Rewards/ Bonus

[Mick Dempsey]

I don't really have a solution but in Miltary training often the team takes the blame not the individual, no one likes letting teammates down (and if they do sack em!) so therefore, why not allow a sum each month (from the breakages/replacement budget) Whatever is left over is divided between the team. less breakages, mishaps and losing tools = more bonus spread between the team. There is both the incentive of a bonus and fear of letting teammates down...

 

In my early days working for bigger firms, forgetting the rizlas was lettting the side down.

[jimmy_timber]

I am very much enjoying reading these ideas and scenarios, I did write something up this morning but I think I will have to sit on it for a bit and come up with something that is going to benefit all of us.

[R Mac]

Not directed at the OP but just a general comment.

 

Okay so you run your own business employing guys and supplying them with equipment, things break and you want them to pay for it?

 

Well things break due to normal wear and tear, gonna deduct the cost of repair from someones wages? Could be more than one guy was using said equipment, who was using it when it got damaged? A chain gets totalled because there was a nail buried in the tree, gonna charge the operator for not having x-ray vision?

 

When you take on a job and get paid do the guys you employ get an equal share of the money? No, thought not so basically you want to have your cake eat it, your price should take account of breakages. I guess you wouldn't be delighted if the team arrived back in the yard at lunchtime having left the job because they 'thought the chipper didn't sound to good'

 

It appears that some employers want guys who will go at it hammer and tongs all day and then bitch and moan because tools suffer from the same abuse as the guys using them.

[aspenarb]

Not directed at the OP but just a general comment.

 

Okay so you run your own business employing guys and supplying them with equipment, things break and you want them to pay for it?

 

Well things break due to normal wear and tear, gonna deduct the cost of repair from someones wages? Could be more than one guy was using said equipment, who was using it when it got damaged? A chain gets totalled because there was a nail buried in the tree, gonna charge the operator for not having x-ray vision?

 

When you take on a job and get paid do the guys you employ get an equal share of the money? No, thought not so basically you want to have your cake eat it, your price should take account of breakages. I guess you wouldn't be delighted if the team arrived back in the yard at lunchtime having left the job because they 'thought the chipper didn't sound to good'

 

It appears that some employers want guys who will go at it hammer and tongs all day and then bitch and moan because tools suffer from the same abuse as the guys using them.

 

There are two types of damage to kit, the purely accidental and the mindless . Its the latter that`s unacceptable, like the ladder tied to the side of the truck that clipped a lamp post on the way back to the yard and saws etc left in the drop zone, no need and if it was their own kit there would be less of it.

 

Bob

 

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by aspenarb
fat fingers

[felixthelogchopper]

It's interesting you say that, but it's in the contracts that we have signed. I could pay it all in one lump or he could take a tenner a week, what choice do we have? He makes the rules and we agreed to them. Is what he's doing illegal then?

 

I would think it's an illegal deduction of wages and your signing a contract doesn't make it enforceable as you can't sign away a legal right. I think you need some proper qualified legal advice.

[Joe Newton]

Not directed at the OP but just a general comment.

 

 

 

Okay so you run your own business employing guys and supplying them with equipment, things break and you want them to pay for it?

 

 

 

Well things break due to normal wear and tear, gonna deduct the cost of repair from someones wages? Could be more than one guy was using said equipment, who was using it when it got damaged? A chain gets totalled because there was a nail buried in the tree, gonna charge the operator for not having x-ray vision?

 

 

 

When you take on a job and get paid do the guys you employ get an equal share of the money? No, thought not so basically you want to have your cake eat it, your price should take account of breakages. I guess you wouldn't be delighted if the team arrived back in the yard at lunchtime having left the job because they 'thought the chipper didn't sound to good'

 

 

 

It appears that some employers want guys who will go at it hammer and tongs all day and then bitch and moan because tools suffer from the same abuse as the guys using them.

 

 

 

There are two types of damage to kit, the purely accidental and the mindless . Its the latter that`s unacceptable, like the ladder tied to the side of the truck that clipped a lamp post on the way back to the yard and saws etc left in the drop zone, no need and if was their own kit there would be less of.

 

 

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

 

This and this.

 

I'm an employed TL for a small firm. I used to think I was hard done by when I cocked up and was suggested to pay for the damage.

 

I soon learnt though. Now I lead by example. If I cock up in the tree and a fence takes a whack or whatever, I'll offer to sort it. I expect the same of the blokes I work with.

 

Obviously this only accounts for damage caused by stupidity or absent mindedness, but when the alternative is disciplinaries my guys are happy to put their hands up.

[monkeybusiness]

There are two types of damage to kit, the purely accidental and the mindless . Its the latter that`s unacceptable, like the ladder tied to the side of the truck that clipped a lamp post on the way back to the yard and saws etc left in the drop zone, no need and if was their own kit there would be less of it.

 

Bob

 

 

 

Exactly this - our job is hard on kit and stuff wears out. That is all fair enough, and part of running a business - there are no comeback to the lads for any of that. It is the total lack of care/abuse that leads to damage that is the issue - as Bob says it seems to be a lot less likely to happen to kit lads have paid for themselves.

[R Mac]

There are two types of damage to kit, the purely accidental and the mindless . Its the latter that`s unacceptable, like the ladder tied to the side of the truck that clipped a lamp post on the way back to the yard and saws etc left in the drop zone, no need and if it was their own kit there would be less of it.

 

Bob

 

Again while there's a difference between wear and tear and neglect $h1t happens, especially when guys are pressing on to get the job done or tired after a tough day possibly in crap weather. Surely the ladder incident didn't happen more than once? how often have saws been left in the drop zone or similar? sounds like a case of too few guys on site trying to do 3 things at once to get the job done.

 

If you really feel that they'd be more careful with their own kit pay them more and tell them that they need to at least supply their own saws, if a saw breaks down on the job that's their problem should've carried spares or a back-up saw.

 

In the end they can't all be careless unless you've made a major f*** up when you employed them (I'd say that would make you liable) If it's one or two guys you could suggest they may be better furthering their career elsewhere.

 

Someone suggested that in the army the 'Team' is responsible, well sure if you feed them, clothe them and house them then fair enough, if they carelessly break something you can always 'Decimate' the workforce.

 

In the end there must surely be a compromise solution that doesn't punish the innocent along with the guilty, the one-off along with the repetitive.

[Joe Newton]

Again while there's a difference between wear and tear and neglect $h1t happens, especially when guys are pressing on to get the job done or tired after a tough day possibly in crap weather. Surely the ladder incident didn't happen more than once? how often have saws been left in the drop zone or similar? sounds like a case of too few guys on site trying to do 3 things at once to get the job done.

 

 

 

If you really feel that they'd be more careful with their own kit pay them more and tell them that they need to at least supply their own saws, if a saw breaks down on the job that's their problem should've carried spares or a back-up saw.

 

 

 

In the end they can't all be careless unless you've made a major f*** up when you employed them (I'd say that would make you liable) If it's one or two guys you could suggest they may be better furthering their career elsewhere.

 

 

 

Someone suggested that in the army the 'Team' is responsible, well sure if you feed them, clothe them and house them then fair enough, if they carelessly break something you can always 'Decimate' the workforce.

 

 

 

In the end there must surely be a compromise solution that doesn't punish the innocent along with the guilty, the one-off along with the repetitive.

 

 

Haha what position in the industry are you in mate? Employing multiple people?

 

That ladder incident was just an "accident" was it?

[R Mac]

This and this.

 

I'm an employed TL for a small firm. I used to think I was hard done by when I cocked up and was suggested to pay for the damage.

 

I soon learnt though. Now I lead by example. If I cock up in the tree and a fence takes a whack or whatever, I'll offer to sort it. I expect the same of the blokes I work with.

 

Obviously this only accounts for damage caused by stupidity or absent mindedness, but when the alternative is disciplinaries my guys are happy to put their hands up.

 

I use my own saws and climbing kit if I'm subbing although I use the other kit same as everyone else (blowers, Pole saws, trimmers etc) I'd be gutted if I broke something that wasn't my own but equally if it was suggested I pay for damage to a bit of kit that was already well hammered I'd be pretty miffed as I'm careful with any kit but when you're on someone elses time and under pressure things get hammered. If it was crass stupidity on my part then I'd offer to pay for it (hoping I wouldn't have to), if I was making a habit of it I guess the offer of work would dry up pretty quickly.

 

I'm not unsympathetic to employers but tree work is tough, the pay isn't great and I hate to see guys get screwed over by employers who appear to have plenty of cash for nice houses, grand holidays and new cars but don't appear to be able to afford the repair bill for the equipment that's being used to keep them in the manner to which they've become accustomed.

 

Not suggesting that any of the employers who responded on this thread are like that, as I said at the outset it's just a general view and yeah I agree that there's a difference between accident and apathy.

 

Also Joe, what you're doing is right, you're the Team leader and leading by example, the difference between a Leader and a Boss? A boss tells you what to do, a leader shows you.