A tradesman has fiercely criticized what he describes as ‘weak, spineless’ management after an apprentice reportedly endured 18 months of bullying so severe that it led him to contemplate suicide.
William Fleming, a carpenter based in Melbourne and the founder of the review platform Tradie Talk, pointed out the discrepancy between the glossy online personas of some employers and their alleged mistreatment of workers behind closed doors. These employers often post cheerful team photos and highlight their work on social media while allegedly subjecting their staff to poor treatment.
“I heard from one individual who nearly took their own life because of the experiences they had with their boss,” Fleming shared.
He further noted, “Many of you would recognize this boss; outwardly, everything seems perfect, and you’d never guess how poorly they actually treat their employees.”
Fleming continued, “This person is parading on Instagram, proudly showcasing his face, his team, and his projects, but beneath the surface, he’s nothing short of a tyrant.”
He added that the apprentice suffered from verbal abuse, persistent criticism, and belittlement.
Fleming argued some bosses deliberately target younger workers, and said he had been inundated with messages from apprentices detailing alleged bullying and mistreatment on job sites.
‘A lot of these guys are weak, spineless pricks who pick on people who are young, smaller than them because they are easy targets,’ he said.
Melbourne carpenter William Fleming (pictured) claims the toxic culture directed at apprentices often comes from bosses who appear successful and professional online.
‘I can guarantee they wouldn’t say this to someone their own age.’
The video quickly racked up comments from others sharing similar experiences, with many recounting their own time in the industry.
One said their co-workers were ‘terrible’.
‘I can’t stand it and I’m not typically one that gets emotional,’ they said.
‘Every day driving to work I just break down – I love electrical work but I just don’t want to continue anything.’
Another said their apprenticeship was so bad they hoped their car engine would blow up on the way to work.
‘Quitting was the best thing I’ve done – the relief I felt driving home I’ve never felt before,’ they said.
‘There’s a difference between banter and bullying and some people cross that line.’
Many tradies said bullying of apprentices was ‘systemic’ across Australia
Others said they loved the work but dreaded the toxic culture, with one revealing they quit the industry entirely for the sake of their mental health.
One partner claimed her tradie boyfriend would call her in the middle of panic attacks after being ‘spoken to like s**t and belittled’ at work.
Another said bullying of apprentices was ‘systemic’ across Australia.
‘The culture of bullying younger and smaller apprentices needs to change,’ they said.
Another claimed they were denied time off after the death of their daughter while they were a first-year apprentice, while another alleged a friend was shot in the back with a nail gun on site.
Fleming said bystanders who fail to intervene were just as bad as the perpetrators.
‘If you’re on site and you see it happening and do nothing, you’re just as bad,’ he said.
‘It doesn’t have to be hard, even just saying, mate, I get it’s a high stress situation but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak to workers like that.
‘The least you could do is have a conversation with the apprentice afterwards, talk to them about it and say it’s all right, I get it, it’s hard.’
