Looking for some friendly advice on pay...

[Rock Monkey]

If you have a "the boss" then you surely you shouldn't be going self employed?

 

Well the deal is that my current boss (who I have worked for for the last year) would like to give me more work but would like me to be self-employed. I would be primarily climbing for him as he is wanting to spend more time on the ground. I am not sure about his reasons for wanting me to be a sub-contractor, but that is the deal in front of me and I need some work..

[Rupe]

YOU WONT BE A SUB CONTRACTOR!!!!!

 

Being self employed is not the same as beign a sub contractor, try not to fall in to that trap of using the word subbie. You will not be a subbie!

 

Sounds to me as though he wants to employ you without making any commitment, so you'll get no holiday pay etc. If he's your only employer then that is illegal and he is taking advantage of you for his own benefit not yours.

[Rock Monkey]

OK, bad choice of words, my mistake.

 

It doesn't surprise me that his reasons will be for his benefit, but if I am getting paid more than I am now then how is that taking advantage of me? I understand the holiday pay, thats not really an issue and we have agreed that we will make some kind of formal agreement with regards to guaranteed amount of work.

[Rupe]

Ok, sorry about my rant! Sore point, I hate the use of the word subbie and sub contractor when used in the wrong context.

 

He would be taking advantage because he's getting labour without the commitment. Of course you have no commitment to him either so you can go and work else where whenever you like, but the law is there to protect you not him. As an employer he has a duty to take care of your tax through paye, making you self employed means that is now your responsibilty, so he makes the profit from your work and without the commitment. Any agreement regarding amounts of work etc would not be binding so at any time he can say sorry no work next week and your stuffed.

 

Will you be providing your own tools, ppe etc?

 

I'm not anti self employed people. I soley use self employed people, for the same reason as your boss wants to, but I'm just trying to offer some help/advice. My main worker also works for three other firms so I can't rely on him being available 5 days a week if I suddenly need him. That is how self employed should work IMO. If I wanted commitment of 5 days a week then I would have to employ someone full time PAye and all. You can't have your cake and eat it as an employer.

 

Years ago I was in the same position as you. Employed at about £27/day. My then boss said he couldn't keep me full time so I should go self employed at £35/ day. I agreed as I had no choice but I immediatly looked for other work. On my last day of employment I told him I wouldn't be in the following monday as a self employed person as I was starting full time with a bigger company. He went mental, but I moved on a did much better with the new firm. They paid for my tickets etc and two years later I was ready to move on again.

 

If you have no choice then accept the sefl employed option but just bare inmind that you are doing him the favor. Pay should be double what you are on now to make it worth your while. Effectivley the holiday pay that is not going to get paid needs to be included in your day rate.

[Rock Monkey]

Thanks for the advice Rupe.

 

I will be supplying my own PPE, saws etc..think maybe just his fuel for now. My initial thoughts had been that I should be asking for £80 - 100 a day ( I get £50 at the mo), but after reading the posts on here it sounds like this is asking too much due to the amount of experience I have. Although saying that, these are mostly smaller domestic jobs and mostly all within my skills (well so far!) , but I do understand that I would be a lot slower than those with years of experience. I completely admit that I am at the lower end of a long learning curve!

[Rupe]

100 would be pushing it a bit I guess. Good luck with it all.

[Ian Leach]

Thanks for the advice Rupe.

 

I will be supplying my own PPE, saws etc..think maybe just his fuel for now. My initial thoughts had been that I should be asking for £80 - 100 a day ( I get £50 at the mo), but after reading the posts on here it sounds like this is asking too much due to the amount of experience I have. Although saying that, these are mostly smaller domestic jobs and mostly all within my skills (well so far!) , but I do understand that I would be a lot slower than those with years of experience. I completely admit that I am at the lower end of a long learning curve!

 

You would have to get your own insurance as well so the price your thinking of is not that bad IMO (assuming that you would be working for other people too). Cost of fixing saws chains etc etc it all mounts up.

[Rock Monkey]

I haven't factored in insurance because from the discussions we've had the plan is that I would still be covered on the company's insurance for now.

[Rupe]

This goes back to whole subbie debate!! You do not need insurance as you are not a subcontractor. There is no way your boss is going to make you go self empployed then expect you to insure your work when working with him.

[High Scale]

Ha Rupe I would have loved to have seen your old boss go mental when you told him you were leaving.

 

Good advice Rupe.