Why bother?

[Mark Bolam]

Do you honestly think insurance is 30% of your turnover?

You must do about 3 jobs a year.

 

EL is a legal requirement.

Fair enough you don’t need it if you work on your own, but then you’re not doing real tree work are you?

[Doug Tait]

How many tree work customers actually agree to uninsured work though? More often than not there's a target of some kind of value, if I was the customer I wouldn't take the risk that the cheap guy with no insurance is skilled and experienced enough to guarantee no mistakes. 

[topchippyles]

Not a real business without the proper insurance just a micky mouse chancer, 

[Dan Maynard]

22 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

 

I'm not quick to judge but you may just be right here..

[hedge mong]

2 hours ago, topchippyles said:

Not a real business without the proper insurance just a micky mouse chancer, 

That's funny 

[Mark Bolam]

I can, sort of, appreciate the sentiment Hedge Mong.

 

A while back there were loads of freelance climbers ‘with their own insurance’.

Complete BS, insurers happy to take the money, but they would never have paid out.

 

What you’re saying is a bit different though.

 

You can answer my or Steve’s comments about EL being a legal requirement any time you like.

 

Why would you want to work for the lowest quote wins tyrekickers anyway?

 

What’s next?

 

Work without a lid because it will save you £100?

 

Have a word with yourself.

Most of us on here are pros with pride in our work and standards, not here to facilitate Karen from Facebook ‘Large tree need gone, £50 cash waiting’.

[Haironyourchest]

Just for kicks, EL not a legal requirement in Ireland South anyway. The only compulsory insurance is medical malpractice for doctors.

 

Public liability is supposed to protect you if you are found liable for damage or injury. Don't be liable. That is, don't be negligent. The shoestrings mentality I notice in (virtually all) small construction outfits working in public spaces. Talking two, three man crews with scaffolding, roofing on terraced streets kind of thing.

 

No toe boards. No netting. No pipes around the poles. No tape. No signs. No ladders sometimes, just climb the scaffolding. Some passerby gets a slate dropped on them, that's negligence. Passerby ignores the warning signs and walks into a pipe covered and hazard taped pole and gets a bloody nose - that's on them. They might sue, but it would go nowhere (in theory).

 

But even with insurance, if negligence is a factor, there's gonna be trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hedge mong]

Employment insurance is fair enough given the general srare of employees these days.

Going out as a two man team each taking a good 3 figure sum each day with all liability standing squarely on the shoulders of the customer is a much better way to work.

Customer is invoiced individually by each worker on the same terms.

Don't be neglegent and work smart.

It's simple effective and as for the tree waiting for cash yes but always look and price accordingly.

Raise an invoice and customer signs wavier agreement.

 

I'll carry on working like this as it's been fine for plenty of years .

[maybelateron]

17 minutes ago, hedge mong said:

I'll carry on working like this as it's been fine for plenty of years .

Until it goes wrong. Customer walks out of back door unexpectedly, was only coming to offer you a brew. Customer gets injured badly by branch/timber being dropped just as they appeared. Customer ends up with head injury, and ultimately some brain damage, resulting in her needing ongoing care. She is a widow, and her son is a barrister. Good luck with that!

[maybelateron]

Or for my alternative view:

Hedge mong is a very experienced fly fisher and a lot of us are hungry fish.