[geefree]

If they are rained off , do you pay your employees an hourly rate for the day, or not?

also if something breaks down on them ,  which belongs to you, as an employer, costing  them a days wage..... do you cover their loss.

how do you get round all these things,?

i understand that employing is one of the ways to building a larger successful business,

and the pitfalls that go with that, so i just thought i would ask you guys one or two things.... as there are alot who employ here. 

Gary.

[russ_clark]

don't pay them hourly rate
pay them a % of their days takings .

[geefree]

so if i employ 3 men and the pump breaks.. or it rains and they all go home... i still have to pay them .. say, a third or a quarter of a days pay each..... is that what most of you guys do...

even if it rains all week.?

 :

perils upon perils

[Spursboy1972]

That is fine but then what do you pay them for hols? Cant be a % of nothing!!

You have to cost for all these things when employing. I budget myself on a 42 week year to allow for break downs services and really bad weather. Those weeks are also 5 day ones so Sat working is a bonus or catch up.

I am going through the rigmarole of employing and my thoughts are to salary them and get them to sign an exemption to the 48 hour week working rule. Also explain that a 5 day week will be spread over Mon to Sat and if work 6 it will be as  abonus.
 You can always make up the difference between salary and % revenue by way of a bonus.

Thats the basics anyway. IMO

[Spursboy1972]

If it rains or broken down then yes you have to pay them a basic wage which would have to be agreed at the outset. Those are the pitfalls of employing.
If you sub contract then you do not have those worries.

After all it is not their fault they are rained off or vehicle broken down.

If it is so bad then you lay them off, but then you have to start afresh

[ronnie paton]

42 weeks??  24 days holiday, the odd repair on van if its unreliable invest in a new one. get a spare pump must be worth it if you have an employee and rain is rain get them water proofs and away you go!!

not had many days off due to weather in 3 years.

[geefree]

how many people do you employ Ronnie.

[Moderator David@stives]

Gazza

You have to treat people with respect, they give you there time , you pay them regardless.

These people have mortgages, children and bills, course you have to pay them !!!!!!!!!

[shammy davis jnr]

could not agree more we would all love to have them work sixty hr weeks but it would bite you in the ass
i employ five and they are all books in holiday cards the lot  pay them what i can and have a monthly bonus off 100 pounds if they turn up on time and dont take days off it makes them think twice of saying im taking a sicky to day  aint had one off in ages if they give me a few days notice for a day  i say no prob you can have it as a holiday and take day off there card ,and they still make bonus  helps keep holidays staggered as well reward good work aswell you need them remember that ..and do it from the start of there employment ,,,then they know you are fair and hard work will get rewarded ,,,,mess about and its down the road 
the idea is to keep them loyal and happy  and they in return will give you grey hair and bags under the eyes  good luck mate

[geefree]

Thanks shammy.

Dave i was asking a question, not pulling anyone down or direspecting anyone.

i have never employed before, so this is one of dozens of questions i will be asking,...

and at the moments, simply thinking of employing... so it is daunting to think i have to pay full wages to someone who is not working, as a small fry that could cripple me.

Gary.

[Moderator David@stives]

Gazza

I was just answering your question with a bit of perspective and exclaimation, thats all

Dave

[ronnie paton]

one gazza but does that matter??

[geefree]

no not at all Ronnie , i was just curious.... this side of window cleaning ( employing) intrigues me and frightens the hell out of me at the same time,... its the way i want to go, so im doing the best i can.. to pick your brains.... and other guys who employ.

Dave , i know you are helping me mate, sorry if my post sounded harsh... i re-read it and it did didnt it.?

i value all help from all of you guys.

[Highrise]

I have in my contract of employment,  "No work no pay "
but that is within reason.....

If my worker turns up for work in the morning and we are rained off for the day He only gets pay for what he has done, But if we finish all the work that needs to be done for that week, I pay him his full wage....

Works for me and works for him.....

[xxmattyxx]

Id imagine if you employ guys as PAYE then you're breaking the law if you dont pay them.

If they're self-employed so long as you agree no work = no pay, then thats fine.

[Tim82]

don't pay them hourly rate
pay them a % of their days takings .

so if i employ 3 men and the pump breaks.. or it rains and they all go home... i still have to pay them .. say, a third or a quarter of a days pay each..... is that what most of you guys do...

even if it rains all week.?

 :

perils upon perils

 I think Russ meant pay them their percentage of what they'd done before they got rained off/broken down. It's what we do.

[nat]

mine don't get rained off, they work through, we carry spares of everything, they hit thier targets they get thier bonuses. they would get a basic salary whatever the case, but they would have to be extreme for them not to be working. i make enough to compensate thier holiday/bankholiday pay no problems. its a business, you can't expect people to work for nothing, if they are not working then you probably have to address how you run your business and make the right changes

[Central Window Cleaners]

Hi Tim82,
do you have a contract of employment I could take a look at as i would like to try and employ on the same basis if possible.

[Ian Rochester]

None of my window cleaners are on hourly rates, they are all on %age of turnover, if it rains they get nothing, however if the sun is shining and they are working hard, they get very well paid.

It's swings and roundabouts really, you have to decide which way you want to work it.  If you pay them an hourly rate then you will generally find that the work they get through in a day is a lot less than if you pay them a %age of what they do.

All of the lads who work for me prefer it this way.

As for holidays, the guidelines from the Inland revenue is that they get an average of the previous 12 weeks earnings, which for one of mine was over £70/day for his holidays next week.

This all has to be factored into your pricing when you take on new work

[Tim82]

Hi Tim82,
do you have a contract of employment I could take a look at as i would like to try and employ on the same basis if possible.

Hi, Sorry, I don't actually use a contract of employment. I've only really employed family and friends in the past so haven't really needed it. If someone works for me doing downstairs I will usually pay them a third of the work we do. If theyre doing upstairs too, maybe just under half or something but I always pay myself more as I own the work and I pay for the fuel, drive etc.