Discipline

I am a super small guy here is my outtake. I equip each of my crews with my standard liability/estimate form. If they are approached by a customer and times allows they are welcome to complete the paperwork and have customer sign we are good to go. I don't tolerate side work on company time. Job secured and completed as stated above have many of time the ended up split between employees in their pay checks. The splitting was done by me though!
 
Its interesting because this is a free country. No one is holding a gun to your head and making you work at your current place of employment.
1st. You were hired, which means that the company and you agreed upon a starting salary. You took the job...X amount of months, years went by and you didn't get a raise, or an increase in your compensation? Have you contacted higher management about this? If your still punishing in everyday, then you agree to be paid whatever is in your check. If you approach the company and ask for more money and they say no, then leave. Don't steal from them. No matter how your treated or paid, you show up willingly every day.
2nd. What about asking if it was okay to do something like this. Like the first time it happened. Go back and ask management how they feel about it. That might pave the way for a conversation about you not feeling like your paid enough for you skills. They will either address it or not. Then you know where they stand and you can make an educated, professional decision about your future.
 
I was promised a commission on sales that I did on the job site with the last shit show. I sold thousands of dollars of work and never saw a penny. I changed my response to people asking for estimates to "call the number on the side of the truck". I haven't even discussed with my current employer. I have no interest in selling jobs but he did send me home with about 20 chains to sharpen over the weekend with tomorrow off and an agreement to pay me 8 hours for sharpening the chains. He takes care of me. Paid holidays and he took me to Texas hunting. I'm satisfied. It's not the ideal workplace but I'm happy and feel appreciated. I rarely think about the fact I've got him by the short hairs because I'm his sole money maker with the crane. No other climbers besides him and he can't run the crane and climb at the same time. It's a give and take. I would never pocket money while working and always tell him when and how much I get tipped which is almost never.
 
Steve Connally said:
I believe in integrity beyond anything. It's who I am and likely why I get paid way above the local market norm. It isn't my shiny gear. It's trust. Trust is everything when you run a businesses
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Your a fireman!! That speaks wonders about your integrity and character. Anyone who is willing to run into a burning building to save complete strangers, while risking their own life.....Not everyone is cut out to do that.
 
If you do work on company time it is 100% the companies money. If it wasn't for the company, whoever is getting the cheap work done on the side would never ever even know that you are able to do what you do. No exception. I have had people come up to me in the grocery store and ask if I want side jobs because of me wearing a company shirt. I look at that as advertisement and, having morals, politely declined and asked them to call the company. If you have issues about using your own gear then work that out with your boss. Don't find other ways to get what you think you deserve because you haven't worked out that situation previously. Also, like you said, it makes your life easier. I definitely know the feeling as I use all my own gear as well, including top handle and mid range saw, but it makes me a little less tired at the end of the day. As far as a tip, keep it. That is added on top of the bid due to you employees doing good work. If my boss ever tried to take my tip I would absolutely walk. No need to work for that much of a cheapskate tightwad.
 
ROYCE said:
Your a fireman!! That speaks wonders about your integrity and character. Anyone who is willing to run into a burning building to save complete strangers, while risking their own life.....Not everyone is cut out to do that.
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I appreciate the sentiment but if you think the job makes the character you're mistaken. There are 500 people on my department. I can count on one hand the number of them i'd trust with my kid or my car keys. It's become a job like any other. The schedule draws most and the fact it's nearly impossible to get fired. It used to be really something completely different. Special, a family, a brotherhood. P.C. has ruined that completely. Thanks though Royce, not trying to poo poo on your sentiment.
 
Steve Connally said:
I appreciate the sentiment but if you think the job makes the character you're mistaken. There are 500 people on my department. I can count on one hand the number of them i'd trust with my kid or my car keys. It's become a job like any other. The schedule draws most and the fact it's nearly impossible to get fired. It used to be really something completely different. Special, a family, a brotherhood. P.C. has ruined that completely. Thanks though Royce, not trying to poo poo on your sentiment.
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Interesting, what you describe as the way it used to be..Is the way I imagined it still was. Shame.
 
It may very be in other organizations but most departments have their own organizational culture and values. Ours has been falling apart for 20 years with no leadership supporting pulling it back together. I'm sure it's not like that everywhere. Its just a change for the worse. Someday it will turn around. They broke my spirit years ago so i'm a lost cause anyway. I take care of my guys like they were my children. Sometimes they act like it too:)) My little corner of the world still has as much of the old ways as I can keep going. They all know I have their back! They also have mine. We do not violate each others trust! It's all we have. Our level of trust doesn't leave our station though. We trust our leadership as much as they trust us. Very little. It's sad really. I've been on very busy companies with a lit of experience for 20 years but they still think they know better because they are in charge. Its a very backward leadership style. Anyway, i'm just a sourpuss anyway. Had my legs kicked out from under me a few too many times. I'm ready to retire!!!
 
I once got a 12 pack tip. Awesome.
What you guys said. No side work for the neighbor on a job site. Extras get billed. Come back after work to do it.
I know it's hard to resist chipping everything in sight.
 
I'm gonna blow this whole thing out the water with this question! Haha
What if the guys work through their lunch to do a neighbors quickie? Yes your equipment maybe just a saw and then the chipper for 5 mins but on their time.

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christreez said:
I'm gonna blow this whole thing out the water with this question! Haha
What if the guys work through their lunch to do a neighbors quickie? Yes your equipment maybe just a saw and then the chipper for 5 mins but on their time.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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Sure, and while their doing this what happens if someone gets hurt? Or, tree gets dropped the wrong way and takes out a service drop, or a small deck....then what? I guarantee the homeowner will be calling the company, and I am willing to bet that the employees are going to be looking at the company owner and his insurance to get them out of this pickle.
 
I am an owner of a company. I follow all the rules and regulations set forth by our "great government" in regards to employees and employees rights. Its not easy running a business, dealing with all the stress that comes with it, competition, putting the right amount of money on a job, making sure your equipment is up and running, your employees are safe and trained.
I have had employees break company equipment all the time. Not on purpose, sometime because they are careless, sometimes because stuff just happens....Who pays for that? I do, the company does. Where does that money come from? It comes from profits, it comes from a well sold job by the salesman, a well executed job by the crew! Team work. In an industry where your profits are say 10-20%. That means in a weeks time, if your doing 2K a day for 5 days your profit at 10% would be 1K dollars. Really, that is not a lot of profit.
So, when that chainsaw gets run over, the tractor radiator gets punctured, or the shovel gets chipped up and destroys the chipper knives, or the dingo gets a log smashed through the side of the engine....those come from profit, and they are costly..way more than a weeks profit. Now lets remember that the employee gets their paycheck every week, not matter what happen to the equipment. They destroy something, they still get their paycheck. No skin off their teeth.
So, when a company gets a chance to work for a neighbor of a client and make say 3-500 dollars more in that week, that becomes almost pure profit. The business can then use that to make up for any down time, repairs, destroyed equipment, or...if your working at a decent place...bonus the crew for a year with little damage and great customer service.
Team work is what makes this all happen and successful. A lot of work gets put into the behind the scene's of a job long before the crew ever sets foot on the property. So, why then if a neighbor comes over would the crew members have the right to take that job? That belongs to the company that you just drove to that job in one of their truck, using their fuel, on their insurance, being paid for every minute your breathing from the moment you punch in the moment you punch out. If you want that job then discount your cart from my horse, and go do it on your own!!
 
ROYCE said:
I am an owner of a company. I follow all the rules and regulations set forth by our "great government" in regards to employees and employees rights. Its not easy running a business, dealing with all the stress that comes with it, competition, putting the right amount of money on a job, making sure your equipment is up and running, your employees are safe and trained.
I have had employees break company equipment all the time. Not on purpose, sometime because they are careless, sometimes because stuff just happens....Who pays for that? I do, the company does. Where does that money come from? It comes from profits, it comes from a well sold job by the salesman, a well executed job by the crew! Team work. In an industry where your profits are say 10-20%. That means in a weeks time, if your doing 2K a day for 5 days your profit at 10% would be 1K dollars. Really, that is not a lot of profit.
So, when that chainsaw gets run over, the tractor radiator gets punctured, or the shovel gets chipped up and destroys the chipper knives, or the dingo gets a log smashed through the side of the engine....those come from profit, and they are costly..way more than a weeks profit. Now lets remember that the employee gets their paycheck every week, not matter what happen to the equipment. They destroy something, they still get their paycheck. No skin off their teeth.
So, when a company gets a chance to work for a neighbor of a client and make say 3-500 dollars more in that week, that becomes almost pure profit. The business can then use that to make up for any down time, repairs, destroyed equipment, or...if your working at a decent place...bonus the crew for a year with little damage and great customer service.
Team work is what makes this all happen and successful. A lot of work gets put into the behind the scene's of a job long before the crew ever sets foot on the property. So, why then if a neighbor comes over would the crew members have the right to take that job? That belongs to the company that you just drove to that job in one of their truck, using their fuel, on their insurance, being paid for every minute your breathing from the moment you punch in the moment you punch out. If you want that job then discount your cart from my horse, and go do it on your own!!
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Outstanding post. Margins can be quite thin to begin with and $#%÷ happens.
 
"chill" or "relaxed" employers that have trust in the guys they have employed at the moment leave themselves open. Same with employees that do tool funds. Things need to be clear up front. I tell me guys if someone asks you about extra work, call me and we'll discuss it. But that sou ds good on paper. My old employer had a tool fund. I (with others) made them create a rule about it because i, without thinking about the privilege it was, abused it and was always "in the red". We got $10 a week put into the tool fund, I was like never over $0. We could no longer go in debt.
Most of us will always want more as an employee. It's the downside to being able to clock out and call in sick. but we will never be entitled too it. That's not to say we aren't deserving, it's just the choice we make as employee vs business owner.

If your thinking about how bad you could take advantage, it's cuz your justifying something you know was not right in some way. I say all this with respect @Jem4417 I respect what you're saying here. I used to have bar oil at my house 24/7.
 
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