Working hours

[landsmith2001]

What in your opinions is an acceptable working day? Might I ask..

My boys work from 8-3pm with 40mins break at 1pm and countless other stops for fags and mobile conversations!
Its starting to gripe at me and even if I offer more money for a longer working day they dont want it!
Before you think it, I dont pay them silly money they get the going rate. Im also very happy with the work they do and are polite etc.. to customers.... But i want to work longer and get the jobs done quicker, sometimes i drop them off and go back to work on my own for a few hours. I dont mind this as its my business and my perogative... But I do feel that not enough is being done. Am I being unfair? Or should I get them working a longer day? and how?.....(its easy to say get rid..but thats not what im about and they are good workers which is hard to find in my area...beleive me Ive tried)

[surreyhillslandscapes.com]

We get on site for 7:45 with 30 mins break at 11ish , and stop for a cup of tea If and when the customer makes one, maybe stop for 20 mins in the afternoon or work on through and leave a little early I'm lucky in the fact I have some good lads that don't mind staying on a bit if it's nice weather, You are not being unfair at all, it's your business so you make up the hours, tell em how it is or they can walk.

[dig dug dan]

3pm finish?

they've got it easy!

I don't employ enyone, but i have some very good sub contractors who i use, and its a 7.30 start at the yard, and a 4.30 earliest finish. Lunch is whenever, and i generally only sit down for about 10minutes. I don't mind the phone calls as long as the job gets done, but if i was employing someone, then i would stop it unless its break time
I agree that sometimes, not enough gets done. they spend a long time "fannying"
One guy spends so long putting tools away, wrapping them in cloths and oiling them, before they have been finished with, that it wastes at least an hour a day.
One guy has a "beer rush" at about 1, and packs up by 2 and is in the pub. He doesn't do it on my jobs, but he does on his own.

I would work them a bit longer, but depends on the pay!

[Rich H]

8 to 4 with minimal (coffee, snacks, etc.) breaks or 8 to 430 with a lunch break.

I don't stop, myself, and never did. Eating I understand, but I've never seen the point of doing nothing for 30-40-60 minutes in the middle of the day, either as an employer or employee.

A clear set of written conditions is what you need.

3pm finish WITH a lunch break works out at 6 hours 20 minutes, what self-employed people call a half day!!

[Pablo]

Maybe think about putting them on contracts that stipulate an 8hr day or 40hrs a week. If they don't like it then tough replace them business is business and your profit and productivity come first and will improve in the long run once the new system is up and running and the new staff are up to speed. I work my guys on a 40hr week with O/T kicking in once that has been cleared so they can't have a monday off and work a saturday and clear more money than they would have for mon to fri. They get 15mins around 10.30 and 30mins at 1pm ish on site for near to 8am as possible and away for 4.30. You're not working long enough and once you've removed the arsing about time there can't be much left to get the serious stuff done. If you get them to sign a contract of employment and make them aware of the hrs expected then you are legally bypassing the 37.5hr law. Lifting and laying them is very generous of you.

[bobbi o]

we're working 7-5, but actual working time is probably 8-4,with lunch and tea break in between,with the hour lost in the morning collecting materials and getting to site and the hour lost at night from the usual as home time approaches not a lot of work gets done.

you could go down the poles route,as they love to work late,but you have to keep them totally seperate from your own guys as they will quickly slip into their ways and also require a lot of supervision in the early months,so you know the job is getting done right.

theres no easy answer to the problem of getting workers to work late. you have to realise that if the guys were ambitious,motivated by money and hard working,they probably wouldnt be working for you.

[landsmith2001]

Thanks for the replies guys... something needs to change. I just hope that I dont end up working on my own.
I should have laid down the ground rules at the start...

[seanandruby]

My job at the moment is 8.00 till six. But that is only because we are in a residental area, usually its 7.00 till six, or later. also most jobs have to travel for an hour plus. half hour brekkie and half hour lunch. flat out all day, or down the road.

[Dave_L]

My job at the moment is 8.00 till six. But that is only because we are in a residental area, usually its 7.00 till six, or later. also most jobs have to travel for an hour plus. half hour brekkie and half hour lunch. flat out all day, or down the road.

That's more like it Sean - a normal day for us is 7am at our yard till 5.30-6pm back at the yard, with 30 or so mins for dinner, 20 mins for a 10am break and something similar in the afternoon, or when the customer makes a cuppa!

Some days though, it can be much longer, especially if we are working away.

8-3.......I can't see how much serious work gets done in that timeframe.

[Dave_L]

I'm lucky in the fact I have some good lads that don't mind staying on a bit if it's nice weather, You are not being unfair at all, it's your business so you make up the hours, tell em how it is or they can walk.

If you've got good lads who are like that, keep hold of them!

[surreyhillslandscapes.com]

If you look after your lads then they look after you, Is hard to find good ones though, either work hard and un-reliable or reliable and useless, if your really unlucky then un-reliable and useless.
Landsmith, I went through a few blokes until I found the fellas I've got now, if you feel you could be achieving more then do what you have to to make it right, your only as good as the lads you have working for you.

[lutonlagerlout]

8 till 3 is a joke mate
bin them
no one is indispensable
we do 8 till 4 with a 25 minute break when the opportunity arises somewhere between 10 and 12
if we need to finish something we work late and pay pro rata
i used to do 7 till 6 with a ground worker and that was brutal,money was good at the time but your productivity decreases in the afternoon
if its hot we sometimes go in at 6 and finish at 2,dunno why but you get a lot more done in the morning
i am getting @10 enquiries a week now from people after a start,things are getting tough out there and if they dont want to do it there plenty more to take their place
as my old man says " the back of one is the front of another"
LLL

ps just saw a fox run down my street?

[matt h]

Had similar trouble a few years back.. couldnt start til 9. then had to finish at 5, then wouldnt work weekends... got rid. it was the best move i ever made. i NOW SUBCONTRACT TO RELIABLE SUBBIES WHO WILL WORK TIL THE JOBS DONE... AND IF IT MEANS WORKING THROUGH SO BE IT:)

[seanandruby]

Cant go till the concrete boys have finished so thsat i can have whats left to cover my pipes, or while there is still daylight :laugh:

[landsmith2001]

[quote]was the best move i ever made. i NOW SUBCONTRACT TO RELIABLE SUBBIES WHO WILL WORK TIL THE JOBS DONE.

How do you work the system with subbies? do you get them to have a look at the job and give you a quote, then put your slice on top?
Or some other method