fair wage and treatment

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BlakeC

New Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
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Location
duluth mn
hello - Last summer I worked for a guy that recently bought a tree service in N MN. He hired me as ground guy with a loose agreement that Id eventually use my truck to haul his grinder and do stump jobs for better pay... After a number of days at $7/hour and reliable hard work from me, he complained that I took lunch break or 1 or two quick breaks when waiting for him to sharpen saw or bucket guy to do his work. The final straw was when he said he didnt pay for travel time when I was driving his chip truck. Do your staff get paid when transporting your gear to work site? Overall a bad experience, poor safety ethic, low pay, bust ass pace - I know how to work hard and do work hard but in my book I dont work harder than anybody else on job for $7/hour. Just curious about pay during travel...
 
skwerl said:
Most tree guys are scum. Don't take it personally, just keep looking.

Agreed, pure nonsense and illegal to not pay you when you are driving HIS truck to HIS job. Does not sound like a legit operation and in your best interest to move on.
 
Yup, you're better off without the guy. Did he pay your insurance while you were using your truck for his work?
Dadatwins...going to Smallwood 2006? Don't want to hijack the thread, just need some local info.
 
BlakeC

Get on I-35 and head south, you would find a spot were thats the going rate to flip burgers, there are a lot of good jobs and this is the time of year to be looking.

There is a chance that you weren't on his insurance if he wasn't paying windshield time, and would have tried to make that part of his excuse if something happened.

Kevin
 
ShoerFast said:
There is a chance that you weren't on his insurance if he wasn't paying windshield time, and would have tried to make that part of his excuse if something happened.
I've heard of companies doing that to their employees, but I had never considered that angle...
 
BlakeC said:
hello - Last summer I worked for a guy that recently bought a tree service in N MN. He hired me as ground guy with a loose agreement that Id eventually use my truck to haul his grinder and do stump jobs for better pay... After a number of days at $7/hour and reliable hard work from me, he complained that I took lunch break or 1 or two quick breaks when waiting for him to sharpen saw or bucket guy to do his work. The final straw was when he said he didnt pay for travel time when I was driving his chip truck. Do your staff get paid when transporting your gear to work site? Overall a bad experience, poor safety ethic, low pay, bust ass pace - I know how to work hard and do work hard but in my book I dont work harder than anybody else on job for $7/hour. Just curious about pay during travel...

7 bucks an hour and abuse as a benefit. Kiss that one goodbye. If you worked as hard as you say you did you deserve better and it will be his loss and your gain. Use your vehicle and no compensation and dont pay travel time. Boils my blood.
 
BlakeC said:
The final straw was when he said he didnt pay for travel time when I was driving his chip truck.


Drop a dime to your local labor department. He's illegal.
 
Don't know what your labor laws are there, but here in Ontario the employer is obliged to give breaks and meal times (paid or unpaid) after set periods of work. I did a day trial with one company that expected me to eat my lunch en route to the next job in a dirty truck next to a fellow worker (and you know how they smell in the middle of summer). Needless to say I declined his offer of permanent employment for that reason and the 12 hour days, too long to be safe IMHO. Everyone I ever worked for started the clock when you arrived in the yard, and included travel time sometimes 3 hours a day, a half hour lunch at some convenient point in the day and coffee/water breaks. Hopefully you have found/will find something better, $7 an hour and putting up with that sh*t and abuse you did well to last as long as you did. I would suggest contacting the local labor department as suggested above-this guy is not legit, and as stated, probably operating illegally. But would be the first to whine that finding "good" workers is impossible.
 
Jumper said:
Don't know what your labor laws are there, but here in Ontario the employer is obliged to give breaks and meal times (paid or unpaid) after set periods of work.


Same in the U.S., in every state in the Union. This guy's a scumbag, and should be turned in.
 
So if you are a small business in the US you have the capability of abusing employees and get away with it. People that work for small bizs don't need lunch and pee breaks? The laws here tend to apply equally but there are provisions for smaller companies, eg the composition of H&S committees for eg.
 
I asked my accountant about paying my guys by the day and if it was legal. She told me that I can pay them however I want since I don't fall under US labor laws (less than 500K/yr). Now, that does not make it ethical to treat your help like dirt, and I don't condone unethical behavior. Im just passing on the information that was shared with me. My guys get paid very well and treated fairly, but they are also very part time as I work alone quite a bit.
Discalimer: yes I understand the risks involved in working alone and do not encourage that type of behavior either.
 
1. Yes, you are getting screwed.
2. If you had lots of experience, you could pick the job/pay you want.
3. Until then, you need to pick up experience.
4. Yes, you are going to get screwed. Nobody starts at the top and works down, we all start at the bottom and work up.
5. Get over it.
 
Redbull said:
Unless his business is grossing ove 500K/year, than he doesn't fall under US labor laws. Still scum though.
What in the world are you talking about? You don't ask your plumber about HR issues, and don't ask your accountant either! It has nothing to do with your gross! See if she can give you a source, I'd be interested.
 
To answer your questions, our guys are on the clock when we roll out in the am, if they are driving or not. The only way they arn't is if they drive their own vehicle to meet up at the jobsite. (Usually because they were late) We also pay for breaks and lunch (1/2 hour on site), but I'm sure that's not the norm for most companies.

As you gain more skill in the industry you can make a good living doing this work, and benefits. But until then you will probably run into more dirtbags like this one. You are better off, if he was trying to screw you like that who knows how long he would stay in business and if your paychecks would even clear. I feel $7 per hour is too low for someone who is reliable and works hard, we start guys at $9 then see where they can go from there (best climber over $20). He wasn't paying you cash under the table was he?
 
TreeLady said:
To answer your questions, our guys are on the clock when we roll out in the am, if they are driving or not. The only way they arn't is if they drive their own vehicle to meet up at the jobsite. (Usually because they were late) We also pay for breaks and lunch (1/2 hour on site), but I'm sure that's not the norm for most companies.

As you gain more skill in the industry you can make a good living doing this work, and benefits. But until then you will probably run into more dirtbags like this one. You are better off, if he was trying to screw you like that who knows how long he would stay in business and if your paychecks would even clear. I feel $7 per hour is too low for someone who is reliable and works hard, we start guys at $9 then see where they can go from there (best climber over $20). He wasn't paying you cash under the table was he?
You start guys at $9, you actually pay for a little break and you have the nerve to comment on this? Ha ha ha, funny.
 
Redbull said:
Unless his business is grossing ove 500K/year, than he doesn't fall under US labor laws. Still scum though.


Where did you get that idea? You are obligated to labor laws whether you take in 5 dollars or 5 million.
 
Redbull said:
I asked my accountant about paying my guys by the day and if it was legal. She told me that I can pay them however I want since I don't fall under US labor laws (less than 500K/yr).

You need a new accountant. Your current one is grossly incompetent.

Ask the IRS what they think. You'll quickly get an earful.


:dizzy:
 
You start guys at $9, you actually pay for a little break and you have the nerve to comment on this? Ha ha ha, funny.

That way they arn't pissed when we tell them they can't take the bucket out on Sunday for a side job.:)

We are small so our work has to be the best, and the guys that get it done are worth it. We don't keep :censored: guys long because it costs too much.
 

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