Teenage Audi mechanic committed suicide after bullying

[ReallyReallyGood]

vonuber said:

What a complete load of cockends. Doesn't even sound like they have a shred of remorse.

Indeed. I can only imagine that showing remorse would be to incriminate themselves and so open up a case for legal action. Either that or they really are heartless ing s

[BlackLabel]

If this is how Sytner Audi in Reading treat mentally ill and vulnerable colleagues I wonder how they treat their customers and their cars.

[Digga]

Jazzy Jag said:

When I was an apprentice it was quite common CPR a hobby lad to get his balls greased or to have the broom stick put through his overall sleeves and hung on an engine crane but setting someone on fire is well OTT.

Our head welder served his apprenticeship under similar conditions - not the knackers greasing bit, but apprentices did have the broom handle through their overall sleeves so they could be hoisted up with the overhead crane and left there during tea break. As others on here have said, there was an element of using banter and mild abuse to take the edge off some of the more cocky and cheeky lads.

These days, it's very different, and we're in a very rough, tough engineering environment - welding sometimes very large fabrications, with big welding sets 300 to 600 amps - and steel up to 60mm thick, but none of us would treat an apprentice or trainee the way the poor lad in the OP was treated. Partly, we don;t need to because all incomers are carefully screened and selected, but also, people know that there's a very clear line between banter and bullying and, at the extreme, assault.

Audi ought to be ashamed and the dealership should be revoked without notice.

[fido]

Kermit power said:

I might not be the perfect parent at all times, but how can you just be so absolutely blind to one of your own kids suffering like that?

Maybe he'd heard it many times before and just wanted a watch a bit of golf - sounds like he regrets it now - there is only so much you can do as a dad. Sounds like it would have continued until his son quit the job. The blame rests with the w8nkers at the dealership.

[CubanPete]

I thought this sort of thing stopped a long time ago. They were history stories when I did my (first) grad scheme in the 90s.

Hopefully audi will pull the franchise and the Hse will come down on them hard.

The apprentices at my work (engineering) have a pretty good time with education and projects given. Some of them can be a pain, this can usually be resolved with a quiet word.

If there are issues the recruitment, management and internal discipline processes need working on, not setting them on fire!

[hyphen]

Jazzy Jag said:

J4CKO said:

s3fella said:

Willy Nilly said:

What will Audi UK have to say about this?

Initally they will offer nothing, but after badgering them, they will offer 50% off the fire extinguisher as a goodwill payment.

Yeah, would be funny if wasnt so tragic, but I get your point.

Audi didn't employ him, the dealership did so no responsibility will fall on Audi.

Whats legal responsibly got to do with anything? This is about Audi's brand being damaged with high profile international coverage.

Audi Reading will have clauses in their contract regarding how they need to behave, and Audi will be talking to them I would think...

That dealerships profits will likely sink, as that the article doesn't say 'former' or 'suspended' managers which means a lot of people will boycott that dealership since there are no signs of reform.

[Vaud]

hyphen said:

Whats legal responsibly got to do with anything? This is about Audi's brand being damaged with high profile international coverage.

Audi Reading will have clauses in their contract regarding how they need to behave, and Audi will be talking to them I would think...

That dealerships profits will likely sink, as that the article doesn't say 'former' or 'suspended' managers which means a lot of people will boycott that dealership since there are no signs of reform.

Quite. There will be something about "bring the brand into disrepute".

Their Google review rating are already dropping like a stone...

[Likes Fast Cars]

imagineifyeswill said:

When I served my time 40 years ago there was always lots of taking the piss out of the apprentice but it was mainly confined to being sent on useless errands, long stand, skyhooks, left handed screwdrivers etc, the worst we ever did was connect the spark tester upto someones toolbox and press the test button when the went to pick up a spanner. Spraying someone with the pressure washer or setting them on fire would have been instant dismissal.

Some old classics in there! Ah memories.

This setting on fire incident is way over the top, absolutely disgraceful, the culprits should be jailed.

[vonuber]

I'm surprised by how many seem to look back at bullying employees with such fond memories.

[paul789]

These are the guys I tapped up for a speculative, not very sure I want to buy but possibly will - test drive.

I recall some on here being offended on their behalf at the 'time-wasting'. Ironic now, given the type of people who staff that dealership.

I really hope they felt their time was wasted then, and maybe I'll pop in to take this for a spin, today:

https://tinyurl.com/kk8x2tg

I'm such a webel!

[Vaud]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Exactly. They sound plausible to send a new person looking. They aren't anything, like striped paint.

[anonymous-user]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Pop in to Screwfix, they'll have some out the back they can show you.

[Likes Fast Cars]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Or more to the point, WHO are "skyhooks"? Here you go - and "shirley" I'm not joking! -

http://www.skyhooks-music.com/history.html

So being an apprentice down under in the 70s and 80s saw a few smart-arsed responses to the classic "go get some skyhooks" requests

[anonymous-user]

tarten paint
bubbles for spirit level

TRYING TO BUMP START A DISC CUTTER
something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcaFdaJBZyk

setting fire and looking in a cage is 1000 time worse.

[xjay1337]

Totally out of order.

[Martin_Hx]

The Spruce goose said:

bubbles for spirit level

Never heard that before! Years ago went sent a new lad to the company next door for "a long stand" after 30-45 mins the guy at the counter said i think you have been stood here long enough... he still didnt get it so we had to go and fetch him back

As for the lad in the news, this is pretty horrific, poor lad.

Audi will have to do something about the branch and the bunch of fecking reprobates working there.

Edited by Martin_Hx on Thursday 25th May 10:25

[SpeedMattersNot]

OpulentBob said:

SpeedMattersNot said:

Multiple counts of physical and emotional bullying on a daily basis and from me, too.

Hardly something to be proud of.

Who said I am proud of it? I did lots of stupid things as a kid and teenager. Not that I set anyone on fire whilst locked in a cage, of course.

It seems everyone is accepting of the 'long wait' style general pranks but there will still be thousands of apprentices who find this difficult to deal with.

[CubanPete]

His contact details are still on the reading audi website. Surprised they haven't pulled them to be honest.

[iphonedyou]

SpeedMattersNot said:

It's not just the motor trade, it's most of the trades to be honest. I served as an apprentice but I was always able to look after myself, growing up ginger has its perks, but the other apprentice suffered badly. Multiple counts of physical and emotional bullying on a daily basis and from me, too. He took it on the chin well...

But if it was known he had a mental illness that changes everything.

Given the bullying likely caused, or significantly contributed to the onset of mental illness, so it seems a bit rum to the draw the line of its 'acceptability' at that point.

[funkyrobot]

The Crack Fox said:

hyphen said:

Audi Reading, one to avoid having read that.

s

It's quite clear that some of these establishments aren't nice places to be. I thought they just mistreated people's cars!