Total time taken for breaks in a days work

[Vedhoggar]

9 hours ago, IronMike said:

We generally have 15 mins mid morning, 30 mins mid day, and a further 10-15 mins mid afternoon if the weather dictates it. Weather conditions are major deciding factor I think. Clearly if it’s 30 degrees and your slogging your arse off in a Sitka spruce first thinnings job, you take regular breaks for hydration. Equally, a quick stop and jump in the van to heat up when it’s sheeting it down is vital. Everyone wants to get through the day unscathed and be back for the next shift, so sometimes an extra break here and there is perfectly acceptable.

 

Mind you, I’ve had a few lads who seem to have their phone out at every bloody opportunity. They sharp get told what the alternative is.

Much the same for us. Worked also for a Norwegian company a couple of times and they started at 7am worked through until 11am had 30min break finished at 3pm plus a few 5 minute breaks which I quite liked as it free up the rest of the day for recreation and they never worked at weekends. 

[Stubby]

I think  there is a distinct difference between tree surgery and forestry . Job and knock  works in tree surgery . Not so in forestry ( unless you are a bonkers 100mph merchant .) 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Stubby

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

I think  there is a distinct difference between tree surgery and forestry . Job and knock  works in tree surgery . Not so in forestry ( unless you are a bonkers 100mph merchant .) 

Agree Stubby although I don’t know forestry. 
 

Can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work - at least to some degree. 
 

Set your targets for the day - when they’re done they’re done. 
 

I used to see our postman parked up in a discreet lay-by everyday about 3 at the end of his run. I asked him once why he did it. He said if he goes back to depot before 4 they’ll give him a missed delivery run to do so he hides til 5 past 4. 
 

And you wonder why highly unionised workforces object to vehicle trackers....

[Rough Hewn]

Agree Stubby although I don’t know forestry. 
 
Can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work - at least to some degree. 
 
Set your targets for the day - when they’re done they’re done. 
 
I used to see our postman parked up in a discreet lay-by everyday about 3 at the end of his run. I asked him once why he did it. He said if he goes back to depot before 4 they’ll give him a missed delivery run to do so he hides til 5 past 4. 
 
And you wonder why highly unionised workforces object to vehicle trackers....

Posties finish at 2pm. He’s on second shift or overtime.

[Khriss]

Dont feel like a proper day finishing at 2 ( and if blokes want to be in the pub by 2 esp)  8 till 4 then out of yard by 5. Had enough of 8PM finishes 😕 long ago. K

[eggsarascal]

28 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

Posties finish at 2pm. He’s on second shift or overtime.

He knows it's nonsense really, he also knows I was a shop steward when I worked for the water authority. When it came 'to it' we weren't worth a light. We could go in and have our say but big business walked all over us, the unions weren't worth a wa*k.

 

Thats why I took VR and started on my own.

 

Edit: he also knows I was a Rep, not a Shop Steward...

Edited September 30, 2021 by eggsarascal

[carlos]

6 hours ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

That's the difference between 'pricing' the job and 'doing' the job.

 

I'll 'price' a job for a fair day.

 

When we're 'doing' it, it's full on until it's done and that's the days work done.

 

Usually 08:30-09:00ish on site, rare to still be there after 14:30.

 

Everyone gets the days rate regardless and they can still get home early or do something of their own afterwards.  

 

Any fool can make a days work last a day, the pay and motivation is better if you go at it hard and get it done early.

 

 

 

 

how can you normally finish by half two? do you not do bigger jobs or just mob it with tons of workers?

sounds great though!

[Big J]

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

I think  there is a distinct difference between tree surgery and forestry . Job and knock  works in tree surgery . Not so in forestry ( unless you are a bonkers 100mph merchant .) 

 

You're right to draw the line between tree surgery and forestry. I've worked with so many cutters over the years and the spectrum of ability and work ethic is huge. Some cutters are very talented, but lazy to some extend. Others are talentless but work very hard. The unicorn is the hard working talented cutter and there aren't too many of those about. I know a few and work with them whenever I can. 

 

To put it into context, on a site a few years back, I was working with a couple of my best cutters and one of my worst. Same trees across the site. The two skilled cutters did around 27t a day each on average in decent douglas fir. Felled and processed. The other guy did 6-8t. 

 

It's situations like this that make minimum wages very tricky as production rate when you're unproductive can put you below that threshold. 

 

That being said, when I was felling a lot (25-28 years old) I was really bloody fast, but I did take a lot of breaks. I only had an on or off setting, in terms of felling. That's probably why I'm a bit broken now 😄 

 

I did feel pleased with myself the other day felling 230 relatively small (50-60ft, 6-12" DBH) spruce at the harvester in 15 racks in 3 hours. Still got it - even if I needed physio afterwards 😄

[Mark Bolam]

We don’t have any set breaks, just take them whenever the job dictates.

If brews are forthcoming we tend to take more.

 

No point in calling a break when the climber is 60’ up a tree.

 

Always job and knock.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Rough Hewn said:

Posties finish at 2pm. He’s on second shift or overtime.

He never even got to us before 2.