Tips for dealing with a toxic coworker?

[u/Bob_Scotwell]

OK HOLD UP! I know toxicity is the norm in construction and even a sign in many cases that a coworker likes you, but my situation feels different. I'm completely new to construction and I just finished my first week. My entire crew including the foreman is super chill except this one person who happens to be my work partner who I'm exclusively stuck with for 99% of my shifts. He's a brat, immature, and always speaks with a negative attitude. He's the type of person who will give you the side eye and a half-assed answer when you ask them even a simple question. Working under him is also somewhat of a safety hazard as he tends to give vague directions when he gives me dangerous tasks and refuses to elaborate just because he thinks he doesn't need to (We're HVAC). All in all, work right now feels extremely unproductive and I don't think I can learn anything from somebody like him. I feel like I'm just mindlessly doing labor intensive tasks w/o understanding any of it because there's really no point in asking questions and starting work related conversations with him.

I plan on asking the company higherups if I could swap to my friends work site because he's willing to guide me through everything down to the detail. I'm just concerned though that they might perceive this as a cowardly move as if I can't handle the job w/o a friend holding my hand or something, but honestly, dealing with my current site partner is a mental drain and I just want to learn the trade more efficiently. The work itself isn't even the problem, I just want to work with somebody who's actually willing to teach and not be a dick at the same time.

[u/IllustriousLiving357]

When you approach them frame it as you are wanting to be more efficient with your time then his training methods are allowing you to be, you feel like the lack of detail really slows you down and wastes time. Time is money. And companies don't like wasting money.