Wages for employees

[maybelateron]

Seems a lot of people don't want to open up on this one.

I am comfortable with answering.

I have a very hard working 28 year old who is a complete asset. He is a very good groundie, and a good second climber. I pay him £13 per hour.

I have a loyal, trustworthy, employed reliable donkey who I pay £10 per hour.

I also have a subbing donkey who I pay £80 - 100 per day.

I work on the basis of £30 + VAT per man per hour on site, plus travel and fuel costs.

For fixed cost quotes, if there is a job I want I may quote at £550 - 600 + VAT per day for three men, or £650 - 800 + VAT for four men.

For jobs I don't want I quote higher.

This is in the north midlands.

 

[eggsarascal]

13 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

Seems a lot of people don't want to open up on this one.

I am comfortable with answering.

I have a very hard working 28 year old who is a complete asset. He is a very good groundie, and a good second climber. I pay him £13 per hour.

I have a loyal, trustworthy, employed reliable donkey who I pay £10 per hour.

I also have a subbing donkey who I pay £80 - 100 per day.

I work on the basis of £30 + VAT per man per hour on site, plus travel and fuel costs.

For fixed cost quotes, if there is a job I want I may quote at £550 - 600 + VAT per day for three men, or £650 - 800 + VAT for four men.

For jobs I don't want I quote higher.

This is in the north midlands.

 

Those are poor rates even for North Staffs, but if it works for you, it works for you. Labouring jobs are making £13/hour just over the border in South Cheshire.

[benedmonds]

23 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

 

For fixed cost quotes, if there is a job I want I may quote at £550 - 600 + VAT per day for three men, or £650 - 800 + VAT for four men.

For jobs I don't want I quote higher.

This is in the north midlands.

 

You should be able to push those day rates.  

[dan blocker]

3 hours ago, TREES.SERVICES said:

Why would you even reply 🤐

Because what you asked is what’s classed as ‘Commercial in Confidence’, what you got was a straightforward, honest and to the point answer - that’s what you get from some on this forum. Why would anyone disclose what they pay, what they charge, cos one things for sure they certainly won’t be making the same money for themselves every day. You win some, you loose some and every days a school day. I’ve never had two jobs the same and as far as pricing goes I very often feel I’d be better off throwing a load of bones in the air and see how they land and come up with a price.

[maybelateron]

28 minutes ago, benedmonds said:

You should be able to push those day rates.  

Ideally yes. However, we are oversubscribed with tree surgeons in our area, which makes it very competitive. 

[dan blocker]

51 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

Seems a lot of people don't want to open up on this one.

I am comfortable with answering.

I have a very hard working 28 year old who is a complete asset. He is a very good groundie, and a good second climber. I pay him £13 per hour.

I have a loyal, trustworthy, employed reliable donkey who I pay £10 per hour.

I also have a subbing donkey who I pay £80 - 100 per day.

I work on the basis of £30 + VAT per man per hour on site, plus travel and fuel costs.

For fixed cost quotes, if there is a job I want I may quote at £550 - 600 + VAT per day for three men, or £650 - 800 + VAT for four men.

For jobs I don't want I quote higher.

This is in the north midlands.

 

Fair play for being up front but a quick calc and your prices don’t quite add up? Unless your only charging £100 for yourself and everything that comes with you?

[maybelateron]

1 minute ago, dan blocker said:

Fair play for being up front but a quick calc and your prices don’t quite add up? Unless your only charging £100 for yourself and everything that comes with you?

I am in the unusual and fortunate position that I no longer depend on the business for my sole income. I can therefore pick and choose which jobs I want.

[maybelateron]

47 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

Those are poor rates even for North Staffs, but if it works for you, it works for you. Labouring jobs are making £13/hour just over the border in South Cheshire.

Agreed in principal, I always want to pay my staff as well as possible.

However, there is often more than just the hourly rate to consider. My employed donkey has twice put metal through the chipper - once it was an electric fencing stake, second time a steel carabiner, plus various other errors that cost me money. The young lad is a star, and he gets other benefits - on the rare occasion he is off work with sickness he gets full pay from day one, although this is not in his contract. When he was furloughed in early 2020 I made his pay up to 100% at my own expense, after claiming the 80 % from the government. If he asks to finish early so he can be at school to see his young son collect a prize, he can be there. 

There are many ways of rewarding good workers.

Also remember that South Cheshire is not the same as North Staffs, and we are over subscribed with tree surgeons in SOT.

Edited March 12, 2022 by maybelateron
extra info to add

[briscoe]

In another thread Maybelateron you mentioned you used to work as a GP. Is it correct that a GP could charge as locum £600-1000 per day. If so do you ever regret giving up being a GP?!

[eggsarascal]

54 minutes ago, maybelateron said:

Agreed in principal, I always want to pay my staff as well as possible.

However, there is often more than just the hourly rate to consider. My employed donkey has twice put metal through the chipper - once it was an electric fencing stake, second time a steel carabiner, plus various other errors that cost me money. The young lad is a star, and he gets other benefits - on the rare occasion he is off work with sickness he gets full pay from day one, although this is not in his contract. When he was furloughed in early 2020 I made his pay up to 100% at my own expense, after claiming the 80 % from the government. If he asks to finish early so he can be at school to see his young son collect a prize, he can be there. 

There are many ways of rewarding good workers.

Also remember that South Cheshire is not the same as North Staffs, and we are over subscribed with tree surgeons in SOT.

You get what you pay for.