The cost of half an hour.

[likeitorlumpit]

The cost of half an hour would be about 12K for us though I can't see how you can think like that over the course of a job. If you go down this route you will be buying diesel from the most expensive garage as your blokes have less downtime as there are no queues.

You've got to get going first thing then when on site and you can judge the job you can work accordingly

Some days tough, some days easy

Can't think how it could be any other way.

No one wants to work flat out every day

[doobin]

We pay for a full 3-4 course restaurant meal most days for our staff.

Ty

 

You must need the Tirfor to hoist your staff back up the tree after that!

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Shame your banned, I'd like to have had a discussion with you on staff welfare and motivation.

We pay for a full 3-4 course restaurant meal most days for our staff.

If not, a huge baguette and a sticky bun.

We also have a modest slush fund for bonus payments, presents and nights out.

Ty

 

Food is fuel!

 

I love my tuck and have a bite when I need one, if I'm up the tree it comes up, if I'm on the ground it's close to hand.

 

Without good food, plenty of hydration, the work rate drops.

 

Do you do the 3-4 courses at lunch or after work? Not sure I could do a big lunch without a sleep on the chip pile but if it's after work, karabina me to the table, I'm in for the long haul!

 

There's an 'eat all you can' breakfast near to me, I only do it when I'm hungry enough to eat a scabby headed donkey between 2 stained mattresses, but it usually takes > 2 hrs before they throw me out!

 

Food, glorious food! Bon appetite! :thumb up:

[Hodge]

Over the years I have employed a few staff, used countless freelancers. I take the current ones out at Christmas and buy us a pint here or there or a bacon roll. I found that being too nice to staff can come back and bite you. One lad had been with me for 2 years, I trained him up and he got his tickets through a grant scheme. He came back from his climbing assessment and insisted he now should be on a £100 a day! He had no kit and very little experience and was my employee! One day after the job I was doing some logs and he told me he was off home now unless I paid him extra for doing the logs??, another lad did a landscaping job for me, I would tell him what had to be done and left him to it, when the job was done he was a day over what I had priced for and told me various reasons which seemed reasonable. When I spoke to the customer they get a list out of all the mobile phone time he had been doing whilst on the job, there was 4 hours!!

Remember the old saying: Familiarity breeds contempt!

[doobin]

Over the years I have employed a few staff, used countless freelancers. I take the current ones out at Christmas and buy us a pint here or there or a bacon roll. I found that being too nice to staff can come back and bite you. One lad had been with me for 2 years, I trained him up and he got his tickets through a grant scheme. He came back from his climbing assessment and insisted he now should be on a £100 a day! He had no kit and very little experience and was my employee! One day after the job I was doing some logs and he told me he was off home now unless I paid him extra for doing the logs??, another lad did a landscaping job for me, I would tell him what had to be done and left him to it, when the job was done he was a day over what I had priced for and told me various reasons which seemed reasonable. When I spoke to the customer they get a list out of all the mobile phone time he had been doing whilst on the job, there was 4 hours!!

Remember the old saying: Familiarity breeds contempt!

 

 

In that case you had the wrong staff. They sound like freeloaders, and without being too critical of your judge of character, I'm surprised you hadn't sussed him after 2 years.

 

However, decent staff are very hard to find. Had you found a guy who realised that you were being fair to him, and was grateful for the free ticket, he would probably still have left you, but after a further year and to start his own business. It's finding that diamond in the rough, who's grateful for the experience and skills, then wants to stay employed

 

Basically, it seems that anyone who is any good with any sort of morals ends up running their own show. I'm sure many of us here can relate to that, as it was once ourselves!

 

I don't thrash my guys, and we run a flexible sort of work day. Get to the yard, have a look through the calendar and decide what we fancy, over a hearty breakfast and two pots of tea and coffee. Mind you, we are often gardeners doing lots of small jobs, and I imagine my staff are cheaper than tree staff

 

When we have bigger projects on, particularly conservation and clearance jobs, we run a much tighter ship and I'm in the yard at 5:30 each morning to make sure everything is ready.

Edited December 19, 2013 by doobin

[Hodge]

I won't employ again, I use sub contractors now, they work hard and get paid in return and they know that when the jobs done they can go, there always on time, have their own kit and it all works and is looked after.

[treeminkies]

I think u gotta be careful u could end up being resented by the staff if u have a too rigid start an finish time that too can be counter productive as soon as your backs turned their on phones etc there has to be a bit of give an take we have short days/ long days thats the job oh and as for mobiles phones and young lads i'd ban em drives me nuts

[likeitorlumpit]

Personally I don't see the need to ban mobiles.

That would be counter productive as you may need to phone them when away from the job.

I'd say that so long as the works being done and profit is being made and your customers are giving you good feedback then don't worry too much. Concentrate on the important things like getting in good paying work.

[Old Mill Tree Care]

We start when we are all ready, and go home when the job is finished.

If I price a job for a days money theres no problem. Sometimes the day is long, sometimes it's short.

 

If the job is a weeny one I just schedule in something else to get it as close as I can to a full day.

 

My guys are all mature enough to understand that and I never have any problems.

 

I just make sure they know in advance whats going on and never understate what is expected - that way theres no nasty surprises.

 

Same with me.

 

 

Sent with my iPhone from me, to you!

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Treatment of staff is a very tricky thing to find a happy medium.

If you are really nice to them all the time they get used to it as they forget what it was like being treated like a skivvy.

They then start to expect more and in turn, feel under valued. There is then no room for the employer to manoeuvre because he already does his best.

 

I know that treating them like dirt, making them scared of you and making them feel like they'll be sacked at any moment produces a good result for the business.

However, I'm a small business and work on site with my staff. I enjoy a calm atmosphere so I try to be nice to the guys but it has ended badly for me almost every time.

 

 

Sent with my iPhone from me, to you!