Am I selling myself short?

[gensetsteve]

Me and my missus are moving out soon and the costs genuinely scare me!I think I've I was self employed I think 100 a day would be a real struggle for me to get by on! Ok I live in the south east which is pricey but even still the cost of living is to high to be able to earn less.

 

Your in a saturated market in afraid but if your good or have some promise you'll get the work and monney elsewhere. I agree with you about the asda thing I think it's ridiculous when people say that!

 

Put your prices up or walk when you get some more work!

 

My point with the asda thing is a skilled man ( even with limited experience ) should be able to command a living wage especially working in all weathers and the job is not without risk and its hard work.

[Marc Lewis]

Whilst I completely agree that £60 a day is not great for a relatively inexperienced s/e climber to be earning, we all need to gain our experience somewhere. If you are gaining valuable experience and training (I don't know if you are or not), then £60 a day for a year or 2 is not so bad, if it can cover your expenses and give you a little social money (i'm sure more expendible finances than a student may have say) and when you are up to scratch you can reap the rewards later. There are many many threads on here from people crying out for work. £60 a day is better than £0 a day, for the time being at least. If you have been on £60 a day since you started with this company, then I would not think it be unreasonable to at least ask for £70.

[Gardenmac]

£120 has to be your minimum thats £15 per hour for an 8 hour day then add on the cost of the things you need, fuel, travel, insurance, Personal Insurance, etc.

I started gardening last year and here the going rate for the most basic gardening service is £15 per hour, thats if the gardener turns up on a regular basis. I do much more and turn up on time and when expected after a good and busy first year will be increasing my rate.

 

In answer to your original question are you selling yourself short.

If you are a trained and qualified abor my answer would be a most definate yes. I did my CS30/31 &32 back in the day and wish I had carried them on as the rates some of the unqualified tree gangs are charging up here is mental.

If your current contract doesn't allow you to negotiate on this, move on. You will always find work.

[Gnome]

Alex I'm on peanuts as well not a climber but head gardener. I like what I do and am always learning new skills at my work. I like to call them little adventures !

I buy my own PPE, saws, lawnmower, tools, workshop tools. Get the consumables paid for and fuel. My commute to work is 7 minutes(pass a handleful of cars). I JUST get by but i'm in a happier place than when I was earning 3 times as much in factories.

Most people think I'm mad but jobs are hard to come by.

 

It's all very well being told you are getting the piss ripped out of you, but if you are still at a beginner stage (don't take that the wrong way cos I can't climb for toffee) then think of it like you are getting valuable climbing time and business advice for free. I know it's not always easy asking for a raise and I've been in that position and basically told if I don't like it there's the door. I chose the door after getting a few things off me chest.

 

Most employers I have worked for have been very manipulative and have taken my good nature and hard work ethic for granted. Paying the bills comes first for me everything else is a bonus.

 

I agree that high risk and highly skilled manual jobs should be paid more than bloody hairdressers unfortunately this country has lost the plot.

 

I know a few lads who wouldn't get out of bed for less than £150 a day, they spend most of there days on the playstation. Just a thought.

[G'day Spruce]

If I sub a climber in, they'll get a minimum of £120 a day for easy stuff and up to £180 for really technical work....

 

As it's been said, £60 is no wage for self employed...

[WorcsWuss]

If I sub a climber in' date=' they'll get a minimum of £120 a day for easy stuff and up to £180 for really technical work....

 

As it's been said, £60 is no wage for self employed...[/quote']

 

I reckon that's fair pay for the investment people have made in their career.

[Alex S]

Wow, this thread has really snowballed, it's been very helpful though.

 

To answer a few questions then:

 

I'm based in Warwickshire so can't expect as much as someone in London/SE England. Might be moving to London/Kent/Surrey in the summer though...

 

I am gaining a lot of valuable knowledge and expertise but feel I could be learning more elsewhere. The other day I had to explain the principle of mechanical advantage to the boss...and he's been rigging for 16 years!

 

No, I don't get paid cash, it goes straight to my bank account, several days late, after a series of increasingly blunt reminders! I survive by cooking all my meals from scratch, bringing a packed lunch, and avoiding pubs (with varying degrees of success).

[Gnome]

Avoiding pubs is a great way to spend less. Not been in one in .... 16 years jeez! Cooking from scratch is also a good stress reliever at the end of the day.

 

Best of luck in your decisions.

[Minotaur]

Alex

 

be well prepared if you are goig to tackle the subject with your boss, only you know whether you have a chance of 'persuading' him of your 'value.

Do not burn your bridges!

 

I would say that there are plenty of S/emp guys out there earning £80-150+, whether they be groundies or climbers. All according to luck and experience. I would say you are worth £80-120 at the moment. This will increase with experience.

 

Good luck, and follow the better advice here!

[TreePuncher]

After being cleaned out over Christmas my finances are looking a little sorry and it's got me thinking about my day rate. I've been climbing for a year and a bit now, and while I would not yet class myself as a "good" climber, I would go as far as to say that I'm a competent, confident, hard-working climber. On some days it's just me and a groundy and I do all the driving and climbing. We usually work flat out for 8-10 hours with a 15min break to inhale a sandwich at lunch time. I also provide all my own kit/ppe including saw.

 

And all of this for a grand total of...£60 per day.

 

The catch is that although I'm technically a subby, I work for the same guy 5 days a week. He gets all the pros of having employees without the cons, and in return we have the peace of mind and financial security that comes with a guaranteed 5 day week. If I start charging more and he tells me where to shove it, I could end up worse off if I can't find as much work elsewhere.

 

So the aim of this little rant is to ask for advice from seasoned veterans and others who've been in my position.

 

Should I charge more? How much more? Am I just a naive rookie getting ideas above his station? Your insights would be much appreciated, cheers.

 

hey man,

I'm in the same situation as you, sounds like we have the same "employment" terms, I supply all my own kit, do some driving etc, and like you work flat out, I started on £60, my collegue who started at same time as me was a little braver than me and kept asking for a rise, naturally I got one ar the same time as him and am now on £80, some times feel that's still not enough, but to be honest matey, I read alot on this forum about people desperate for work, I never asked for a rise in case I lost my job all together, I spose you got to judge your bosses character, and how willing he may be to pay the extra, but I agree with the others on this thread, £60 is a not enough for what we do,

Hope it works out you matey