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northyskim

northyskim

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having spent many years working on my own i decided to employ a labourer had him a few months with intention of teaching him to plaster
but now it feels like im having to work double hard t o cover his wages
althou it makes life abit easy sometimes i sometimes wonder if would be easier just to go back to working on my lonesome again

anyone else find this
 
northyskim said:
having spent many years working on my own i decided to employ a labourer had him a few months with intention of teaching him to plaster
but now it feels like im having to work double hard t o cover his wages
althou it makes life abit easy sometimes i sometimes wonder if would be easier just to go back to working on my lonesome again

anyone else find this
Click to expand...
Depends on the job , depends on the lad, a good lad should make you money ,take the strain away ,remove the donkey part of it,
 
northyskim said:
having spent many years working on my own i decided to employ a labourer had him a few months with intention of teaching him to plaster
but now it feels like im having to work double hard t o cover his wages
althou it makes life abit easy sometimes i sometimes wonder if would be easier just to go back to working on my lonesome again

anyone else find this
Click to expand...

Yes, although for building not plastering. I know it's a gross generalisation, but I find a poor work ethic, low skill level, and don't give a sh1t about all the work and time you put in to generate the work.

I've got to the point now where I pay skilled blokes their normal day rate as subbies to do some of the labouring stuff. I find that those who are already skilled and self-employed are much better outside their own trade than a labourer is. OK the day rate is much higher, but you get more for your money, they pick up some new stuff and get a break from their normal work. Everyone's a winner. (y)

Damn shame really, as most of the knowledge I've gained will leave the trade with me. :(
 
thats it hes only young so knows nothing a really nice lad but i feel more stressed having someone working for me than without
 
Its a tricky one mate.Ive had a lot of labourers over the years,the only one who I've kept is my brother but I trained him when he was out of school and he's been on trowel 4 years now.Since then I've had many and found now I would rather have an improver who at least can do stuff rather than stand and watch after mixing which really used to piss me off and found it was a waste of money.Also depends on work you do?If it's for builders and you can train when on day rate not as bad but if your on price I wouldn't bother personally.Ive always really worked in private sector so wasn't as bad.Got another lad on I've had for 4months now and he could skim but very small areas but he's came on a lot now however cost me abit on some jobs with running over slightly but although I pay him well it's still not an experienced plasterers wage but he will be there soon I'm sure.Also how keen is he to learn?
 
I’ve been through that this year,had a lad six months and he let me down recently.Too cold and too early he said.I think if you don’t get them early enough say 16 or 17 then it’s harder to mould them.The levels of retardation seem to get higher in their twenties.
 
thats it iv had about 8 the last few years all lazy or jack the lad n all mouthy
this ones polite quiet but just doesn't think ahead without me telling him so
 
My lads ok as long as he.s skimming lol . Been ok and he.ll go do jobs for me on his own. Had enough work all year but he.s had to take a back seat over xmas . He dont mind as he makes a good wage. Though he started to get a bit over confident other week. Tossing it of while it was hanging . So I had to tell him he could be prepping next room . Little t**t started to think he could do what I do haha
 
northyskim said:
thats it iv had about 8 the last few years all lazy or jack the lad n all mouthy
this ones polite quiet but just doesn't think ahead without me telling him so
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I think that's common place nowadays. Hard to get them to set up a setting in advance never mind a day.
 
Labour only really pays in a two and one gang situation or 3 and1 useless the labour dose a lot of setting or even a bit of plastering and such if he can do that much he's a plasterer
 
I can't see how it can pay to have a lab for skimming or domestics.
Just work out how many extra metres you've got to spread to cover their wages and make some profit.
IMHO teaching a lab to plaster is the kiss of death 99 times out of 100.
Once they think that they know enough (they rarely do), they just leave anyway.
 
I met a guy who comes out only one or two days a week , atm I’d say he’s doing good taking in anything I explain and has just started like boarding ceilings etc on his own , but the main good thing about us is we get on , if I have a bipolar moment it doesn’t matter and he is always on time and eager , tbh I agree with some of the points you have made but with more time I think he can be of great value to have in future so I’m gonna give it my best shot with him.When I analyse days we work together I think anything that didn’t go well is kinda my fault tbh as he’s only doing or learning what I tell him so I try to improve on things I’ve analysed from previous week to improve for both of us

@Rossi46 has had a few apprentice too .
 
The last young lad we had was to thick to use a tape measure.then fell asleep in the cafe because he was gaming till 4 in the morning and smoking weed .hence he didn't see the week out ha ha ha
 
Well I hope that it continues to work for you, and him.
It's just a fact of life that those that have the drive and brainpower to make good labs/improvers don't intend to be working for someone else long-term, why would they?
 
As Andy said. Most of the time as soon as they can do a bit they’re off chasing better money. In some respects you can’t blame them. It’s the way of the world is it not.
To get a lad that will commit to you and stay on fair wages, enough to make a profit on them, there’s generally something missing and they’d be useless alone in the world. These ones you end up carrying.
The last lad had grass is greener syndrome and that’s backfired big time. He’s got it rough at the moment but I won’t go into details.
 
Vincey said:
I met a guy who comes out only one or two days a week , atm I’d say he’s doing good taking in anything I explain and has just started like boarding ceilings etc on his own , but the main good thing about us is we get on , if I have a bipolar moment it doesn’t matter and he is always on time and eager , tbh I agree with some of the points you have made but with more time I think he can be of great value to have in future so I’m gonna give it my best shot with him.When I analyse days we work together I think anything that didn’t go well is kinda my fault tbh as he’s only doing or learning what I tell him so I try to improve on things I’ve analysed from previous week to improve for both of us

@Rossi46 has had a few apprentice too .
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You will learn the hard way mate...

We've all been there...keep us posted to your thoughts in 6,12,18mnths time!!!
 
Any fella I trained up on the tools over the years always started labouring. As I explain to them some day they are going to need to be able to train up a labourer themselves.
As @Nicm pointed out though if you don't get them young enough there's not much chance in moulding them into what you want.
A good way I've found to knock the cockieness out of them when they think there far better than they actually are is to give them a small bit on price . Surprising how fast they realise after two or three days with feck all made :sorprendido3:.
Although saying that as I've got older my attitude is if it's not worth paying the labourer his few pounds and have a days wages for myself why the hell should I be killing myself doing two jobs just to save the customer a few pound :hueco:
 
I couldn't work alone ,no chance , not fit enough due to arthritis need the stuff brought to me all the time, once I go into the room that's been done I will only plaster ,no mixing,carrying or fetching
 
zombie said:
You will learn the hard way mate...

We've all been there...keep us posted to your thoughts in 6,12,18mnths time!!!
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I know what you saying mate , tbf we chatted on day one about a kind of target/plan to reach by next summer , tbh I’d expect him to do his own thing, at minute I cannot give him guarantee of fulltime work but have started to build up hopefully bit bigger jobs for next year already that I normally would not do, I hope he sticks out another year and then if he wanted to set up in his area I’d hope he’d be a good link for working together still if he needed help and vice versa.
 
I found the same problem, had someone for a little while, he could put a wall on but i had to do too much more to make it pay and all the extra quoting as we ate through the work faster. Always had to give his walls a last trowel to make sure they were ok as his corners, skirting line etc weren't always A1. Was a relief when he let me down
 
zombie said:
Would starve to death in South Yorkshire pal!!!
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Have a lad now,he can skim ,good at boarding ,very handy at lots of building stuff but not floating etc, but at £150 a day he needs to be decent , I don't make anything on him on daywork ,so hard to get anyone in London , spreads want £200 a day for a 3hr day with 2hr break
 
Lodan said:
I found the same problem, had someone for a little while, he could put a wall on but i had to do too much more to make it pay and all the extra quoting as we ate through the work faster. Always had to give his walls a last trowel to make sure they were ok as his corners, skirting line etc weren't always A1. Was a relief when he let me down
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How did @Vincey take it???
 
Lodan said:
I found the same problem, had someone for a little while, he could put a wall on but i had to do too much more to make it pay and all the extra quoting as we ate through the work faster. Always had to give his walls a last trowel to make sure they were ok as his corners, skirting line etc weren't always A1. Was a relief when he let me down
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The worse situation is when there really really nice lads and trying there very hardest but just total unaware of how crap they are...

There's just no where to go from with them...

At least when there lazy or do t give a f**k you can give them a rocket and hope they buck there ideas up!!!
 
John j said:
My lads ok as long as he.s skimming lol . Been ok and he.ll go do jobs for me on his own. Had enough work all year but he.s had to take a back seat over xmas . He dont mind as he makes a good wage. Though he started to get a bit over confident other week. Tossing it of while it was hanging . So I had to tell him he could be prepping next room . Little t**t started to think he could do what I do haha
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You can’t have him tossing himself off at work even if it’s in a cupboard
 
zombie said:
The worse situation is when there really really nice lads and trying there very hardest but just total unaware of how crap they are...

There's just no where to go from with them...

At least when there lazy or do t give a f**k you can give them a rocket and hope they buck there ideas up!!!
Click to expand...
To be fair he was a really nice lad and could skim ok but college didn't do any boarding or anything with him, used to cut boards the wrong way all the time. It wasn't his work though, I had him with me 2 separate times about a year apart both for a couple of months and both times drama in his personal life made him let me down. Couldn't do it when I was booking work based on 2 people, just drops you right in the s**t
 
johniosaif said:
Have a lad now,he can skim ,good at boarding ,very handy at lots of building stuff but not floating etc, but at £150 a day he needs to be decent , I don't make anything on him on daywork ,so hard to get anyone in London , spreads want £200 a day for a 3hr day with 2hr break
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I didn’t realise the hours were that long in London, think I shall stay in kent
 
johniosaif said:
Have a lad now,he can skim ,good at boarding ,very handy at lots of building stuff but not floating etc, but at £150 a day he needs to be decent , I don't make anything on him on daywork ,so hard to get anyone in London , spreads want £200 a day for a 3hr day with 2hr break
Click to expand...
:descansando:
 
we don't like working alone , always 2 plasterers together no labourers. we don't want any feckups and we want to cover our money, have the material mixed how we want it to be and be on our way home early afternoon.
 
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