Is this unreasonable?

[JackR]

Hi, 

 

So I'm a subbie that's relatively new to the arb world but I'm encountering a scenario that seems to keep cropping up. It'd be great to get an opinion from a wider audience. 

 

The job that I've just come off had 3 days on it. We're 2 days in and 80% done. Happy days. Except not for me or the other subbie that was on the job. One of us isn't getting that third day's wage. Fortunately for me the other guy doesn't fancy it on Monday. However this could just as easily have gone the other way. It's happened before and it's killing me financially.  

 

My question for all of you is this: If I am booked for 3 days am I within my rights to insist on 3 days worth of money? Is this something that Sub-Contractors typically have to deal with and I must simply get over it? 

 

I appreciate your thoughts

[Treetom15]

Not a subby here, but I’d say that’s a pretty shitty trick your employer is pulling. If you’ve booked out 3 days for him, and he clearly has enough put on the job, why not pay you guys for the last 20% Worth of work on the 3rd day-early finish, everyone’s happy, and job gets done. If work gets cancelled out of their control then it’s a different matter and that’s the risk being self employed, but the only thing he will encourage like that is people will drag the jobs out longer because they want their day rate!  

[Joe Newton]

Yup, book me in for three days and I'm billing you for three. If I get the job done faster I can do something else for you on you with the spare day, or if you have nothing else on I'll start SRT home and get paid.

[jfc]

Aye that's a tricky one. As a subby you have no security with work (I have been on the rough end of that). However if you insist on being paid 3 days you may find they don't use you any more. Can you talk to your employer and explain the financial situation it puts you in? I worked for a guy for a year and got dumped by him by text on Sunday before work on Monday. Ultimately his loss, as it made me set up my own gig and do tha 100%. So instead of subbing for him I ended up as competition, his loss in the end. I was in a strong position to do that, if you're new that may not work for you. J.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Out of order.  Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and after agreeing to 3 days at the end of day 2 you said, sorry can't do tomorrow.

 

It's just a case of building trust and commitment (both ways) with the folks you work with.  

 

Don't think you'd stand much chance of 'insisting' on 3 days pay but you could try talking about the situation and see what sort of response you get.  If you get the brush off you'll know to put that person at the bottom of the priority list or on the no thanks I'm too busy list.  Depends how much you need the work from them really.

 

 

[Mick Dempsey]

Subbing is ok, but you’re opening yourself up to this sort of situation. It’s a good way to learn how to bring home the tough jobs, however you’re  putting yourself completely in the hands of others.

 

Start your own business, paddle your own canoe, that’s the bones of it.

Edited February 21, 2020 by Mick Dempsey

[JackR]

2 minutes ago, jfc said:

Aye that's a tricky one. As a subby you have no security with work (I have been on the rough end of that). However if you insist on being paid 3 days you may find they don't use you any more. Can you talk to your employer and explain the financial situation it puts you in? I worked for a guy for a year and got dumped by him by text on Sunday before work on Monday. Ultimately his loss, as it made me set up my own gig and do tha 100%. So instead of subbing for him I ended up as competition, his loss in the end. I was in a strong position to do that, if you're new that may not work for you. J.

I totally see what you're saying here. I'm trying to puzzle out a solution that works for everyone.

 

 Losing a day is essentially the same as losing 20% of potential revenue for the week. If I was a restaurant manager (which I was) and I lost 20% of my bookings for a week I'd be furious. If it was just one bad egg it'd be fine but this happened a few times now across employers so I need to address it. 

 

The obvious answer is to sack this contact off and never work with them again. Put my time and energy into developing more positive relationships. However you can only burn so many bridges. 

 

I could increase my prices to cover myself from cancellations and curtailments but getting money out a tree surgeon is like blood from a stone so I suspect this is a bad move. 

 

Does anyone have any experience introducing a cancellation policy? IE if you book me for 3 days and only need me for 2 you owe me X for the cancelled day. It feels faffy and in bad faith.  

[Mick Dempsey]

Won’t work, they’ll bin you off and get someone else.

[Jack.P]

Tricky one indeed. By the sounds of it they are probably not the best to work for if they cannot even find you something to do on day 3 .

Possibly a 10% day rate increase would cover the occasional lost days wages (not a massive ask from them and would  be a good test to see if they are worth working for)

 

 

[Khriss]

8 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Won’t work, they’ll bin you off and get someone else.

...... Until every good one  twigs his shitty attitude an he iz advertising fr staff.. Been there - seen their business' fold. K