A Boss And His Son Treated A Bricklayer Horribly So He Started His Own Successful Company

Matthew Gilligan

10 months ago

Source: Reddit/AITA/Unsplash/@sunburned_surveyor

If you know you’re good at a job, there’s no one that can take that away from you…

Even if you happen to work for big-time jerks who have no business running ANYTHING.

And the guy who is the main character of this Reddit story definitely knew his worth!

Check out how he handled a tricky situation with some no-good bosses.

Revenge of the Construction Workers.

“I am a teacher, and when I was younger, I would take summer jobs to supplement my income. One summer, I worked for a bricklayer named Jerry and heard an amazing story! I worked for Jerry in the mid 90’s, so the story either happened in the early 90’s or in the 80’s.

Here goes:

The setting for the story was a community of small rural towns which had only only one brick contractor. Jerry began his career as a bricklayer working for this contractor, a real jerk. Jerk and Jerk’s son (adult working the business with his father) would harass, belittle, and humiliate all their employees on a regular basis.

These guys were awful.

No work was ever good enough and employees were told they weren’t worth what they were paid. Not only did Jerk mistreat his employees; but, he was equally rude to other subcontractors and to the general contractors who hired him. Since he was the only bricklayer in the community, there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Needless to say, the turnover rate for the brick business was very high. The only person that stuck with Jerk and Company was Jerry. Jerry told me that his father had instilled a self-confidence in him that Jerry could do anything he set his mind to do and that he should not evaluate himself according to what others said; but, rather by the facts.

Although Jerry was belittled by Jerk and Son as were all other employees; Jerry was becoming a very good bricklayer. Jerry knew he was good; Jerk knew Jerry was good; but, Jerk didn’t know that Jerry knew he was good.

Jerry was a stand-up guy.

Not only was Jerry a good bricklayer; he was very respectful to the boss who disrespected him. Jerk thought that Jerry was a naive pushover who was buying his head games. That would prove to be a HUGE mistake on his part.

One day, Jerry was doing an exceptionally good job of laying brick. Not only was his craftsmanship amazing, he was laying brick at a high rate of speed so that he was making his boss lots of money. Of course, Jerk and Son were belittling his work as though he was doing the very opposite.

This scenario was being observed by the general contractor of the project. After work that day, the general contractor asked Jerry to stay behind so he could talk to him. As did every other construction worker in the community, General Contractor didn’t like working with Jerk. General Contractor told Jerry that he had heard Jerk and Son belittling him; and told him that he disagreed with everything Jerk was saying.

The guy had an idea.

He asked Jerry if he had ever considered going into business for himself. Jerry said that he would like to do that some day. General Contractor then said that he would loan Jerry the money to buy a mixer (the most expensive piece of equipment needed to start a brick business) if Jerry would indeed start said business.

The only hitch was that Jerry would need to pay for the mixer whenever he could and that he would subcontract under General Contractor. Jerry agreed to those terms and prepared to begin his new venture.

Jerry respectfully told Jerk and Son his plans and gave his notice. The two mocked Jerry ruthlessly and laughed him to scorn. Jerk told Jerry, “You’ll be back in two months begging to return to your job—you’ll never make it as a subcontractor!” Two months later, rather than collapsing as Jerk predicted, Jerry was still in business and going strong.

One year later, Jerry’s business was booming and an intoxicated Jerk showed up at Jerry’s house and begged him to come back to work with Jerk and Son. “Jerry, you’re the best employee I ever had.”

Too late, pal!

Jerry replied, “Why didn’t you ever tell me that when I was working for you?”

Jerk couldn’t answer the question; and, Jerry obviously didn’t accept the offer for employment. Two years after beginning his entrepreneurial adventure, Jerry heard that Jerk and Son went out of business.

Jerry said that he never intended to harm Jerk and Son when he accepted General Contractor’s offer. He said that looking back on things he realized that he had become Jerk’s greatest nightmare. I can’t say that General Contractor intended no harm!

I thought the most amazing thing about the story was how that Jerry maintained his self-esteem in spite of all the ridicule. I also gained a respect for Jerry’s father who instilled an unshakable self-confidence in Jerry!”

Check out what Reddit users had to say.

One reader had their own story to tell…