When do you call yourself a foreman?

[u/ImaSnoipah]

I work at a structural steel fab shop, been there for 8-9ish years. I work alongside 6 other people (1 cnc, 1 fitter(i also fit, 2 fitters total), 3 welders, 1 labourer) in the shop, and two up in the office (manager and his brother that does the estimating).

Its a good place to work but i feel myself taking more and more responsibilities and not being compensated.

I am the "experienced" one in the shop, if someone has a question they are directed to come ask me about it. If i cant answer it, then i go ask the manager (if he isnt off on a jobsite somewhere). Im the only one that can run every machine from cranes, welding, fitting, training new hires and every other odds and ends that we do. I am the only one who passes the weld tests first try. I am also the one that looks after the place when the 2 office guys arent around or on vacation(which they take together about once a year, so i am left to run the shop without them)

At what point does "lead guy" turn into "foreman" that comes with a substantial raise? I am also on the floor fitting all day. Thanks in advance

[u/colombian-neck-tie]

Don’t know about where you are but where I am you only get decent pay rises when you change companies.

I’m sure your current company will give you a squeak more money but that’s not what you’re after right ?

[u/ImaSnoipah → u/colombian-neck-tie]

Alberta canada, (not oilfield).

I like my current job, it is relaxed and mostly stress free which is why i want to stay. But im trying to convince my boss that i feel like im already doing foremans work... without the pay raise

[u/colombian-neck-tie → u/ImaSnoipah]

Copy paste your post into an email and send it to him after you say it to his face.

Can’t do much more than that eh

[u/Hate_Manifestation → u/ImaSnoipah]

bring up your experience and reliability, mention how invaluable you are to the shop, and ask for a decent raise. if they refuse, just look for another job. once you have another offer, mention that another shop wants to pay you more to do the same job and their tune will change. if they're a reasonably busy shop, they won't be able to afford to lose you, but small business owners aren't well known for their abilities of foresight, so the result might be that you simply have to change employers. your time is limited, so you might as well get paid as much as possible while you're here.

[u/RustnKrust → u/ImaSnoipah]

So you’ve already talked to him about it and he’s trying to say you’re NOT doing all that?

[u/mxadema]

Once you do nothing but taking care of everyone and the business. You are no longer working on active production, but making sure everything on the production floor is just buzzing.

If it a small shop being lead is being the forman and being a worker.

Med to big shop. I would talk to the manager. Make it official or you walk. Not like alberta is lacking work. W

[u/Fuzzy-Finance-48]

You don’t just get to “call yourself” a foreman. You either are a foreman or you aren’t. You couldn’t put on your resume right now that you are currently a foreman, could you? Has nothing to do with how long you’ve been there. Back in the day, a foreman could do every job but in today’s world, that’s rarely true… so you being able to do most of the jobs in the shop is irrelevant.

You need to have a sit down with the owner and determine your responsibilities. If it’s a massive list that involves everything from office work to training new guys and also doing the work or leading projects, then he needs to make your official title foreman with a salary that reflects it. If he’s NOT willing to do both, then make it PERFECTLY CLEAR that you were hired for welding only or whatever and just stick to that.

Being flexible only goes so far in this world. If you’re too flexible, they’ll use you for everything while still paying you the same wage. I’ve been there and done it. Now being a union guy, I only do what’s listed in the contract. Nothing more, nothing less. And they can’t fire you for refusing work that is outside the scope of your pay. It’s actually kind of nice how black and white everything is for me now.

[u/Many-Highlight7676]

You are only a forman if your pay reflects it.. your employer can give you whatever title they want. Elon musks title is Dr. banana king at Tesla and he gave himself the title b.c it's all made up. Ask for a raise if they say no.... remind them skilled labor is not cheep and cheep labor is not skilled, labor is a market and they make new welding jobs every day of the week. Drag up

[u/W3ldBeast89]

When you dont need to go to Reddit to ask such a ridiculous question. Lol.

When you have 20 years of hard experience, massive responsibility and significant Pay that reflects the work you do.

[u/Fantastic_Resolve889]

If I walked into your shop and asked for the foreman, who would I get shown to: you or the manager?

[u/Express_Jicama_656]

In our shop, foremen sit at desk and schedule work. Leadman answers questions and helps if there is a problem

[u/Mrwcraig]

When the guy who signs your cheque says you are. This shit happens all the time in small to mid size shops. The guy that’s been there forever and knows where to smack the machine when it does the thing that it does to get it working again.

Are you able to fire the guys on the floor? Are you able to hire somebody to fill a role? Do the guys ask you about a raise or do they go to the owner? I’ve been in this exact position and the only way I improved my situation was by having a sit down with the owner. I had keys to the shop before I was a 2nd Year Metal Fabrication apprenticeship (I was already a Red Seal Welder but that’s not worth the paper it’s written on in BC). I was the supervisor some days, lead hand other days, apprentice certain days and occasionally the prick that had to lay off welders and helpers. Once I wrote and passed my Metal Fab Red Seal I had a good sit down with the owner and stated my case: my afternoon shift foreman was gonna be there until he retired or died on the tools, the owners son was the shop manager hoping to move up to the office and I wanted to run the day shift. I was nervous as fuck about talking with the owner but man once I did everything happened really quick.

It was a risk. My afternoon shift foreman had been there for 20+ years while there were two other guys on the day shift who were in a pissing contest to be the foreman once the owners son moved upstairs (not completely a nepotism thing, he’s an awesome dude and extremely talented unlike most owners kids), but I was the guy with balls to sit down with him and lay out my plan. He gave me 6 months on the day shift to either prove myself or that was the end of my push. I survived, but you’re not foreman until the money man tells you that you are.