How much to pay a labourer.

[Forestboy1978]

Yeah basically need a labourer. Not sure what to pay for 0 hours contract. it's hard work, sometimes in miserable weather.

I'm not a tight ass and I don't mind paying a decent wage for reliability and a good attitude but no idea what to pay.

I was thinking that I could offer some perks like

finish early (to a high standard) = finish early
customer tips = labourers pocket
xmas = £500
birthday = a present. Something useful to my biz in some way that said person might not ordinarily buy for themself.
PPE provided but not kept

Any input would be grand.

Ta

[bobbi o]

£12 per hour for top shovel
£8 per hr for barrow boy

[seanandruby]

Yeah basically need a labourer. Not sure what to pay for 0 hours contract. it's hard work, sometimes in miserable weather.

I'm not a tight ass and I don't mind paying a decent wage for reliability and a good attitude but no idea what to pay.

I was thinking that I could offer some perks like

finish early (to a high standard) = finish early
customer tips = labourers pocket
xmas = £500
birthday = a present. Something useful to my biz in some way that said person might not ordinarily buy for themself.
PPE provided but not kept

Any input would be grand.

Ta

Incentives like that rarely do any good, just hire a good guy and pay him a proper wage. Leaving early should be used only on an exceptonally busy day IE shitloads of concrete, because that can work both ways if needed to stay late.

[Forestboy1978]

So you're saying leave early if worked unusually hard and everyone is dead, including myself?

And at no other time? What if work has finished. Wash the truck. Clean tools. Teach how to strip chainsaw etc?

I can probably afford £12 per hour but until he knows my job as well as me it's not a viable wage. And at that point anyone with brains would just set up on their own.

[seanandruby]

Beg your pardon but you asked for input. Concrete doesn't need to be "exceptionally hard," but usually no breaks so do a flier when finished. If work has finished then it's a no brained...lay them off. I wouldn't want someone stripping my chainsaw without proper qualifications and ticketed. Not everyone, brainy or not, want to set up on their own. Pay up and get decent guys m8.

[Forestboy1978]

Yeah I guess.

What do you reckon the chances are of finding decent guys will a full and clean drivers licence are cos that is essential. We're coming to spring and I'm booked for 8 weeks on contracts and I'm going to be taking calls from all the maintenance stuff in a matter of weeks. I'm gonna find myself in the s**t. My stress levels are rising already being so tightly packed with work.

[lemoncurd1702]

It's only worth taking on if you will make more profit, if it's just get through the workload then reduce your customer base.
Increase your maintenance fees a little maybe. I'd rather have half the customers at twice the price if it was possible, but you get my drift.

If you do take someone on do it on a self-employed basis. Much easier, no faffing about with Paye, NI and pensions etc.

[seanandruby]

It seems to me that it is experienced guys you are after, not the fetch and carry brigade, although you need those to. When you take on too much work and are desperate for good guys you need to pay for that. Local work, transport to and from work and a reasonable wage are good incentives. At the moment I have taken a lower wage, drive my own car to work 60 Mike round trip, do all the work i'm given whilst there from laying materials to digging holes and breaking pile caps down. I look at it as a stop gap until a better paid job comes along. But even then I might stay till the jobs finished because don't like letting people down
???

[sy76uk]

Your not far from me Forest.
In our part of the country i'd advise to get a young lad, still at his parents with no responsibility's and little or no experience and give him £40 (16-18) (18-22) £60 a day before tax. After 22 unless there willing to work for peanuts you might as well get fully skilled labour at fully skilled prices and that will only eat into your work load with little profit.
No perks. Your teaching him a trade that will set him up for life and he'll have £250 a week disposable income so your giving him enough already.
Pay him more as skill increases.
Self employed, as mark, says works best.
Hope this helps.

[lutonlagerlout]

our new apprentice Frank is on £200 a week, hes a great lad and keen to learn. I told him pass your test and we will get you a van.
17 ,boxes 5 nights a week,non smoker,non drinker if I could get a similar experienced labourer (we have one but he has multiple issues) I would pay him £100 a day,the current fella is on £85 but his license has a welsh accent
LLL

[lemoncurd1702]

his license has a welsh accent

Beth mae hynny'n ei olygu

[Forestboy1978]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Really appreciated.

I was going to go PAYE. I have a good accountant and it's not a hell of a lot more to have them deal with it. I don't really understand taking on someone who is self employed.

Yeah I do need someone with some skills but really attention to detail and skills can be quickly learnt. Our main work is fencing and garden structures but we do jet washing and general repairs, gutter cleaning, turfing, hedges etc too so no one is going to know it all and they will be doing it all. I really need a good labourer who may end up managing another labourer or both.

It's a temp thing for sure BUT I'm already turning down work cos people don't want to wait 2 months for a fence and also I am quite on top of marketing. A little spent here and there, van being left in B&Q car park over night etc. and I can increase work as I wish, to a degree.

Thanks again for all input

[rxbren]

Technically self employed isn't allowed due to them being employed but thankfully seems to be the way so far. Paye is a ball ache employees n.i, employers n.i, holiday paye, sick pay you also now have to make pension contributions for them

[Forestboy1978]

Technically self employed isn't allowed due to them being employed but thankfully seems to be the way so far. Paye is a ball ache employees n.i, employers n.i, holiday paye, sick pay you also now have to make pension contributions for them

Ta RX.

This country is a beaurocratic nightmare. So, even on a zero hours contract via PAYE I have to commit to pension payments and holiday? And why does MY national insurance come into play?

So frustrating...

Break out the violin lol

[RAPressureWashing]

Employ someone, then you now have to pay pension bullshit. Self-employed route relieves you of the obligation but you can't have a full time self-employee !! the joys of having staff