is it just me? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

PipeGuy · 01-12-2006, 10:09 AM

A guy works two years for a company (104 weeks) without interruption at an average wage of $15.00 an hour with a typical 40 hour work week. Is it reasonable to think he should have $700 to replace the clutch in his car or am I getting out of touch with 'real world' issues?

**ProWallGuy** · 01-12-2006, 10:32 AM

Reasonable, hell yeah. But some people just don't understand how or why to budget their money. Loan him the cash at a low interest rate.
I assume this cross-posts with your credit help/resource thread?

AAPaint · 01-12-2006, 10:36 AM

He makes about $600/wk before taxes....prolly takes home about $475/week. That employees rent probably takes up at least the first weeks pay for each month, which would be cheap around here. Other bills probably take up another whole check....Then he has to eat, and or feed his family. There goes at least another whole check for the month. The guy probably has a few hundred dollars worth of extra money every month. You know how hard it is to work all month long to have a few extra bills, because everyone else has to get paid off the top. Unless he's single and lives with his parents....I would say he is probably not far beyond just making ends meet...

Humble Abode · 01-12-2006, 10:42 AM

I agree with AA. $15 an hour isn't as much as it sounds like. It works out to about $20-$24K a year.

CGofMP · 01-12-2006, 10:45 AM

I agree with AApaint.

Real life tends to throw hardballs at folks and yes, in reality, most people do not know how to budget. The average American is constantly in debt to the credit card companies, lives beyond his means, and keeps getting sold on the idea that he needs a bigscreen or spinner wheels.

The last ones he can certainly ignore, but the truth of the matter is that 700 bucks is a pretty good chunk of money for most workin folks.

PipeGuy · 01-12-2006, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CGofMP

...the truth of the matter is that 700 bucks is a pretty good chunk of money for most workin folks.

I agree that $700 is a big piece of change. It's sad though, and frankly more than a bit frustrating, that so many young guys in construction (and some not so young) can't manage to keep even 1.12% of their gross income on hand in cash. To use the $475 / week take-home scenario, $7.84 a week is less than 2% of net pay.

Blackhawk · 01-12-2006, 11:26 AM

if he is a good employee id do it .. nothin like a boss thats cares

A+Carpenter · 01-12-2006, 11:32 AM

Loan him the money, take it out of his checks on agreement .

PipeGuy · 01-12-2006, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamMeider

Loan him the money, take it out of his checks

Not an option I'll consider. Banks and VISA's are pro's at it - not me.

Brian · 01-12-2006, 04:18 PM

I made a deal with my banker. He won't paint houses and I won't lend money.

I've lent money to employees in the past, and they always had a reason that they couldn't make a payment. And once I had done it for one employee, it became hard to say no to another. After a while it was creating some real problems.

I don't think it's a good idea.

Brian Phillips

Glasshousebltr · 01-12-2006, 04:30 PM

Hand it out, rake it in, If he's pulling his weight, I'd loan the cash. I couldn't count how many maggots I've shelled out to, or bonded out of jail, which seems to be a running issue now a days, I think the gov is a little fine happy.

Bob

K2 · 01-12-2006, 05:10 PM

The price of cigarettes and beer it's hard for some guys to keep up. If they add a little weed and some recreational toot they can go through 3 or 4 hundred before they get to the groceries. That was my guys anyway. It didn't really matter how much they made it was gone. I don't miss running help. I think it might have gotten worse too.

RobertCDF · 01-12-2006, 06:19 PM

Rob you beat me to it. I was going to say the exact same thing. When I was working on a crew at $11 and hour I felt sorry for some of the other guys who could not make ends meet. Some of them made more than me but they also make choices to smoke, drink, smoke weed. I was making less than them had more debt than them and had a higher rent than them and bought my wife an almost brand new car. But I never once called my boss and asked for a raise or a loan. I stoped feeling sorry for them they make those choices if they stopped doing those things they and saved that money at the end of the year I think it would suprise them.

Peladu · 01-13-2006, 04:51 PM

I think that there is not enough information for me to give you a good enough answer. Now, let me tell you why; Everybody situation is different.

Employee Exhibit A.
Shows for work, either late or exactly on the starting time. Never willing to work OT. Brings more drama than daytime TV. Just the average worker, doesn’t stand out. Tend to hear stories of him partying. Guy who borrows more tools than he ownes (even after 12+ months of employment). Others have a hard time working with him without arguing. Often has a crisis that requires him to miss a day (Note: Often). Appears unkempt in front of your customers/clients. Foul language at the most inappropriate times (around client). Always need to be told what to do. Always bumming either a cigarette or a dollar to buy something to eat. I could go on, but I wont.

Employee exhibit B.
Shows for work ten to fifteen minutes early. You know that in a pinch, he would show. Is more of the leader type and able to keep others in-check. You know he has goals and seems to be working on them. You cant remember the last time he called in sick. Knows when it’s the right time to answer client questions and when it should be turned over to you. Is more polite to the client than he is to you. When an issue does arise on the job, he’s telling you how he dealt with it, and you tend to agree with the resolution..

Now Emloyee Exibit A, would not get a dime from me, or even a dollor to get something to eat.

But even if I had a written policy that said that the company doesn’t borrow employees money, I would help Employee Exibit B out the best I could. Even more so if he had kids that depended on him. The happier a worker is with the company, the better of a worker he is. I’ve seen it for too long to believe it otherwise.

I am unable to answer your post but instead I tried to explain what I would do.

But, If anyone has an extra Employee B, please send him to Chicago, I’ll be waiting.

**slickshift** · 01-13-2006, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PipeGuy

A guy works two years for a company (104 weeks) without interruption at an average wage of $15.00 an hour with a typical 40 hour work week. Is it reasonable to think he should have $700 to replace the clutch in his car or am I getting out of touch with 'real world' issues?

Yeah he should budget for those things, but the other guys have a point about wages
Up here the register ringers get 11 to start
Unskilled factory labor gets 15 to start
A crappy apt. is a grand a month

For your area I don't know if 15 is good and he's blowing it all at the bar/crackhouse on the weekend, or 15 just isn't enough to make it

furbis · 01-13-2006, 07:58 PM

I quit loaning money to the help a long time ago, once you start it becomes an every couple month thing, and I am not a bank and don't like getting stuck for the money when the guy decides to take off and work somewhere else.

I know it can be tough if the guy is a good worker but if your a good boss and pay well for your area he will find a way to get a clutch put in and make it to work. you might consider giving him a ride until he gets his car fixed, I have done that before.

logical · 01-14-2006, 06:40 AM

I'm wondering how a guy can be steadily employed and not have the ability to have a credit card to deal with an unexpected bill like this.

IHI · 01-14-2006, 08:05 AM

Everybodies situation is different and none of us out of the loop can even try to look in on this case and make judgement, heck everyone of us has been in a tight spot once or twice and asking for help is definately not great for pride, but pride can also hurt you.

I have a few buddies that are single, make average $13/hr which is high end on the wage scale for this area and after deduction it does'nt come out to much net, typically it takes 2 entire checks to make house payment and then budgeting real tight to pay bills for each month and hope nothing breaks or suprises you or your in trouble...have some of you reall lost that much in terms of reality since you've been on your own soo long making better than average cashflow??? I'll never ever forget my roots, who I am and how i got here. I lent money to friends more time thatn I care to count and also to family...I've fronted employee's money to get them by and just deduct it from the next check with a small lecture about dont let this become a habit.

There are those that will take advantage of it, and you will know which guys those are, but for the most part if the guy is a good worker for you and makes you money...help him out. I have'nt owned a credit card for years, and I dont do loans...except on house, everything I do is cash and ther are quite a few guys in the same boat that dont want/need the hassle with loans, so expecting him to get a loan/credit is ridiculous...I'll go without before ever taking a loan on something.

Every situation is different, but your the one with the money. If you wanna help-help, if not dont. but just know as everything continues to rise cost wise, that $15 is'nt going as far as it would've 5 years ago.

PipeGuy · 01-14-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logical

I'm wondering how a guy can be steadily employed and not have the ability to have a credit card to deal with an unexpected bill like this.

Amen.

Glasshousebltr · 01-14-2006, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logical

I'm wondering how a guy can be steadily employed and not have the ability to have a credit card to deal with an unexpected bill like this.

Wonder no longer oh sheep of bethlehem.......it's called divorce.

Bob