Am I being too sensitive?? feeling a bit stressed.

[stratplus]

I love it mate.

I still reckon 60/70% of my work is servicing! which I don't mind as I find it quite relaxing.

The other 30/40% will be anything from breakdowns, which I'm slowly getting the hang of and some pipework jobs and rad installs, which is what I did most of my apprenticeship in so I'm pretty good on that already.

I can't complain really

Did you do much servicing before bg? Did you ever work for chn??

 

[villa_tom]

It sounds like you suffer from nice guy syndrome. Willing, understanding and not a money grabber, that's perfect for an employer who won't offer you more money when he thinks you won't bring it up either and cost himself more.

I've been there myself and judging by your previous posts you suffer a little from low self confidence in some areas of the job. (No offence)

You need to value yourself so that you can sell that value to your employer. Once you've realised you are good at what you do ( and I would say you sound like you are from the posts and very interested in doing it right) you'll have the confidence to open up the conversation.

I think the wage was fair but the hours aren't, so suggest invoice him for your extra hours, or agree a higher basic. Nothing to stop you looking for other work in the mean time.

good luck with it, sounds like your worth employing so if he's sensible he will be wiling to negotiate, if he's looking at the short term pound signs he won't budge on your wage and you'll know its time to move on.

Nice guy syndrome

sounds like what I used to have, when I first started out I used to say yes to any extra job or awkward job, mainly because I was young and too scared to say no.

It was only when I called the office one day and was taking to the chap on the phone, when overheard another girl in the office say "don't give that job to Colin, he will only moan, give it tom, he takes anything"

i got got off the phone and completed my next job and sent the next job back, as that would have taken me into overtime, which I never wanted anyway

from then on, I never took any **** off anyone and if anyone questioned anything, I would just let my safety record and my completed work quality do the taking

 

[Nostrum]

Spot on really. I'm fairly new to this type of work and it's the first time I have worked on a self employed basis so I kind of feel like I have let them dictate terms to me without questioning anything and have accepted it all.

I agree the wage is not totally unfair IF i'm working to my set hours and like you say i'm not a money grabber but now I know everybody is earning more for doing less it's got to the point where something needs to be said.

If they are not prepared to budge it will definitely be time to move on.

Thanks for your response.

I've known some pretty crap engineers get decent well paid jobs and wing it because they talk the talk, and the flip side is being good but not having confidence in yourself which immediately de-values yourself. The ideal combination is somewhere in between I guess??!

 

[villa_tom]

Did you do much servicing before bg? Did you ever work for chn??

I did three years on installs, then fell out a loft and battered my shoulder (it's ok now) and as I couldn't lift properly I went into serving and repairs. I did that for about a year then was made redundant.

After that I went to BG as a contractor and have been there nearly 4 years

i never worked for CHN mate, I don't know who they are

 

[hammers4spanner]

You can always do what I have done in the past beat your boss up with a telephone !

 

[Ermintrude]

Our new lads Are on that. They get everything provided . £10 per hour after first year which is 500 a week with a Saturday morning.

 

[armyash]

Our new lads Are on that. They get everything provided . £10 per hour after first year which is 500 a week with a Saturday morning.

Which is perfectly acceptable and I hope that it hasn't come across that i'm turning my nose up at the 340 a week that i get, it's doing how much i do while the others do less work but earn more that i have the biggest problem with along with the extra hours.

 

[helpsy]

Anyone know of any agencies for plumbers? Know loads for commercial catering but not plumbing.

Sub contract
Able Group
01702 429600
I've done alright out of them.
You'll need your certificates.
public liability of £5M

 

[stratplus]

I did three years on installs, then fell out a loft and battered my shoulder (it's ok now) and as I couldn't lift properly I went into serving and repairs. I did that for about a year then was made redundant.

After that I went to BG as a contractor and have been there nearly 4 years

i never worked for CHN mate, I don't know who they are

They were a Dudley based company. So how many services do bg give you a day?

 

[Ray Stafford]

Hi Ash

A couple of suggestions if I may?

Firstly, ask your boss for an appointment to discuss it. Explain that you know how busy he is, but that you would value 30 minutes of undisturbed time to discuss this important matter.

Secondly, completely forget what other people earn. This is all about you and the value that you bring to the firm.

Speaking as an employer, the moment any employee starts to talk to me about what their colleagues earn, I turn off completely. The prime reason is that I can't discuss it - what another employee earns is confidential to him/her, and I can't say things like "yep - you're right, it was a mistake to give Joe that payrise last year, because he really doesn't deserve it." When employees discuss pay they often don't differentiate between before/after tax, the effect of Working family tax credits, overtime and all sorts of other things so their beliefs are often wrong. But I can't break confidenitiality to put that error straight. I have employees that I think are over paid. We all make wrong judgements sometimes, and when an employer does that, since it is almost impossible to cut someones pay, the result is an overpaid employee. Assuming that they aren't terrible (just over paid) often the best solution is just to let inflation eat away at it over a few years.

Over paying an employee is an expensive mistake. But overpaying an entire workforce in order to maintain what people think are "correct" differentials in comparison to that overpaid employee is the road to bankrupcy.

In my experience, employees get very uptight if they think that something is "unfair". But I run a business to be profitable, not to conform to a third party's idea of what "fair".

Just my 2 pennoth.

 

[villa_tom]

They were a Dudley based company. So how many services do bg give you a day?

I don't have a set number mate. It all depends what appliances I have or if I have any breakdowns that day

 

[armyash]

Hi Ash

A couple of suggestions if I may?

Firstly, ask your boss for an appointment to discuss it. Explain that you know how busy he is, but that you would value 30 minutes of undisturbed time to discuss this important matter.

Secondly, completely forget what other people earn. This is all about you and the value that you bring to the firm.

Speaking as an employer, the moment any employee starts to talk to me about what their colleagues earn, I turn off completely. The prime reason is that I can't discuss it - what another employee earns is confidential to him/her, and I can't say things like "yep - you're right, it was a mistake to give Joe that payrise last year, because he really doesn't deserve it." When employees discuss pay they often don't differentiate between before/after tax, the effect of Working family tax credits, overtime and all sorts of other things so their beliefs are often wrong. But I can't break confidenitiality to put that error straight. I have employees that I think are over paid. We all make wrong judgements sometimes, and when an employer does that, since it is almost impossible to cut someones pay, the result is an overpaid employee. Assuming that they aren't terrible (just over paid) often the best solution is just to let inflation eat away at it over a few years.

Over paying an employee is an expensive mistake. But overpaying an entire workforce in order to maintain what people think are "correct" differentials in comparison to that overpaid employee is the road to bankrupcy.

In my experience, employees get very uptight if they think that something is "unfair". But I run a business to be profitable, not to conform to a third party's idea of what "fair".

Just my 2 pennoth.

Excellent info/advice thank you.

It's true I'm not exactly clued up on 'before tax' 'after tax' etc so I will put that stuff out of my mind. I will speak to them and see what agreement we can come to. I work hard like the rest of the guys on here seem to, you wont get far in the trade unless you work hard.

I will arrange a discussion with him for some point this week, I know I keep mentioning what the others earn but that's really because it's all I have to go on but I will now forget that and focus on what i do, what i bring to the company and what I feel is fair for the work and time i do.

I'm not after Pimlico wages, i'm not even after a hefty pay rise I just want to compromise enough so I don't feel so wound up.

 

[PlumbersMate]

Definitely think your first step that you need to agree on. Is extra money for the extra hours. Agree an hourly rate, and then just invoice by the hour I think this would be a fair compromise for both parties

 

[aligorgon]

why are you going back and asking for more work ... take a leaf out the other guys books

when you get a job ask how long you have for it.

most jobs they give you will have a quoted time against them say 4 hrs and your running around doing it in a hour... they will be loving it as they are getting 4 x thier moneys worth out of you.

where i work i get set hours ... 3 hrs for a commercial boiler service, 2 hrs for a gas test, 2hrs for a water heater etc ..

so for a boiler room with 3 boilers and a water heater in i will get 13 hrs to do it. i can do it in half a day and ring for more work but don't...

why because it only upset the apple cart and i have to get on with the guys i work with.



take a back seat and if you only get paid till 4.30 then don't work past it.

you are setting yourself up - if you bend over backwards once they will expect it all the time.

 

[Ermintrude]

Which is perfectly acceptable and I hope that it hasn't come across that i'm turning my nose up at the 340 a week that i get, it's doing how much i do while the others do less work but earn more that i have the biggest problem with along with the extra hours.

A very wise man told me never to worry or concern myself with what others are paid or earn. Only be concerned when I am not paid enough. It's the road to constant unhappiness. Don't discuss wages at work it's not worth it.

 

[armyash]

why are you going back and asking for more work ... take a leaf out the other guys books

when you get a job ask how long you have for it.

most jobs they give you will have a quoted time against them say 4 hrs and your running around doing it in a hour... they will be loving it as they are getting 4 x thier moneys worth out of you.

where i work i get set hours ... 3 hrs for a commercial boiler service, 2 hrs for a gas test, 2hrs for a water heater etc ..

so for a boiler room with 3 boilers and a water heater in i will get 13 hrs to do it. i can do it in half a day and ring for more work but don't...

why because it only upset the apple cart and i have to get on with the guys i work with.



take a back seat and if you only get paid till 4.30 then don't work past it.

you are setting yourself up - if you bend over backwards once they will expect it all the time.

Hi thanks for reply.

I think I have enough to go on for now. I will update later in the week.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Tell him you were in the army and are trained to bust his bum with a kick, i expect you'll be on an easy 30K after that

 

[Ermintrude]

Tell him you were in the army and are trained to take it up the bum with out so much as a kick, i expect you'll be on an easy 30K after that

Ian you made a few errors.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i think your selling your self short ash this is your future at some point youll only have what youve saved over the years to live on a tenner a day over your working life is going to make a big difference from what ive heard i think your confusing nice and fair with business always go for the money in this game no one will worry about you but you

 

[rocketmanbkk]

340 a week is what i take home, so yes £68.00 a day. 8.50 an hour i think. and this hourly rate drops as soon as im working past half 4. Wednesday i worked it to 6.80 an hour and there's been other days where it's worked out less than minimum wage.

£340 a week is ok'ish but dropping to £6.80 is basic wage. That's not enough for you as you've got experience.

My advice, start up on your own. You'll get some cash work, other bits, do what you want, quiet times & busy times, learn more and have good & bad days.

Only my thoughts

Good luck whatever you decide.

Where are you based?

Rct

 

[armyash]

Hi guys, just an update.

I spoke to my boss yesterday and he said he'd have a think and get back to me today or Tuesday. He came and met me on a job this afternoon and said he will give me an extra £10 a day. That's fine by me.

I enjoy working for the firm and they are all good guys. I have probably caused them hassle that they have kept quiet regarding call backs, not sure if that's a good thing or not as it would be good to know where I go wrong but could also smash my confidence lol.

I still have a lot to learn, it's hard to learn how to do something, take it all in and get the job done at a decent speed but that's my problem.

He has also offered me more hours or weekend work if I need the money. I have said I'll do every other Saturday starting in June as I have plans for most of this month, I would do every saturday but then that could cause friction at home plus also I have no family living around me so when ever I want to see anyone it usually means giving up a weekend.

All turned out ok, I'm not convinced he thinks I'm deserving of a pay rise but he agreed to it so I'm happy.

Thanks for all the replies, I doubt I would have asked if it wasn't for this thread.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

As long as your happy with it mate... don' sell yourself short, some folk will always take the **** if they think they can

 

[dave1]

Good on you ash, as long as you are happy with what you are earning now. Go back to him in 6 months and try again

 

[PlumbersMate]

Blinding news mate, in 6 months time, if he don't wanna up it again, you'll have the confidence to get out on your own. As said before start building your own client base and believe in yourself a bit more

 

[armyash]

I'm obviously lacking experience after only a year and a half doing it full time but I try and make up for it other ways.

I do lack confidence but another 6 months and i'll be past that.

 

[Masood]

Congratulations both on the rise, and the fact that your boss values you enough to agree to more pay. Do be careful with the extra hours, etc. Do the alternate Saturdays but try and cut back on the unpaid evenings. Your family need you too!

 

[mfgs]

Good news. If you are happy with your job and happy with the increase in pay, then its the perfect solution. When you feel its time to ask for another pay increase, which it will be in time as you are on quite low wages, then you will have the confidence to do so and not keep it inside and get all stressed about it.

As for working for yourself, it really isn't for everyone. I know everyone keeps going on about it, but maybe he is happy with a structured working life and no time wasters on the phone and doing quotes for people who never intend on using your services but just want free advice etc etc.