Dealing with damage...

[pault]

Employees dont not respect property.

 

but on a monday morning, ask them to sign an agreement to cover the weeks damages to all and sundry.

 

I bet they will freak out, and only the brave will sign and take responsabilty.

 

Granted there are some employees who dont respect property but you cant tar us all with the same brush. Like i said if you are honest and own up to mistakes people tend to be more understanding. After all we all make mistakes. Show me someone who doesnt and ill show you a liar

[tuttle]

Granted there are some employees who dont respect property but you cant tar us all with the same brush. Like i said if you are honest and own up to mistakes people tend to be more understanding. After all we all make mistakes. Show me someone who doesnt and ill show you a liar

 

i didn't tar, i quoted 'brave' these are boys with alot more understanding and own up asap, and some offer to pay for the mistake.

[WorcsWuss]

You can contra-charge sub-contract labour but you're on shaky ground docking wages.

If I were you I would write an official purchase order to each subbie stating their rate, travelling expenses, expected hours etc and note that damage to equipment will be contra-charged.

I think you might have to stand plants getting trampled etc, that's just one of those things....

[Le Sanglier]

This has come up from time to time, you are the bloke that makes the profit, you either swallow the cost or get rid of the blokes, charging groundsmen/brash draggers for damage is having your cake and eating it. I imagine they are on little enough as it is.

[GardenKit]

A few years ago in another business I started paying incentive bonuses to get the the work done on time.

 

For example, a particular tractor clutch could be done in 8 hours, but was always taking 12.

 

I started paying incentives to get it done in 8, and suddenly it could be.

 

Then I found I was paying incentives to get done what could be done anyway, so stopped the incentives and ended up with disgruntled staff.

 

I would think very carefully about the long term consequences of incentive bonus payments.

 

If they can do it properly then they should, irrespective of money. If its only money that makes them perform properly then maybe they should work elsewhere?

[Andy Collins]

There is no ideal, a bonus is just that, it's up to the employer to move the goalposts accordingly. When a little more care becomes the norm, give the incentive for something else that needs improving. The idea is to keep the team happy, yourself happy and get things done. A bonus can be started and stopped at the bosses discretion, its not fixed. You can rule your business with anrod of iron, be a complete dictator to your staff, dock wages and all that stuff, but you soon end up with no staff and word will get around that you're not to be worked for, or you can give a bonus for improvements in standards, keep everyone happy and go on to have a thriving business. BUt the respect must be mutual.

[Andy Collins]

Contra-charging is all well and good, but you will soon find that people will snub you as an employer. This isn't the highest paying job at the best of times.

Another thing, ask yourself why things are getting damaged? Have you priced the job accurately? Are you putting too much pressure on the team? I recall several times we were told the job was a half days work and to get onto the next one by lunch, only to find out that it was in fact a full days work on the first job, we'd scrabbed about and rushed through a £600 job in 4hours, best will in the world, a shrub may get stood on, a plant pot broken etc, so it isn't always totally the fault of the workers. look into yourself, and ask if you are pushing a little too hard? Im not saying this directly at the OP, but to all readers.

garden kit, if it's not the money they are working for, what is it? To make the boss richer? Of course people are driven by money.

[likeitorlumpit]

The trouble with that sort of bonus is rather than one employee losing due to a broken item, they all lose. Then it can become a question of whether they should own up because everyone loses because of one mans actions. In fact there is pressure from the others to disguise the damage etc.

No. It's better to pay for damage as a boss and have stern words with the culprit if things continue. Having said that, stern words are only a last resort. Sometimes accidents just happen.

[Tom10]

Insead of the stick, why not try the carrot? Incentive bonuses work. No breakages, extra money on the weeks pay, breakages = no bonus until the costs recovered.

 

Because people shouldnt be 'rewarded' for doing their jobs carefully and properly.

 

Sorry Andy, disagree.

 

If someone breaks something they should offer to cover the cost.

 

Sad world if people have to be lured into being careful with peoples property with beer money.

 

I do get your point though. However if i asked my regular contractors for extra money if I don't break stuff I think I would be laughed off site.

[Jonny69]

As a self employed climber/groundie its my reputation and work getting judged if things go wrong. For example, taking down a small syc the other day i missed a small peg on the main stem. Dropped it and the peg chipped a paving stone in the customers garden. Didnt notice at first until the boss pointed it out. I felt really bad and was fully prepared to pay for damages as it was my fault and no reflection on the boss and his company. In my honest opinion if something gets broken or damaged, own up to it. If it was a genuine accident people appreciate honesty and you are more likely to get work from them again.

 

The red bit is wrong

 

It is exactly a reflection on his company. The people who owned the tree were paying your boss, not you to carry out the work.

 

You sound like a nice bloke, offering to pay is is a nice gesture.

 

However trivial accidents like that happen occasionally and your boss should sort it (I assume he did?). He runs the business and all of these things are charged into his day rate, or if not they should be.