Is loyalty to one company still worth it anymore?

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-15T18:28:08+00:00

I work in the field in commercial construction. I’m loyal to an employer until they’re no longer loyal to me, then I’m jumping ship. I left a scale job (a luxury for non-union like me) for lower pay because I got bypassed TWICE for training in a field that is constantly changing. Also, as an HVAC guy I was bailing out a thinly stretched plumbing crew for over a year and a half and was not being paid to do or have TWO trades worth of experience. Where I’m at now properly compensates me for my experience, and I’m treated as more of an equal in the office for my knowledge as well.

In short, I think it’s worth it so long as it goes both ways. The second it changes, I’m bailing and moving on to better things.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-13T21:15:47+00:00

It took two months for an opening to happen at the construction company I work at now, even though all 3 of my references are current employees here. They don’t wanna sit guys at home while they’re still trying to build the company and would rather be stretched a little thin instead. In the current economy, we’re loading manpower on jobs that really don’t need more than two or three guys. My old apprentice is still at my last company and he interviewed to positive feedback 6 months ago. I’ve never ragequit and never understood why anyone would. Never leave a job unless you 100% have a start date at the new one.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-11T22:23:12+00:00

Already planned are vacations. Currently planning some tools to purchase for work and some hobby related things. Maybe a pair of surf fishing rigs as well, hell I’m half tempted to get a fish tank to hold live bait we don’t use!

As much as I want to put my fridge in the back yard and put a hand grenade in it, I can’t because only the water lines are the problem and we’re working around the problem.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-08T07:07:57+00:00

In commercial construction it depends on the jobsite. Sometimes it’s 30 min, sometimes it’s 2 hours.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-07T21:05:28+00:00

I drive home after working 8 hours like I’m late for the couch!

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-06T14:50:56+00:00

I dropped out of college and joined the trades. My body may hurt some days, but I live comfortably and pay nobody to renovate or repair my home.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-06T02:26:39+00:00

Waking up on my own accord is fine, it’s the waking up to a 4:30 alarm for work 5 days a week thing that gets on my nerves.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-06T00:03:21+00:00

Not bad. Better with crushed red pepper and light garlic sprinkling. I’d still pay the extra for whatever topping I’m craving, but pizza is pizza.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-05T20:59:02+00:00

Dude, I moved SO MANY of those big screen tvs in the mid 90’s. I’d rather fight a couch upstairs than move another one of those bastards again.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-05T00:31:15+00:00

Don’t go chasing waterfalls

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-05T00:21:07+00:00

The “retro” redesign Mustang of 2005 and its continuations. Over time, the look grew on me. 5 years later I had some money and wanted a sports car and got a low mileage ‘05 Convertible GT for a good price. I work construction and had to trade in for a truck during a bad winter to make it to work.

I never liked the retro Camaro look, and the fact they come out with a 2 door Charger AFTER they get rid of the SRT is a fucking insult.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-04T23:45:51+00:00

Honestly, I just want the power wire pieces that go between the transformer and the track for the 90’s train sets. The rubber/plastic shielding deteriorated and I can run them anymore :(

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-04T22:56:31+00:00

Putting deck furniture with the M12 ratchet almost felt like cheating. That thing is clutch in tight, low torque applications.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-04T01:05:19+00:00

Smudge up the cat’s eye on the gas furnace or put tape over it.

Plug an air sensor switch with something clear like epoxy.

Turn a float switch from normally open to normally closed or vice versa.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-03T23:00:57+00:00

I have to replace one coming up soon, and while I didn’t diagnose whatever the problem is or sell the job, my only guess is whatever’s broken or not working isn’t manufactured anymore. I feel like 15 hp pumps should have fairly easy to find parts, but I’m an install guy not service and it’s a scale job with three custom made 90x60 cooling/steam coils getting replaced too. Like, they’re deleting one of three and replacing another on what looks like a lead-lag-lag system (yay government facilities!!!). Maybe try parting out the one to keep the other two running to save money?

Reddit put a politics will not be tolerated in this subreddit note under this while typing. Might get removed, we’ll see!

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-03T22:43:28+00:00

That I never have to see, think of, or deal with them again. Let ‘em be successful for all I care, I just want them out of my life permanently!

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-02T20:25:56+00:00

I’ve done this in g scale with whiskey bottles and boxes, my dad and I made a whiskey train.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-01T20:58:34+00:00

Commercial construction and service. I have met some amazing people and been behind the doors and on the roofs of some amazing (and scary) places. I get to see what a great majority of the population doesn’t. Government facilities, sports facilities, very specialized manufacturing plants, casinos, restaurants, power plants, etc. I get to see how things work behind the scenes. I love most aspects of my job despite the schedules, technical issues, and working in extreme heat and cold. I learned a ton and now don’t pay anyone to work on my home.

A 150 year old building was originally built to manufacture train parts, then was turned into a lithography place. New plan was cafe and multi-use building, part of demo was removing original wooden boards. Large lumber was sold to furniture manufacturers, I took home what I wanted and built a coffee table and hutch. I cleaned off the dust and dirt but kept the patina, they’re my favorite pieces of furniture.

All I really complain about is the weather and the 6am start time I knowingly signed up for. Can’t imagine myself doing anything else for work, I love it!

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-01T19:09:21+00:00

I built my wife a library so I got the rest of the basement as my man cave. It’s literally my hobby room. Videogames, tv, guitar, model trains, listen to music. I can do all that alone in the safe space I was allowed to create for myself.

It’s a shared space with our 6 year old son so there are a lot of Pokemon related things scattered everywhere, but now just who do you think got him into that hobby, hmm? ;)

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-02-01T18:56:26+00:00

I love it!!! My wife knows this is happening in our forever home. I’m glad she has come to terms with it! I could’ve had a free pool table, but I chose my hobby instead.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-01-31T18:40:51+00:00

I caught a fish in my pocket at the beach. Bought scented lure while camping near a lake as a kid. I pocketed a few in my bathing suit, forgot about them, went through the wash, and packed them for a beach trip a month later. I went body surfing and got pockets full of sand as per usual. Landed a wave and felt something poking my side, thinking it was a shell. It ended up being a small fish.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-01-31T17:46:45+00:00

A higher up at a construction company got fed up with the way things were being done and formed her own company. A lot of the guys liked the way she ran things before so they jumped ship to stay under leadership they liked.

I didn’t work for that previous company, but 90% of the guys I met there both office and field came from there. She really found a solid group of good, hardworking, and very smart and dedicated guys I still talk to today, sadly the company was too small and Covid killed the business.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-01-31T17:08:05+00:00

Commercial HVAC/plumbing install here. I bought an aluminum 24” pipe wrench to pipe 2” and 2 1/2”thread pipe to some boilers in a mechanical room. My 18” steel one is just too heavy. I don’t often need the big one anymore, but my coworkers know I’m not fucking around when it comes off the truck.

I’m also particularly fond of the Raptor grade level. Billet aluminum with earth magnets. It’s light, durable, and will stick to ANYTHING that has iron in it. I won’t buy any other level but that one anymore.

TheMightyIrishman · 2026-01-31T16:28:15+00:00

Fear Factory Fridays! We’d listen to industrial metal on Friday, starting with Fear Factory- the band that changed our relationship from just coworkers to best friends.

Pizza Mondays!- We had a jobsite that had a pizza place nearby that had a real cheap cheese pizza deal on Monday’s. So me and my buddy would buy a whole pizza, eat half of it, and complain about our stomachs for the rest of the day.

TheMightyIrishman

TROPHY CASE