Do work off the books - Page 3 - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

Mr. Troubleshooter · 05-04-2012, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian john

I am loyal to my employees. I pay them top scale, top benefits, vacations, holidays, bonuses. They think they can do it on their own they are free to go, BUT if you are working for me and you pulled that, it would not be about the money, it would show you were an underhanded lowlife POS, and I do not employ POS's.

Sorry no disrespect to the good hearted contractors, as everyone is not a scum bag. If I worked for a guy like you, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you or your shop

brian john · 05-04-2012, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Troubleshooter

Wow!!! Am I wrong for being in it for the money??? I thought that was the reason and only reason that everyone went to work.. Give me another reason why i should go to work.

It really bugs me, try a different approach you might reap some good benefits.

**Speedy Petey** · 05-04-2012, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Troubleshooter

Wow!!! Am I wrong for being in it for the money??? I thought that was the reason and only reason that everyone went to work.. Give me another reason why i should go to work.

Well then you are completely two-faced for criticizing your boss for also being in it for the money. Especially while he is the one carrying ALL the risk.

Modern Castle Inc. · 05-04-2012, 09:35 PM

I was on a job once and the drywaller was doing the job as side work out of his company truck. The customer was not happy with his work, went outside called the number on the truck, asked for the owner and demanded that the problems be fixed. After all it was his truck sitting in her driveway. Learned a valuable lesson that day and now as an owner, if I was blindsided by a call like that I would bring your last paycheck right to the job as well as someone else to bring your old truck back to the shop......

Sparky J · 05-04-2012, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Troubleshooter

Wow!!! Am I wrong for being in it for the money??? I thought that was the reason and only reason that everyone went to work.. Give me another reason why i should go to work.

Instead of money maybe because you like doing the f ing work?

To me it sounds like that's where some of the "I don't give a f attitude" comes from maybe that's why your on the bench in the first place.
Just saying

handyandy · 05-04-2012, 10:31 PM

I do not do side work. Never have never will. Don't want the liability with no insurance. My fault or nobody fault you could be in deep s##t if some thing happened.Besides that I do not steal which taking work from your is stealing.

Zog · 05-04-2012, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Troubleshooter

Well from my previous experience, I have always gotten layed off do to lack of work. My point being, if the pie gets smaller, less mouths can be fead.

Ever think the lack of work had anything to do with you and your other "brothers" doing sidework?

617danny · 05-04-2012, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handyandy

This is for employees not owners. Any body ever went to a service call and the customer ask you to come back after your job to do a lot of extra work for cash.

This is how I started a customer base for my own business

OaklandElec · 05-05-2012, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handyandy

This is for employees not owners. Any body ever went to a service call and the customer ask you to come back after your job to do a lot of extra work for cash.

Yup, and I'm talking about large national contractors asking me to bring in my crew on the weekend and do the work for cash, behind the back of my boss (for change orders obviously). Happens all time, hell, happened 2 days ago. Do I do it? No, I like my job.

dronai · 05-05-2012, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OaklandElec

Yup, and I'm talking about large national contractors asking me to bring in my crew on the weekend and do the work for cash, behind the back of my boss (for change orders obviously). Happens all time, hell, happened 2 days ago. Do I do it? No, I like my job, and I have two college degrees

Fixed it for you

HARRY304E · 05-05-2012, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedlimit190

I'm a proud union member, and I see this attitude from time to time. Lack of work is an easy reason to get rid of Lack of Everything Else. Your contractor(s) choose to be union, and it's guys like you that make them second guess that decision. Our Brotherhood was not built or grown on selfishness. Luckily it's a small few that share your opinion.

Welcome to the forum.....

LightsOn81 · 05-05-2012, 12:24 AM

Doing side work for me thank God works out because I work for a commercial/industrial EC by day and all the side work I'm clocking is residential. Since they don't cross paths ive got no problem with it. I just make sure that me and my partner keep our day employer out of the customers mind just in case.

mattsilkwood · 05-05-2012, 12:30 AM

For the record I am an employee.

Quote:

Originally Posted by handyandy

This is for employees not owners. Any body ever went to a service call and the customer ask you to come back after your job to do a lot of extra work for cash.

This makes you a thief, nothing more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Troubleshooter

Listen do what you have to do. I'm so sick of these contractors asking everyone to be so "Loyal" to them. But who are they loyal to??? I'm in it for the money bottom line, and that's it. I have yet to meet a contractor that cared about my wife and kids. Once the money is gone, so am I.

Hone your skills and maybe one day you can get on with a quality shop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Troubleshooter

Well from my previous experience, I have always gotten layed off do to lack of work. My point being, if the pie gets smaller, less mouths can be fead. So with that being said, an employer is going to look out for his best interest. If anybody is going to starve, he is going to be the last to starve. Nothing wrong with that, but don't get mad, when I have the same attitude. At the end of the day, the reason you hired me is to make you money, once I'm not producing, I
on the bench

Typical union slug. (No offense to the IBEW guys that earn a check)
Spend a little more time working instead of telling stories about what the neighbors cat did this summer.

The entitlement mentallity just burns my ass. Your job is to make the company money on a project. If you are not doing this, you shouldn't be there period.
Every guy that I know with this attitude couldn't run an ice cream stand in Texas.

If you are so worried about what the contractor is making, quit being a tittie baby and start up your own shop.

Aussielec · 05-05-2012, 12:44 AM

I used to do quite a few PJ's using the gear out of the work ute... The only difference was that I would always run it by the boss first. Most of the time he wasn't phased as long as he could account for everything I used(They were only small job's btw). That said I would often stay back to work few extra hours some nights and not put it down timesheets or restock the company beer fridge every so often to say thankyou to him for the convenience of using his stock......

But if your doing PJ's and not telling anyone.....well that is just plain stealing....and when the s

t hit's the fan, I hope you get burnt bigtime...

HARRY304E · 05-05-2012, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattsilkwood

For the record I am an employee.

This makes you a thief, nothing more.

Hone your skills and maybe one day you can get on with a quality shop.

Typical union slug. (No offense to the IBEW guys that earn a check)
Spend a little more time working instead of telling stories about what the neighbors cat did this summer.

The entitlement mentallity just burns my ass. Your job is to make the company money on a project. If you are not doing this, you shouldn't be there period.
Every guy that I know with this attitude couldn't run an ice cream stand in Texas.

If you are so worried about what the contractor is making, quit being a tittie baby and start up your own shop.

Well said..

sparky970 · 05-05-2012, 02:31 AM

I respect the company I work enough to not even consider it. They treat me very well. Why would I want to burn that bridge?

Cujo · 05-05-2012, 10:14 AM

Would I? Never.

My company gave me a job when no one else would. They have found "work" for me to do when they could have just sent me home and said we will call you when more work picks up. They pay part of my benefit plan and have no problem giving me time off when I need it.

I'm sure there are better contractors out there, but there certainly are worse ones out there. As someone who aspires to own a business one day, I'm glad its only a select few who feel what the OP said was okay. Stealing work from your boss is no different then stealing time/ material.

Zog · 05-05-2012, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedlimit190

I'm a proud union member, and I see this attitude from time to time. Lack of work is an easy reason to get rid of Lack of Everything Else. Your contractor(s) choose to be union, and it's guys like you that make them second guess that decision. Our Brotherhood was not built or grown on selfishness. Luckily it's a small few that share your opinion.

Yep, but that small few is enough to give unions the bad rep they have. If they kicked more people out that should be they would have a lot more public support and therefore more power. Welcome to the forum.

Zog · 05-05-2012, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 617danny

This is how I started a customer base for my own business

So you not only stole the company money by doing off the clock work but you stole thier customer base too?

electrictim510 · 05-05-2012, 11:50 AM

I work as an employee, but also as a supervisor who makes sure this tye of thing doesn't happen. I get offers all the time. Every time I tell the owner the offer I was made. My boss takes care of me though. We do not tolerate this type of backstabbing it is a liability and an all around bad deal.

Honestly though; I can't blame guys who work for employers who only look out for themselves. They deserve the lack of loyalty snce they're not loyal to their employees.