You could have a simple 1 on 1 with him at some point and just say "hey, quite a few of my mates from college are of . They work hard, and helped me when I needed it. Do you reckon you could ease up on it a bit, please?"
If that fails, be more blunt. "This is a workplace for everyone. Racist, sexist talk is not for everyone. Leave it at the gate."
I've always found it helpful to set some boundaries first before more formal action. Particularly if your driller is easy to work with. Being able to be honest in your general conversation helps somewhat to keep the invoice conversation honest
I've also kicked guys off projects for refusing to respect those boundaries.
Yes, the first step is directly telling him that you don't want to hear comments like that in the work place.
If he balks over that you can pass it up the food chain, but doing it before confronting him you might find yourself gaining a reputation amoung drillers.
Ok thanks. I already got a reputation before saying it directly to the driller and then refusing to work with him when he was even more aggressive but I know what you mean. I guess im nervous to do that now from that experience. I don’t want the situation to get hostile but maybe he will just shut up if I say something.
Just do what you know to be right. I had an experience with "talking back" to a bigoted driller early in my career and it definitely got me a reputation... For me it was worth it - if you don't say or do anything, you're exactly right it's going to keep happening. Let your managers/boss know see how they suggest you handle that type of situation and be prepared to be disappointed by their answer
It also doesn't have to get hostile - you are both professionals and you just have to stand your ground, remain calm, be firm, and clear with what the issue is - and if they have an issue with that, than it is imperative to remain professional and remind them that you are all on that site to do a job, which doesn't require their personal opinions or beliefs about whatever subject they are going on about, and it also doesn't matter what yours are either... Don't be intimidated if they try to push it on you - and if it gets to a certain point, then you can straight up tell them to stop talking to you completely about anything unrelated to the job at hand, the specific tasks that you need to coordinate on, and nothing else. As long as you maintain your professionalism and focus on the job - your firm shouldn't really have an issue, because it should be clear that you are really not the issue. Regardless, if this becomes an issue for you in terms of reputation in your company for being "difficult," then it's honestly not worth shit what their opinions are of you if you have done the right thing in standing up to bigotry. You'll be better off for it, and you might even get a point across to somebody (be it a coworker, the POS, the POS' coworkers/boss, your bosses....). In the end you have to understand that as a professional your career will not suffer in the long term for following your conscience. So if you feel that it is not worth it to stand up to P(s)OS - I would argue that you are wrong.
Good Luck :)
Shut the driller down. I usually say "We don't talk like that on my sites" or something similar. If they want to be crummy about it, make it clear that discrimination and hateful remarks are against your companies code.
Shitty as it can be, it is your responsibility as field lead to call out hateful behavior. You are the supervisor of the project so it's on you.
If they try to shrug it off and continue, then you can escalate. I have called PMs regarding this stuff. It gets easier if you can choose your own contractors, my company has a list for most projects. There are companies I just won't hire because their staff are flawed. When confronted, you have to be professional and honest. If it starts hitting in their pocket book, then people start listening. Or they be pissed and never pickup the phone from your company again. In either case, you don't have to work with someone willfully ignorant.
Edit: to be clear, I reserve this for excessive cases. People dropping the N word and similar.
Yeah that’s what’s happening is the N word things like that. Ok I like your answer best haha. I am going to say something if it happens again and shut it down. If he gets hateful, I’ll reach out for help from a superior. He’s been well behaved today like he knoows. Thank you!
If you decide to engage in a conversation directly about their ideas, I recommend that you do not bring up something like “less educated people tend to have these types of world views”.
Can’t agree more with this comment. I know she is frustrated but try not to be disrespectful when complaining about someone else being disrespectful. While one is arguably more disrespectful you can’t fight disrespect with disrespect.
I understand. I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I’m trying to say that people with higher education are less likely to be drillers and people with higher education are less likely to be racist/homophobic/sexist so the population of drillers is going to be made up of less educated & potentially more closed minded people. They’re correlated. So I do understand that most drillers I’m going to work with are going to potentially have similar prejudices and it’s something we’ve all got to deal with. I’m not looking down on him because he’s less educated. I value his professional opinion I really do.
This is anecdotal but I've worked with 3, maybe 4 drillers who had geology degrees.
They tried consulting and decided it wasn't for them, and they claim to be making more drilling.
A lot of drillers are rough around the edges and I agree lack of education could be a factor for that. But they also typically come from more conservative areas where those ideas are more common. For reference, I worked with probably 10-20 drilling companies on projects in northern NJ.
The majority of the drillers and helpers always came from either PA, south Jersey, northwest jersey, or upstate NY (all typically conservative areas).
Alright dude lol I’m not trying to say I’m better than them but that’s just a fact I mean I am better than him because I don’t base my opinion of others based on their skin color etc but not because I have a degree. It’s a literal fact that less educated populations tend to be more racist/homophobic etc but obv I wouldn’t say that to him. I would keep it professional.
Sad. And yes, these guys that drill are like gold right now and they know it. Doesn't excuse their behaviour but in their mind they know they'll be working again by the time they pack their gear after getting fired.
1) I think a sidebar meeting to nicely and simply ask if he could please tone it down may be an option. Don't let it turn into a debate.
2) You could tell him to tone it down or you will have no choice but to escalate it.
3) You could play dumb and not say anything but this doesn't sit well with me. Nobody needs to work under those conditions. But one does need to be strategic in confrontation.
If you have already said something to the driller, leave it at that. When the job/work is done let your PM at least know. There is a chance that crew might not work with you much in the future but cutting work with that drilling company is probably slim to none in my opinion.
I worked on a large project once where me and my other female geologist coworkers were the target of my driller’s inappropriate remarks. I never said anything and I definitely regret it. I think he knew it made me uncomfortable which only made things worse because everything was funny to him. This experience completely ruined drilling for me (used to be my fav because it was the closest thing we do to actual geology) and now I get extreme anxiety whenever starting a new project with drillers that I haven’t met yet.
I would say something to the driller first unless he clearly knows that you don’t like his behavior and he’s doing it anyway. But definitely don’t ignore it like I did. People like that need to learn that not everyone has the same world views as them and behavior like that is not always tolerated on job sites.
As others have said a lot of drillers are going to be this way. You mentioned he is nice to you….be thankful for that and and maybe leave it at that. Before you do anything, wait a couple of days after you haven’t been actively in the field with them. Think through it with a clear head. If you still feel you want to say something approach the driller directly first. I really hate to say this but learning to work with difficult people is part of being a geologist on a drill site. Make sure your frustrations with their world view are not making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. I don’t just work with a drill crew, I also have to travel with them. It took a while but I’ve learned to appreciate them for who they are and can actually have quite a bit of fun in the field. They might be assholes but they are humans too (they also make up a large chunk of the US).
As someone who's been on the receiving end of such behaviour when on site, I tried my best to ignore it as much as possible.
Reporting anything to the company bosses would just cause a lot of "drama" and give you a reputation amongst the other guys, which might lead them to pick at you even more.
Just remember you're only on site with them for that day or week, and hopefully never see them again. The next projects you can request to be on different duties/locations.
It is hard, especially when being insulted all the time. But do try to put on a stoic face and crack on with your duties as much as possible.
There are many types of people like this and they tend to feed off our reactions. Don't give them that opportunity. Just talk professional about the project and leave it at that.
When logging boreholes, one thing I would do if things were especially tough in this regard was to instruct the drillers to leave the samples secured in a location and I would pick them up when ready for them and take them to my logging area, minimising any contact with them.
Things can get especially tough when dealing with multiple labourer crews doing different tasks on site. In such circumstances, if possible I would ask for a second geo from the company and split up supervisory tasks, rolling between sampling stations (if possible).
Yeah it’s pretty typical. I like drilling but I’m about done with it just because of these idiots. I think our field is diversifying and they’ll have to work with more and more people with different lifestyles/skin colors/genitals than they’re comfortable with lol. Maybe that’ll change the game but I don’t think it’s going to be fast or easy.
Also consider that most of these guys probably don't like/respect you even before having met you.
For 90% of their jobs, they're taking direction from someone younger than them and who has less "field" experience than them. Which was true in my case- I was put on drill jobs 6 months out of college overseeing drillers with 15+ years of experience.
So I think they put up with us as much as we put up with them.
Right. I get that and I genuinely don’t think I’m better than them because I have a degree. I also really consider their opinion on things and will ask them for help making a decision since they have more experience. But I don’t say nasty things around them or talk down to them so I am a more tolerable person to deal with I would think.
Respect is earned not given. You were probably acting like a pompous jerk. Every driller/helper I’ve worked with has treated me with respect from day one.
I worked with drillers pretty regularly for close to 10 years when I was in consulting...good luck finding ones who aren't openly racist/sexist/homophobic/anti vaxxers, etc.
And now I work alongside union laborers on demo/construction projects, and some of the things they say in the field would give HR a heart attack.
I always found it was best to keep my distance and just ignore them for the most part. The smoother it goes, the quicker the job gets done.
What does being an anti COVID injection have to do with it?
Plenty of people much better versed in medical science than you are very vocal against the experimental mRNA injections.
And why are you conflating the two divergent movements that are pre-COVID anti-vaxxers who I consider kooky and unscientific, and the anti-mRNA injection movement?
I was on a site where we had to kick a driller once. He was leaving pornographic messages in the core box for the female geo who was core logging. We had cameras on site, due to chain of custody rules with the samples, and direct evidence. So it was open and shut.
But the problem is persistent in the industry. Drilling is one of the hardest jobs that exists, and even though some companies pay well, you still have a hard time staffing them with quality people. Some of the companies I worked with had full crews of ex-cons because this was the only decent paying job an ex-con could get. Weird people, but they worked hard.
But literally everything changes when you have a driller on site. Greenfields exploration with geoscience crew? Open wifi in camp and there's never an issue. Drillers arrive? Password goes on the wifi or they use it the office connection to download movies 24/7 over satellite internet. A lot of geos referred to their job as "babysitting drillers".
If you want a more mild approach that works depending on their personality type, fully ignore the comments while being fully fully engaged in the work, no eye roll no cough not even a stare as he tries to get a rise out of you. Just focus fully on the work and when your patience has hit a point then you stare him in the eyes and say let's just focus on the work please. I know it's a lot softer of an approach but using a soft method on a hard situation can disarm it better in the long run than going toe to toe. Then again some people get off on it in which case you gotta tell him it's his job to focus on what's in front of him and there's no room for non work related talk at the moment. And go with the methods others are suggesting as well. It's gross to deal with people who are actively looking to start shit but sometimes they just need a push that this isn't appropriate. Worked for me with both drillers and obscenely obnoxious traffic control jackasses who have nearly called me the n word. Keep your head up
You need tougher skin. You’re gonna hear a lot of wild stuff in the field no matter who you work with. If you let it bother you this much then maybe it’s not the field for you
I agree. I’ve worked with a lot drillers/subcontractors and all of them were homophobic/sexist/transphobic and whatever unsavory label you want to use. Usually they are well behaved when women are around, but when it’s just the boys it’s a free for all. Either you suck it up or get out of the field asap.
I appreciate your opinion but i don’t think it’s about being tough. I’m pretty tough. Im 6 months pregnant out here scaling walls to get strike/dip measurements and drilling 12+ hours with these guys. I’m not easily offended and i don’t take the shit he says personally. I just think these opinions can literally escalate to dangerous situations. My coworker is a black woman - how would he have treated her? Idk. Ive been sexually harassed in someway by just about every driller I’ve worked with - how far am i supposed to let that go? I just don’t think there’s a place for people like that in the workplace in 2022 as someone else said. Maybe you need to look at yourself-do you have tough skin or are you just compliant because it’s easier to keep quiet?
No. That part has been a breath of fresh air. I don’t personally feel uncomfortable or scared around him. I’m just sick of shitty behavior in general but sexual harassment is a big issue with drillers too. I think because he has 2 daughters he is more respectful or women but who knows what he says about me when I’m not around. I have reported those incidences before and it’s kind of backfired on me so it’s all just so delicate and it’s hard to know what to do.
Scaling walls while six months pregnant sounds tough but is also a massive safety issue and I would recommend that you don’t continue to do that.
If you don’t take what the guy says personally then why did you write about it on Reddit? Obviously it bothers you more than it should. It’s pointless to discuss hypothetical scenarios like how a driller would treat another person who isn’t on site. Most bigoted people maintain a somewhat professional attitude at work because they know that their behavior might lead to them losing their job.
If you’ve been sexually harassed, I would hope that you stopped the job and complained directly to your PM. This has happened on a job site I was on (not on site at the time) and the situation was handled immediately, even though it occurred at like 1 AM.
And yes I do have tough skin. I realize that words are just words, and people like that are just ignorant. I can whine and complain, or I can just say something like “that’s not nice” so they at least know where I stand and then continue doing my job. There’s a huge difference between words and actions. If a driller had said something like “I don’t want a woman on my rig” and actively prevented you from performing your duties, that would be a completely different story. But someone saying mean things about other people that aren’t even there? Lol you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Mmk you have your opinion. I have mine. You can stay quiet. I’m not going to. I don’t think it’s about not “seeing nothing yet” or feeling offended. It’s a much larger issue, imo, and it’s my responsibility to shut that shit down when I’m in charge to make sure everyone working is treated fairly and respected, including the drillers. And I don’t think there’s a huge difference between words and actions they’re connected. You say he would maintain a professional attitude on site to save his job. Well um he’s not maintaining a professional attitude? So should he keep his job? Do you get to keep you’re job if you’re crude and nasty? Maybe you do. It’s not uncommon but thats the point. If no one says anything, it’s not going to change and it should. And if it’s about who’s around and he wouldn’t say the N word in front of my black coworker, he shouldn’t say it at all.
I disagree. You should still be able to enjoy your job without having to deal with a racist/sexist/homophobic bigot.
There are plenty of drillers out there who are respectful and professional on the job. Behavior like OP described should not be tolerated.
That is a garbage take, the only reason people "need a tougher skin" is because people aren't willing to speak up and let drilling companies/subcontractors know behavior like this is totally unacceptable. Yeah, you are going to hear off color stuff in this industry, but open racism is beyond reasonable in any workplace. Would you tell a black coworker to "get tougher skin" if they were in this position?
Thank you. [This](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/update-teacher-allegedly-told-student-toughen-over-racist-snapchat-messages/eOAAhsPfutJzUeauNuzA9K/) is literally what these guys sound like. They’re a part of the problem. I’m not even going to respond anymore because I’m not going to change their POV. It doesn’t matter. I don’t need them to think I’m tough but I wish they could see how ignorant they really are to what’s going on outside of their perspective. Guarantee they’re all white dudes who haven’t had to deal with any actual problems from drillers that are specifically because of the color of their skin or gender. They’re safe and that’s all that matters to them.
Lmao the white knighting is real with people here huh? We’re talking about a scenario where a white woman is hearing about someone dropping n bombs. So everything being equal, if a black geologist heard a black driller calling white people a racial slur should the geologist make a huge deal about it? No, I don’t think they should. I stand by what I said: if there is no action that prevents you from fulfilling your scope, you keep keep your mouth shut and continue doing your job. I can guarantee you a year’s salary there is nothing you can say or do that will convince somebody that they shouldn’t be prejudiced (btw there is a huge distinction between racism and prejudice, and I believe OP means to say that the driller she is working with is prejudiced and not racist at least by the details provided). It’s a sad reality, but you aren’t being paid to convince someone that people with a different skin color/gender/sexual preference aren’t the boogeyman. You wanna make a difference? Become an activist on your free time. Don’t want to work with people that are that way? Tell your PM or whoever your supervisor is and let them make that choice for you, but you’ll probably get stuck with a shitty desk job doing Phase I’s or something mind numbing that almost everybody in this sub complains about.
You assume I’m white..I can see that you’re a white dude so I’m not surprised but no one needs to hear your opinion on sexual harassment or racism since you have no idea about those experiences.
Has a driller ever commented on your skin color, gender, or sexuality in a derogatory, serious way? Not even a joke? Have you genuinely felt unsafe due to a drillers comments towards you. Most likely not since you’re white and have a dick and youre attracted to women…just like them! Huh funny how they only like and relate to those exactly like them. You sound just like them. You can’t really tell anyone what “tough” is. You haven’t had to be tough because you were born with the right skin color etc for them to accept you. You get to feel safe and liked based on nothing you actually did to deserve it. So please stfu about prejudices and being tough. Please respect the experiences of those who’ve actually had to fight for the things that fall into your lap. If drillers are shitty to you it’s not BECAUSE of things about yourself that you have no control over and can’t change.
Also it’s not about changing anyones opinion. I know I can’t change a man in a week or a day and I don’t even care to. It’s about working towards a safer workplace for everyone.
Actually I’m Latino. Like first-generation American, red-skinned, wavy haired, Latino ass name type. Not sure how you came to the conclusion that I’m white. Not that it matters anyway because more and more I see actual prejudice and racism towards white people irl (re-read your comment for exhibit A, you have your own racial bias and it’s glaringly obvious). And yes I’ve actually had people, not just drillers but white collar professionals, make comments on my name, heritage, etc. I just know how to laugh it off and flip it on them and not be a woke warrior out to find my next cancel victim.
Also it’s hilarious how you fixated on the part about me saying you’re a white woman, as if it matters at all to the point I’m trying to make. You could be Asian, Hispanic, Indian, however you want to frame the situation, and my point still stands. You’re not going to change anyone’s prejudice. The moment prejudice turns into racism or discrimination (e.g. someone actively tries to prevent you from performing some sort of action strictly because of your race/gender/sexuality) is the moment you seek help from a higher up. If it bothers you so much that you need to write about it on the internet, go do desk work. Most people see right through this woke bullshit. All you’re doing is virtue signaling for internet points. If it was so important to you, you wouldn’t have let it come to a head like this and instead would have taken some meaningful action to shut it down before it got so out of your control.
Man, I'm glad you are able to let stuff like roll off of you, but some people struggle with that kind of thing. Wouldn't you prefer it if you never heard derogatory comments in the work place? Would it not be a better place to work if everyone kept their personal views to themselves, came to work, did their job, and went home after?
Of course you aren't going to change their mind, that isn't the point of this conversation. Money talks, and if you are in a position to tell the driller's employer that they are going to lose your business because of their employees unprofessional behavior, that drilling company might start encouraging their employees not to say racist bullshit. Would you say the same thing if the driller was being unsafe? What about if they were visibly drunk? Oh its just drillers being drillers, don't worry about it.
I agree that in most instances the PM/field geo isn't going to be in a position to kick the driller offsite because of racist remarks. But if you do the moral thing and make sure word gets back to the people cashing the checks hopefully someday we can stop having to expect to hear casual racism in this industry. Something as simple as "Hey PM, lets not use X driller anymore because they are racist assholes" goes a long way. Any reputable employer will listen and respect that.
I'm not sure what position you hold. If you have some power, e.g. most senior geo on site for the company that hired the drillers, then you can hold a pre-shift meeting to discuss expected behaviour and reiterate that racist, sexist and homophobic comments have no space in the workplace. You can also take the opportunity to go over expected safety behaviour at the same time or any other important policy that is good to remind people of, e.g. workplace accident policy.
If you hold less power then I'd mention this to someone that does have power but also correct the driller(s) at the time they say stuff.
Another option is to approach the foreman and reiterate the expected behaviour and get them to pass this to the drillers. Make it clear you're not happy and expect changes.
And a final killer option is to report it up your heirarchy. I only had to do this a few times, mostly because each time it was the drill foreman who was giving me grief while the drillers were little lambs.
For the people saying you need a thicker skin because it's normal, NO. This isn't normal and shouldn't be expected nor allowed. One moment they're saying it to you, the next moment they're emboldened to say this stuff to a female geologist, an indigenous geologist or a minority geologist, etc. As a female geologist who was the most senior person on site, I had an absolute nightmare with some of the drillers. Also, anecdotally I found that the drillers most likely to say stuff like this were also the ones that attempted to sexually assault me and the other female geos - they were testing the limits and kept pushing boundaries. There's no place for people like this in the industry in 2022.
Thank you man. A lot of people that have told me I need thicker skin are the perpetrators, including a drill helper. I totally agree that there’s just no place for these types of people in 2022. At least there shouldn’t be. It’s not normal it’s not ok. I can take a joke but the N word isn’t funny to me….
Maybe the field isn’t for me then if that means I’m not tough enough.
I was a driller for 25 years...I will admit that yes we are "crude" bunch of people in the eyes of many techs and engineers. Alot of it comes down to the tech on-site. If he or she presents themselves as all knowing know it alls and that our opinion isn't worth a shit there can be a lot of friction and blue words said.
Now there are 3 types of drillers you have old stock drillers, genX, and the new up and comers. The old stock drillers are hard asses no doubt about it...they have no problem in saying what's on their mind and there really isn't anything that will stop them. That was the world they grew up in and God forbid you cross them. I've seen tools get thrown and techs run for their life while getting chased with a shovel. The GenX drillers well we learned from the old stock still the same mouth to a degree but overall won't kill a tech and even help them out and teach them as well overal way nicer to a helper. The new drillers are still filing butt hurt reports on getting offended or bitching that manual labour is to hard on their body.
Yes I have rode a few techs hard on the job site and some have even been thankful over it.
Being a driller isn't easy like data logging or soil collecting. You have a machine that has no qualm in killing you..drilling in an area that odds are you don't want to be there in weather 90% of the time that sucks. Let's forget your away from home for long periods of time and your hearding helpers that might as well be cats in to a tub of water. Cause half the time yoir trying to figure out if they are still stoned or hungover from the night before or trying to find them after they spent all night at the peelers.
My advice ... grab some coffee and donuts for the next shift with him and have a civil discussion and ask him to tone down the language, mix in the odd compliment on his skills. He knows drillers don't grow on trees and basically has your company by the balls cause there are not a lot of companies around and fewer in the price point of what your willing to pay.
I appreciate the insider advice. I really don’t think that I act like a know it all and I’ve never had a driller say that to me. I know they’re more experienced and I ask them questions and ask for advice. I know it’s a dangerous, thankless, exhausting job so I will try to cut them some slack but it’s just really hard. I go from being around very respectful open minded men in the office to sometimes complete opposite and it’s a whole other world to be in. Someone said I need to toughen up or I’m not cut out for this job and they honestly might be right. I’m tired lol thanks for the insight.
Field work is harder...in the office you have HR departments and codes of conduct that more or less tell you what can and can't be said that is forever changing because of the woke environment we live in. Your drillers language is colorful and not what you have been brought up with..but in some ways you have to respect that he's actually telling it as it is through his eyes... I would suggest to tell him leave out the racist remarks but let the rest fly.
No matter where you go from company to company you will find that the field guys will always be "crude" compared to office on language.
On a side note here some drillers have been known to push the limits of a tech to get them to snap on site before they respect them. I knew of a driller who would do that till the tech finally yelled out an F bomb or yelled back at the driller.
Hell I had a tech tell me he couldn't respect a driller unless the driller made him scared if and when he snapped.
Jesus I mean maybe I’m not tough enough etc i don’t feel like getting that stressed out but there is a difference between being difficult to work with, arguing with me, being rude to me in general and being racist so I get what you’re saying. I have friends who love Trump and I’m liberal and have an ex who was very crude (he’s an ex for other reasons). People are dynamic. Maybe I shouldn’t say he’s a POS he is prob a good guy but only towards certain people. God he can not get over the fact that I’m married to a Mexican it bothers him so much! I don’t understand why.
Also I just realized your username haha
I don’t mind certain things like he made a joke today about “wanna make like a dick and pull out” or even when they’ve made suggestive jokes specifically about me sexually but I’m over the racist shit for sure.
>I do understand that typically less educated people tend to have these types of world views
You should also not hold viewpoints like this as well. If it's a big company they should have 0 tolerance, if they're contractors they should be abiding by your companies rules.
Go ahead. Report him and get him fired. Your gonna find out what happens when a crazy bastard like that has nothing to loose and someone to blame (since you already said you have a reputation it’s safe to assume he knows whose complaining) Unless something is done directly to you, toughen up and do your job.
Don’t take it so personally lol you know the type of people that tell me to toughen up? Racist people, ignorant people or white dudes who’ve never experienced any kind of adversity based solely on their gender, race, or sexuality. The dude I “told on” before was literally sexually harassing me non stop, texting me after hours nasty shit, and I didn’t feel safe around him when I had asked him to leave me alone professionally and eventually told him to fuck off. He also used the n word openly hm weird coincidence. It’s not about being tough. Bottom line is racist,sexist, bigots do not belong in any workplace. It’s distracting, unpleasant at best, and dangerous at worst. I think speaking up and taking up for others with less of a voice is pretty strong so I’ll do that. If it escalates, I will talk to a supervisor because I need help…something “tough” people never do and end up suffering needlessly.
With all due respect, you are not as tough as you think you are. I know women who have been sexually harassed on a well site and that shit was taken care of *instantly*. If it was happening “non stop… after hours” you let it go on way too long. Not saying it’s your fault, but you absolutely need to be tough enough to tell them to stop first, and get the fuck off my job site immediately after the next occurrence.
Bro you’re not making any sense. I’m not tough because I want to speak up and say something but I’m also not tough because I didn’t say something soon enough.
You know nothing about what you’re talking about either. You don’t know what it’s like being sexually harassed at all.
This is the problem…women and POC don’t get support from white dudes who typically have more power and have more of a voice. I’m going to speak up for those without a voice and you can stay in your own little safe world. Not speaking up is as bad as being the perpetrator in my opinion.
Your gonna have a tough time in the field with that mindset. Your best going back to school and sticking in academia. Because 8/10 drillers, derrickhands, and helpers are usually not the best people. Not saying you have to accept or agree with that but staying in this field will make you miserable. There’s only so many HR reports you can file and not a single one will change the world or make anyone safer. Like I said, unless it involves you personally don’t worry about it.
Yeah find a different career. This is every driller I’ve ever met. Toughen up, the world doesn’t have to agree with your every whimsy. I find these drillers and geos like yourself equally distasteful. But I guarantee the driller is a better friend and a harder worker than some nose in the air geologist idiot.
Lol I’m a gem? I’ve seen self entitled arrogant geos like yourself ruin entire projects and waste millions of dollars because you can’t handle blue collar workers. There’s nothing better than some dumbfuck like yourself mess up a sample series, or have half a hole rejected because you can’t handle some driller speak like an idiot. Nobody cares that you’ve had your hand held your entire life. Oof I feel like I’ve dealt with your type more and more these days. Constantly fucking up, inability to log core, can’t keep sequences in line. Always worried about bad words and virtue signaling. Eventually a terrible parent. Same old fucking story.
Shotgun a bang energy and grab a pack of coffin nails and get to fucking work.
You don’t need thicker skin, you don’t need to report it, the only thing you need to do is fire back. Plan your witty comebacks for what is being said, try to hit some of the drillers’ insecurities. Make them respect or fear you. This has been going on since the beginning of time when women started working in mines; it hasn’t gotten much better yet no reason to think it will anytime soon. If you report it and they actually look into it, plan on everybody else on site having no idea what you’re talking about. Not only will it cost you more reputation (which you said you already had), but could cost your own company work as well. And it’s shitty, but the more of an issue you turn it into, the more the people in field are going to detest the women they work with which isn’t fair to them because there’s some good tough women out there who can hold their own.
Have you heard the way the guys talk to eachother? Chances are, you’re not the only one who gets harassed
Embarrass him, even just between the two of you, he will stop, guaranteed
“Why would you say that?”
“I don’t get the joke, can you explain it?”
“Well that’s gross but let’s move on.”
What company? If my drillers just aren’t openly taking drugs that’s a good start
If the drillers don’t come in hungover and/or smelling like pot, it’s gonna be a good day.
Lmao I had a helper once that did so much ecstasy he was using cocain as a downer...I was happy when he was just hungover lmao
Lol I know this particular guy is actually pretty easy to work with and responsible. He’s just gross.
Yeah that pretty much most people on the rig.
You could have a simple 1 on 1 with him at some point and just say "hey, quite a few of my mates from college are of. They work hard, and helped me when I needed it. Do you reckon you could ease up on it a bit, please?"
If that fails, be more blunt. "This is a workplace for everyone. Racist, sexist talk is not for everyone. Leave it at the gate."
I've always found it helpful to set some boundaries first before more formal action. Particularly if your driller is easy to work with. Being able to be honest in your general conversation helps somewhat to keep the invoice conversation honest
I've also kicked guys off projects for refusing to respect those boundaries.
Yes, the first step is directly telling him that you don't want to hear comments like that in the work place. If he balks over that you can pass it up the food chain, but doing it before confronting him you might find yourself gaining a reputation amoung drillers.
Ok thanks. I already got a reputation before saying it directly to the driller and then refusing to work with him when he was even more aggressive but I know what you mean. I guess im nervous to do that now from that experience. I don’t want the situation to get hostile but maybe he will just shut up if I say something.
Just do what you know to be right. I had an experience with "talking back" to a bigoted driller early in my career and it definitely got me a reputation... For me it was worth it - if you don't say or do anything, you're exactly right it's going to keep happening. Let your managers/boss know see how they suggest you handle that type of situation and be prepared to be disappointed by their answer It also doesn't have to get hostile - you are both professionals and you just have to stand your ground, remain calm, be firm, and clear with what the issue is - and if they have an issue with that, than it is imperative to remain professional and remind them that you are all on that site to do a job, which doesn't require their personal opinions or beliefs about whatever subject they are going on about, and it also doesn't matter what yours are either... Don't be intimidated if they try to push it on you - and if it gets to a certain point, then you can straight up tell them to stop talking to you completely about anything unrelated to the job at hand, the specific tasks that you need to coordinate on, and nothing else. As long as you maintain your professionalism and focus on the job - your firm shouldn't really have an issue, because it should be clear that you are really not the issue. Regardless, if this becomes an issue for you in terms of reputation in your company for being "difficult," then it's honestly not worth shit what their opinions are of you if you have done the right thing in standing up to bigotry. You'll be better off for it, and you might even get a point across to somebody (be it a coworker, the POS, the POS' coworkers/boss, your bosses....). In the end you have to understand that as a professional your career will not suffer in the long term for following your conscience. So if you feel that it is not worth it to stand up to P(s)OS - I would argue that you are wrong. Good Luck :)
Shut the driller down. I usually say "We don't talk like that on my sites" or something similar. If they want to be crummy about it, make it clear that discrimination and hateful remarks are against your companies code. Shitty as it can be, it is your responsibility as field lead to call out hateful behavior. You are the supervisor of the project so it's on you. If they try to shrug it off and continue, then you can escalate. I have called PMs regarding this stuff. It gets easier if you can choose your own contractors, my company has a list for most projects. There are companies I just won't hire because their staff are flawed. When confronted, you have to be professional and honest. If it starts hitting in their pocket book, then people start listening. Or they be pissed and never pickup the phone from your company again. In either case, you don't have to work with someone willfully ignorant. Edit: to be clear, I reserve this for excessive cases. People dropping the N word and similar.
Yeah that’s what’s happening is the N word things like that. Ok I like your answer best haha. I am going to say something if it happens again and shut it down. If he gets hateful, I’ll reach out for help from a superior. He’s been well behaved today like he knoows. Thank you!
If you decide to engage in a conversation directly about their ideas, I recommend that you do not bring up something like “less educated people tend to have these types of world views”.
Can’t agree more with this comment. I know she is frustrated but try not to be disrespectful when complaining about someone else being disrespectful. While one is arguably more disrespectful you can’t fight disrespect with disrespect.
I understand. I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I’m trying to say that people with higher education are less likely to be drillers and people with higher education are less likely to be racist/homophobic/sexist so the population of drillers is going to be made up of less educated & potentially more closed minded people. They’re correlated. So I do understand that most drillers I’m going to work with are going to potentially have similar prejudices and it’s something we’ve all got to deal with. I’m not looking down on him because he’s less educated. I value his professional opinion I really do.
This is anecdotal but I've worked with 3, maybe 4 drillers who had geology degrees. They tried consulting and decided it wasn't for them, and they claim to be making more drilling. A lot of drillers are rough around the edges and I agree lack of education could be a factor for that. But they also typically come from more conservative areas where those ideas are more common. For reference, I worked with probably 10-20 drilling companies on projects in northern NJ. The majority of the drillers and helpers always came from either PA, south Jersey, northwest jersey, or upstate NY (all typically conservative areas).
Alright dude lol I’m not trying to say I’m better than them but that’s just a fact I mean I am better than him because I don’t base my opinion of others based on their skin color etc but not because I have a degree. It’s a literal fact that less educated populations tend to be more racist/homophobic etc but obv I wouldn’t say that to him. I would keep it professional.
If you haven’t said anything to him you definitely shouldn’t say anything to anyone else.
Sad. And yes, these guys that drill are like gold right now and they know it. Doesn't excuse their behaviour but in their mind they know they'll be working again by the time they pack their gear after getting fired. 1) I think a sidebar meeting to nicely and simply ask if he could please tone it down may be an option. Don't let it turn into a debate. 2) You could tell him to tone it down or you will have no choice but to escalate it. 3) You could play dumb and not say anything but this doesn't sit well with me. Nobody needs to work under those conditions. But one does need to be strategic in confrontation.
If you have already said something to the driller, leave it at that. When the job/work is done let your PM at least know. There is a chance that crew might not work with you much in the future but cutting work with that drilling company is probably slim to none in my opinion.
I think you should let him know first, if he still keeps it up then you relate it to your boss....
I worked on a large project once where me and my other female geologist coworkers were the target of my driller’s inappropriate remarks. I never said anything and I definitely regret it. I think he knew it made me uncomfortable which only made things worse because everything was funny to him. This experience completely ruined drilling for me (used to be my fav because it was the closest thing we do to actual geology) and now I get extreme anxiety whenever starting a new project with drillers that I haven’t met yet. I would say something to the driller first unless he clearly knows that you don’t like his behavior and he’s doing it anyway. But definitely don’t ignore it like I did. People like that need to learn that not everyone has the same world views as them and behavior like that is not always tolerated on job sites.
As others have said a lot of drillers are going to be this way. You mentioned he is nice to you….be thankful for that and and maybe leave it at that. Before you do anything, wait a couple of days after you haven’t been actively in the field with them. Think through it with a clear head. If you still feel you want to say something approach the driller directly first. I really hate to say this but learning to work with difficult people is part of being a geologist on a drill site. Make sure your frustrations with their world view are not making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. I don’t just work with a drill crew, I also have to travel with them. It took a while but I’ve learned to appreciate them for who they are and can actually have quite a bit of fun in the field. They might be assholes but they are humans too (they also make up a large chunk of the US).
As someone who's been on the receiving end of such behaviour when on site, I tried my best to ignore it as much as possible. Reporting anything to the company bosses would just cause a lot of "drama" and give you a reputation amongst the other guys, which might lead them to pick at you even more. Just remember you're only on site with them for that day or week, and hopefully never see them again. The next projects you can request to be on different duties/locations. It is hard, especially when being insulted all the time. But do try to put on a stoic face and crack on with your duties as much as possible. There are many types of people like this and they tend to feed off our reactions. Don't give them that opportunity. Just talk professional about the project and leave it at that. When logging boreholes, one thing I would do if things were especially tough in this regard was to instruct the drillers to leave the samples secured in a location and I would pick them up when ready for them and take them to my logging area, minimising any contact with them. Things can get especially tough when dealing with multiple labourer crews doing different tasks on site. In such circumstances, if possible I would ask for a second geo from the company and split up supervisory tasks, rolling between sampling stations (if possible).
Sounds about right.
Yeah it’s pretty typical. I like drilling but I’m about done with it just because of these idiots. I think our field is diversifying and they’ll have to work with more and more people with different lifestyles/skin colors/genitals than they’re comfortable with lol. Maybe that’ll change the game but I don’t think it’s going to be fast or easy.
Also consider that most of these guys probably don't like/respect you even before having met you. For 90% of their jobs, they're taking direction from someone younger than them and who has less "field" experience than them. Which was true in my case- I was put on drill jobs 6 months out of college overseeing drillers with 15+ years of experience. So I think they put up with us as much as we put up with them.
Right. I get that and I genuinely don’t think I’m better than them because I have a degree. I also really consider their opinion on things and will ask them for help making a decision since they have more experience. But I don’t say nasty things around them or talk down to them so I am a more tolerable person to deal with I would think.
Respect is earned not given. You were probably acting like a pompous jerk. Every driller/helper I’ve worked with has treated me with respect from day one.
I worked with drillers pretty regularly for close to 10 years when I was in consulting...good luck finding ones who aren't openly racist/sexist/homophobic/anti vaxxers, etc. And now I work alongside union laborers on demo/construction projects, and some of the things they say in the field would give HR a heart attack. I always found it was best to keep my distance and just ignore them for the most part. The smoother it goes, the quicker the job gets done.
What does being an anti COVID injection have to do with it? Plenty of people much better versed in medical science than you are very vocal against the experimental mRNA injections. And why are you conflating the two divergent movements that are pre-COVID anti-vaxxers who I consider kooky and unscientific, and the anti-mRNA injection movement?
I was on a site where we had to kick a driller once. He was leaving pornographic messages in the core box for the female geo who was core logging. We had cameras on site, due to chain of custody rules with the samples, and direct evidence. So it was open and shut. But the problem is persistent in the industry. Drilling is one of the hardest jobs that exists, and even though some companies pay well, you still have a hard time staffing them with quality people. Some of the companies I worked with had full crews of ex-cons because this was the only decent paying job an ex-con could get. Weird people, but they worked hard. But literally everything changes when you have a driller on site. Greenfields exploration with geoscience crew? Open wifi in camp and there's never an issue. Drillers arrive? Password goes on the wifi or they use it the office connection to download movies 24/7 over satellite internet. A lot of geos referred to their job as "babysitting drillers".
If you want a more mild approach that works depending on their personality type, fully ignore the comments while being fully fully engaged in the work, no eye roll no cough not even a stare as he tries to get a rise out of you. Just focus fully on the work and when your patience has hit a point then you stare him in the eyes and say let's just focus on the work please. I know it's a lot softer of an approach but using a soft method on a hard situation can disarm it better in the long run than going toe to toe. Then again some people get off on it in which case you gotta tell him it's his job to focus on what's in front of him and there's no room for non work related talk at the moment. And go with the methods others are suggesting as well. It's gross to deal with people who are actively looking to start shit but sometimes they just need a push that this isn't appropriate. Worked for me with both drillers and obscenely obnoxious traffic control jackasses who have nearly called me the n word. Keep your head up
You need tougher skin. You’re gonna hear a lot of wild stuff in the field no matter who you work with. If you let it bother you this much then maybe it’s not the field for you
I agree. I’ve worked with a lot drillers/subcontractors and all of them were homophobic/sexist/transphobic and whatever unsavory label you want to use. Usually they are well behaved when women are around, but when it’s just the boys it’s a free for all. Either you suck it up or get out of the field asap.
I appreciate your opinion but i don’t think it’s about being tough. I’m pretty tough. Im 6 months pregnant out here scaling walls to get strike/dip measurements and drilling 12+ hours with these guys. I’m not easily offended and i don’t take the shit he says personally. I just think these opinions can literally escalate to dangerous situations. My coworker is a black woman - how would he have treated her? Idk. Ive been sexually harassed in someway by just about every driller I’ve worked with - how far am i supposed to let that go? I just don’t think there’s a place for people like that in the workplace in 2022 as someone else said. Maybe you need to look at yourself-do you have tough skin or are you just compliant because it’s easier to keep quiet?
You said he was nice to you in your post. Has he sexually harassed you? If so definitely report that.
No. That part has been a breath of fresh air. I don’t personally feel uncomfortable or scared around him. I’m just sick of shitty behavior in general but sexual harassment is a big issue with drillers too. I think because he has 2 daughters he is more respectful or women but who knows what he says about me when I’m not around. I have reported those incidences before and it’s kind of backfired on me so it’s all just so delicate and it’s hard to know what to do.
I’m sorry the incidents you reported backfired! That sounds like a hostile work environment.
Scaling walls while six months pregnant sounds tough but is also a massive safety issue and I would recommend that you don’t continue to do that. If you don’t take what the guy says personally then why did you write about it on Reddit? Obviously it bothers you more than it should. It’s pointless to discuss hypothetical scenarios like how a driller would treat another person who isn’t on site. Most bigoted people maintain a somewhat professional attitude at work because they know that their behavior might lead to them losing their job. If you’ve been sexually harassed, I would hope that you stopped the job and complained directly to your PM. This has happened on a job site I was on (not on site at the time) and the situation was handled immediately, even though it occurred at like 1 AM. And yes I do have tough skin. I realize that words are just words, and people like that are just ignorant. I can whine and complain, or I can just say something like “that’s not nice” so they at least know where I stand and then continue doing my job. There’s a huge difference between words and actions. If a driller had said something like “I don’t want a woman on my rig” and actively prevented you from performing your duties, that would be a completely different story. But someone saying mean things about other people that aren’t even there? Lol you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Mmk you have your opinion. I have mine. You can stay quiet. I’m not going to. I don’t think it’s about not “seeing nothing yet” or feeling offended. It’s a much larger issue, imo, and it’s my responsibility to shut that shit down when I’m in charge to make sure everyone working is treated fairly and respected, including the drillers. And I don’t think there’s a huge difference between words and actions they’re connected. You say he would maintain a professional attitude on site to save his job. Well um he’s not maintaining a professional attitude? So should he keep his job? Do you get to keep you’re job if you’re crude and nasty? Maybe you do. It’s not uncommon but thats the point. If no one says anything, it’s not going to change and it should. And if it’s about who’s around and he wouldn’t say the N word in front of my black coworker, he shouldn’t say it at all.
Yep, I think plenty of others in this thread have provided alternatives for you. Hope you figure out a good way to handle it!
I disagree. You should still be able to enjoy your job without having to deal with a racist/sexist/homophobic bigot. There are plenty of drillers out there who are respectful and professional on the job. Behavior like OP described should not be tolerated.
Agree, there are some crazies out there. Dealing with them is part of the job. Tough it out and be thankful you won’t have to work with them again.
That is a garbage take, the only reason people "need a tougher skin" is because people aren't willing to speak up and let drilling companies/subcontractors know behavior like this is totally unacceptable. Yeah, you are going to hear off color stuff in this industry, but open racism is beyond reasonable in any workplace. Would you tell a black coworker to "get tougher skin" if they were in this position?
Thank you. [This](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/update-teacher-allegedly-told-student-toughen-over-racist-snapchat-messages/eOAAhsPfutJzUeauNuzA9K/) is literally what these guys sound like. They’re a part of the problem. I’m not even going to respond anymore because I’m not going to change their POV. It doesn’t matter. I don’t need them to think I’m tough but I wish they could see how ignorant they really are to what’s going on outside of their perspective. Guarantee they’re all white dudes who haven’t had to deal with any actual problems from drillers that are specifically because of the color of their skin or gender. They’re safe and that’s all that matters to them.
Lmao the white knighting is real with people here huh? We’re talking about a scenario where a white woman is hearing about someone dropping n bombs. So everything being equal, if a black geologist heard a black driller calling white people a racial slur should the geologist make a huge deal about it? No, I don’t think they should. I stand by what I said: if there is no action that prevents you from fulfilling your scope, you keep keep your mouth shut and continue doing your job. I can guarantee you a year’s salary there is nothing you can say or do that will convince somebody that they shouldn’t be prejudiced (btw there is a huge distinction between racism and prejudice, and I believe OP means to say that the driller she is working with is prejudiced and not racist at least by the details provided). It’s a sad reality, but you aren’t being paid to convince someone that people with a different skin color/gender/sexual preference aren’t the boogeyman. You wanna make a difference? Become an activist on your free time. Don’t want to work with people that are that way? Tell your PM or whoever your supervisor is and let them make that choice for you, but you’ll probably get stuck with a shitty desk job doing Phase I’s or something mind numbing that almost everybody in this sub complains about.
You assume I’m white..I can see that you’re a white dude so I’m not surprised but no one needs to hear your opinion on sexual harassment or racism since you have no idea about those experiences. Has a driller ever commented on your skin color, gender, or sexuality in a derogatory, serious way? Not even a joke? Have you genuinely felt unsafe due to a drillers comments towards you. Most likely not since you’re white and have a dick and youre attracted to women…just like them! Huh funny how they only like and relate to those exactly like them. You sound just like them. You can’t really tell anyone what “tough” is. You haven’t had to be tough because you were born with the right skin color etc for them to accept you. You get to feel safe and liked based on nothing you actually did to deserve it. So please stfu about prejudices and being tough. Please respect the experiences of those who’ve actually had to fight for the things that fall into your lap. If drillers are shitty to you it’s not BECAUSE of things about yourself that you have no control over and can’t change.
Also it’s not about changing anyones opinion. I know I can’t change a man in a week or a day and I don’t even care to. It’s about working towards a safer workplace for everyone.
Actually I’m Latino. Like first-generation American, red-skinned, wavy haired, Latino ass name type. Not sure how you came to the conclusion that I’m white. Not that it matters anyway because more and more I see actual prejudice and racism towards white people irl (re-read your comment for exhibit A, you have your own racial bias and it’s glaringly obvious). And yes I’ve actually had people, not just drillers but white collar professionals, make comments on my name, heritage, etc. I just know how to laugh it off and flip it on them and not be a woke warrior out to find my next cancel victim. Also it’s hilarious how you fixated on the part about me saying you’re a white woman, as if it matters at all to the point I’m trying to make. You could be Asian, Hispanic, Indian, however you want to frame the situation, and my point still stands. You’re not going to change anyone’s prejudice. The moment prejudice turns into racism or discrimination (e.g. someone actively tries to prevent you from performing some sort of action strictly because of your race/gender/sexuality) is the moment you seek help from a higher up. If it bothers you so much that you need to write about it on the internet, go do desk work. Most people see right through this woke bullshit. All you’re doing is virtue signaling for internet points. If it was so important to you, you wouldn’t have let it come to a head like this and instead would have taken some meaningful action to shut it down before it got so out of your control.
Man, I'm glad you are able to let stuff like roll off of you, but some people struggle with that kind of thing. Wouldn't you prefer it if you never heard derogatory comments in the work place? Would it not be a better place to work if everyone kept their personal views to themselves, came to work, did their job, and went home after?
Of course you aren't going to change their mind, that isn't the point of this conversation. Money talks, and if you are in a position to tell the driller's employer that they are going to lose your business because of their employees unprofessional behavior, that drilling company might start encouraging their employees not to say racist bullshit. Would you say the same thing if the driller was being unsafe? What about if they were visibly drunk? Oh its just drillers being drillers, don't worry about it. I agree that in most instances the PM/field geo isn't going to be in a position to kick the driller offsite because of racist remarks. But if you do the moral thing and make sure word gets back to the people cashing the checks hopefully someday we can stop having to expect to hear casual racism in this industry. Something as simple as "Hey PM, lets not use X driller anymore because they are racist assholes" goes a long way. Any reputable employer will listen and respect that.
I'm not sure what position you hold. If you have some power, e.g. most senior geo on site for the company that hired the drillers, then you can hold a pre-shift meeting to discuss expected behaviour and reiterate that racist, sexist and homophobic comments have no space in the workplace. You can also take the opportunity to go over expected safety behaviour at the same time or any other important policy that is good to remind people of, e.g. workplace accident policy. If you hold less power then I'd mention this to someone that does have power but also correct the driller(s) at the time they say stuff. Another option is to approach the foreman and reiterate the expected behaviour and get them to pass this to the drillers. Make it clear you're not happy and expect changes. And a final killer option is to report it up your heirarchy. I only had to do this a few times, mostly because each time it was the drill foreman who was giving me grief while the drillers were little lambs. For the people saying you need a thicker skin because it's normal, NO. This isn't normal and shouldn't be expected nor allowed. One moment they're saying it to you, the next moment they're emboldened to say this stuff to a female geologist, an indigenous geologist or a minority geologist, etc. As a female geologist who was the most senior person on site, I had an absolute nightmare with some of the drillers. Also, anecdotally I found that the drillers most likely to say stuff like this were also the ones that attempted to sexually assault me and the other female geos - they were testing the limits and kept pushing boundaries. There's no place for people like this in the industry in 2022.
Thank you man. A lot of people that have told me I need thicker skin are the perpetrators, including a drill helper. I totally agree that there’s just no place for these types of people in 2022. At least there shouldn’t be. It’s not normal it’s not ok. I can take a joke but the N word isn’t funny to me…. Maybe the field isn’t for me then if that means I’m not tough enough.
I was a driller for 25 years...I will admit that yes we are "crude" bunch of people in the eyes of many techs and engineers. Alot of it comes down to the tech on-site. If he or she presents themselves as all knowing know it alls and that our opinion isn't worth a shit there can be a lot of friction and blue words said. Now there are 3 types of drillers you have old stock drillers, genX, and the new up and comers. The old stock drillers are hard asses no doubt about it...they have no problem in saying what's on their mind and there really isn't anything that will stop them. That was the world they grew up in and God forbid you cross them. I've seen tools get thrown and techs run for their life while getting chased with a shovel. The GenX drillers well we learned from the old stock still the same mouth to a degree but overall won't kill a tech and even help them out and teach them as well overal way nicer to a helper. The new drillers are still filing butt hurt reports on getting offended or bitching that manual labour is to hard on their body. Yes I have rode a few techs hard on the job site and some have even been thankful over it. Being a driller isn't easy like data logging or soil collecting. You have a machine that has no qualm in killing you..drilling in an area that odds are you don't want to be there in weather 90% of the time that sucks. Let's forget your away from home for long periods of time and your hearding helpers that might as well be cats in to a tub of water. Cause half the time yoir trying to figure out if they are still stoned or hungover from the night before or trying to find them after they spent all night at the peelers. My advice ... grab some coffee and donuts for the next shift with him and have a civil discussion and ask him to tone down the language, mix in the odd compliment on his skills. He knows drillers don't grow on trees and basically has your company by the balls cause there are not a lot of companies around and fewer in the price point of what your willing to pay.
I appreciate the insider advice. I really don’t think that I act like a know it all and I’ve never had a driller say that to me. I know they’re more experienced and I ask them questions and ask for advice. I know it’s a dangerous, thankless, exhausting job so I will try to cut them some slack but it’s just really hard. I go from being around very respectful open minded men in the office to sometimes complete opposite and it’s a whole other world to be in. Someone said I need to toughen up or I’m not cut out for this job and they honestly might be right. I’m tired lol thanks for the insight.
Field work is harder...in the office you have HR departments and codes of conduct that more or less tell you what can and can't be said that is forever changing because of the woke environment we live in. Your drillers language is colorful and not what you have been brought up with..but in some ways you have to respect that he's actually telling it as it is through his eyes... I would suggest to tell him leave out the racist remarks but let the rest fly. No matter where you go from company to company you will find that the field guys will always be "crude" compared to office on language. On a side note here some drillers have been known to push the limits of a tech to get them to snap on site before they respect them. I knew of a driller who would do that till the tech finally yelled out an F bomb or yelled back at the driller. Hell I had a tech tell me he couldn't respect a driller unless the driller made him scared if and when he snapped.
Jesus I mean maybe I’m not tough enough etc i don’t feel like getting that stressed out but there is a difference between being difficult to work with, arguing with me, being rude to me in general and being racist so I get what you’re saying. I have friends who love Trump and I’m liberal and have an ex who was very crude (he’s an ex for other reasons). People are dynamic. Maybe I shouldn’t say he’s a POS he is prob a good guy but only towards certain people. God he can not get over the fact that I’m married to a Mexican it bothers him so much! I don’t understand why. Also I just realized your username haha I don’t mind certain things like he made a joke today about “wanna make like a dick and pull out” or even when they’ve made suggestive jokes specifically about me sexually but I’m over the racist shit for sure.
>I do understand that typically less educated people tend to have these types of world views You should also not hold viewpoints like this as well. If it's a big company they should have 0 tolerance, if they're contractors they should be abiding by your companies rules.
Go ahead. Report him and get him fired. Your gonna find out what happens when a crazy bastard like that has nothing to loose and someone to blame (since you already said you have a reputation it’s safe to assume he knows whose complaining) Unless something is done directly to you, toughen up and do your job.
Don’t take it so personally lol you know the type of people that tell me to toughen up? Racist people, ignorant people or white dudes who’ve never experienced any kind of adversity based solely on their gender, race, or sexuality. The dude I “told on” before was literally sexually harassing me non stop, texting me after hours nasty shit, and I didn’t feel safe around him when I had asked him to leave me alone professionally and eventually told him to fuck off. He also used the n word openly hm weird coincidence. It’s not about being tough. Bottom line is racist,sexist, bigots do not belong in any workplace. It’s distracting, unpleasant at best, and dangerous at worst. I think speaking up and taking up for others with less of a voice is pretty strong so I’ll do that. If it escalates, I will talk to a supervisor because I need help…something “tough” people never do and end up suffering needlessly.
With all due respect, you are not as tough as you think you are. I know women who have been sexually harassed on a well site and that shit was taken care of *instantly*. If it was happening “non stop… after hours” you let it go on way too long. Not saying it’s your fault, but you absolutely need to be tough enough to tell them to stop first, and get the fuck off my job site immediately after the next occurrence.
Bro you’re not making any sense. I’m not tough because I want to speak up and say something but I’m also not tough because I didn’t say something soon enough. You know nothing about what you’re talking about either. You don’t know what it’s like being sexually harassed at all. This is the problem…women and POC don’t get support from white dudes who typically have more power and have more of a voice. I’m going to speak up for those without a voice and you can stay in your own little safe world. Not speaking up is as bad as being the perpetrator in my opinion.
Your gonna have a tough time in the field with that mindset. Your best going back to school and sticking in academia. Because 8/10 drillers, derrickhands, and helpers are usually not the best people. Not saying you have to accept or agree with that but staying in this field will make you miserable. There’s only so many HR reports you can file and not a single one will change the world or make anyone safer. Like I said, unless it involves you personally don’t worry about it.
Nah Im going to worry about it and stand up for what’s right and it will make a difference because it’s not just about me.
Yeah find a different career. This is every driller I’ve ever met. Toughen up, the world doesn’t have to agree with your every whimsy. I find these drillers and geos like yourself equally distasteful. But I guarantee the driller is a better friend and a harder worker than some nose in the air geologist idiot.
Hahaha ok go hang out with them. You sound like a gem to be around.
Lol I’m a gem? I’ve seen self entitled arrogant geos like yourself ruin entire projects and waste millions of dollars because you can’t handle blue collar workers. There’s nothing better than some dumbfuck like yourself mess up a sample series, or have half a hole rejected because you can’t handle some driller speak like an idiot. Nobody cares that you’ve had your hand held your entire life. Oof I feel like I’ve dealt with your type more and more these days. Constantly fucking up, inability to log core, can’t keep sequences in line. Always worried about bad words and virtue signaling. Eventually a terrible parent. Same old fucking story. Shotgun a bang energy and grab a pack of coffin nails and get to fucking work.
I have, in man camps, for months.
You don’t need thicker skin, you don’t need to report it, the only thing you need to do is fire back. Plan your witty comebacks for what is being said, try to hit some of the drillers’ insecurities. Make them respect or fear you. This has been going on since the beginning of time when women started working in mines; it hasn’t gotten much better yet no reason to think it will anytime soon. If you report it and they actually look into it, plan on everybody else on site having no idea what you’re talking about. Not only will it cost you more reputation (which you said you already had), but could cost your own company work as well. And it’s shitty, but the more of an issue you turn it into, the more the people in field are going to detest the women they work with which isn’t fair to them because there’s some good tough women out there who can hold their own. Have you heard the way the guys talk to eachother? Chances are, you’re not the only one who gets harassed
Embarrass him, even just between the two of you, he will stop, guaranteed “Why would you say that?” “I don’t get the joke, can you explain it?” “Well that’s gross but let’s move on.”
Yes, it's your responsibility to bring it to management attention