Eric, You have always been a straight shooter but some of your contemporaries lack comparable ethos.   

Have a great day,

BA 

[BWSlayer]

Thank you BA, I concur. Eric. not throwing S#it bombs, you folks play politics and always have. Site coordinators also blackball and act like aholes in public. I know of three specific instances recently from friends. I also was denied work at Turkey point for the unit three last outage because "I was not a returnee" The motley crew of individuals that you supplied there..at least half had no right whatsoever even holding a meter. That applies the the recent unit four outage also. I can cite names, instances, and scathing activities. Bottom line you have a business and you have to fill slots with warm bodies, I can't cite you specifically, but politics and probation are rampant...............word

[Lip2303]

 Eric was good to me the one time I dealt with him. I was having trouble getting in to any outage due to a slow season and lack of commercial experience. He personally took my situation on and I was placed within two days. Bartlett, as a whole, then understood when I had to leave two weeks prior to completion of the outage due to getting a house position.

I do not always have perfect spelling or grammar, but when you are trying to make a point or talk bad about someone, you should learn to spell and write in coherent sentances (let the disecting of my grammar/spelling begin!).

[Marlin]

Thank you BA, I concur. Eric. not throwing S#it bombs, you folks play politics and always have. Site coordinators also blackball and act like aholes in public. I know of three specific instances recently from friends. I also was denied work at Turkey point for the unit three last outage because "I was not a returnee" The motley crew of individuals that you supplied there..at least half had no right whatsoever even holding a meter. That applies the the recent unit four outage also. I can cite names, instances, and scathing activities. Bottom line you have a business and you have to fill slots with warm bodies, I can't cite you specifically, but politics and probation are rampant...............word

You accused him of breaking the law, you still haven't said how when you are an at-will employee.

[BWSlayer]

well Marlin the Moron if I have to explain to you why it's illegal to discriminate against employees and put them "on secret probation" it's obviously beyond your comprehension to begin with.

[Eric_Bartlett]

Well Eric, what you are talking about is ILLEGAL and you folks at BNI have always thrown tantrums back to the Bruce days

What exactly is illegal and how?
Eric

Thank you BA, I concur. Eric. not throwing S#it bombs, you folks play politics and always have. Site coordinators also blackball and act like aholes in public. I know of three specific instances recently from friends. I also was denied work at Turkey point for the unit three last outage because "I was not a returnee" The motley crew of individuals that you supplied there..at least half had no right whatsoever even holding a meter. That applies the the recent unit four outage also. I can cite names, instances, and scathing activities. Bottom line you have a business and you have to fill slots with warm bodies, I can't cite you specifically, but politics and probation are rampant...............word

You accused him of breaking the law, you still haven't said how when you are an at-will employee.

Thank You Marlin for trying to keep this conversation on point...now back to BWSlayer, please explain what is illegal in my previous post, because if there is an illegal practice going on, I would like to know so I could put an end to it or is your definition of "Illegal" something along the lines of what ever doesn't benefit you must be illegal - just trying to understand your side.

Thanks
Eric

[RDTroja]

well Marlin the Moron if I have to explain to you why it's illegal to discriminate against employees and put them "on secret probation" it's obviously beyond your comprehension to begin with.

In other words... "Nothing illegal was done, but if I attack my opponent, maybe nobody will recognize that I have no clue what I am talking about."

[Eric_Bartlett]

well Marlin the Moron if I have to explain to you why it's illegal to discriminate against employees and put them "on secret probation" it's obviously beyond your comprehension to begin with.

How is what I posted in any way discrimination?, and as far as "secret probation" goes I have addressed this time and time again - if I'm not going to use you I will tell you and I will tell you why, there is nothing secret about it.

[Marlin]

well Marlin the Moron if I have to explain to you why it's illegal to discriminate against employees and put them "on secret probation" it's obviously beyond your comprehension to begin with.

You are a little slow so here is the definition of at-will employment:

At-will employment is a doctrine of American law that defines an employment relationship in which either party can immediately terminate the relationship at any time with or without any advance warning, and with no subsequent liability, provided there was no express contract for a definite term governing the employment relationship and that the employer does not belong to a collective bargaining group (i.e., has not recognized a union). Under this legal doctrine any hiring is presumed to be "at will"; that is, the employer is free to discharge individuals "for good cause, or bad cause, or no cause at all," and the employee is equally free to quit, strike, or otherwise cease work.

You got it yet There is nothing illegal about probation. Without a union or a contract you are an at-will employee.

[Eric_Bartlett]

Understood - he can always call me 800-225-0385 x1289 or 508-591-1289 or shoot me an e-mail, ericb@bartlettinc.com as I really am curious to hear his side.

take it slow,
Eric