ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Required equipment? employer, or employee

After working in many places, under many different circumstances, the following guidelines seem to be acceptable to everyone:
You buy routine, everyday, 'petty' tools.
Expensive, specialised, or tools that have to be "certified" are provided- often with some accountability strings attached.
Tools that experience a lot of wear (drill bits) are either provided by, or replaced by, the employer.
Tools subject to damage (extension cords) most certainly company provided.

The biggest problems are with "hoarders" and "leeches." "Hoarders" stockpile vital stuff, to the loss of everyone else. "Leeches" are always borrowing stuff they should have.
Then there are those who lose every tool they borrow, those who break everything they use, and thieves.

I also worked under a Teamsters contract as a mechanic. The contract was pretty specific. The employee provided common hand tools - wrenches 1 1/4" and smaller, sockets 1/2" drive and smaller, screwdrivers, pliers, etc. Everything else was the employeer's respoonsibility. My father-in-law did a stint with the Machinest's union and it was very similar.

All of the jobs I have worked required me to supply my own hand tools. Some will replace broken, lost items some will not. The uniforms were either supplied or not required. Though I think my wife would like to have someone wash my grungy work pants, and I can't believe what little screws and vinyl insulated terminals can do to a dryer. LOL.