Growing pains

[stitcher_guy]

Shane, who works for me now, doesn't get paid hardly a pittance. I do what I can and his benefit package is that we sponsor his show car and I help him with upholstery needs free of charge (he buys material at my cost). But no medical, paid time off or anything. He never complains about the wage because he loves working in the shop and has fun doing his job. Wow, I'd go to work for someone at $35 an hour wage. Heavens.

Anyone who has ever worked for me has always had access to the shop for personal projects, even storage of their projects. But they also always understand that if they do it for pay then they have become the competition and they are gone.

[fingers]

I've always been an employee but maintained a shop at my house for over 20 years. Never once have I ever stole a job from my employer though a couple of customers did inquire. It flies in the face of common sense. There was one instance I violated a conflict of interest between employers and I suffered Catholic guilt of biblical proportions. Even my father told me not to sweat it. No employer suffered because of it and I got off easy but I never want to revisit that bad judgement again.

[RandyOnR3]

  The bad part about it , and I did let him go, as well as the couple doing our upholstery,
The next person will pay for the last ones falts..  He or She will have to EARN their stripes,  and i've had many come throu saying they are qualified to do the work only to find out they do shaddy work..
 I do need help but the next person wont be a canves person, only a helper and we'll start him or her out sweeping floors and cutting material.. and at minamum wage..
  We'll farm out our upholstery work if need be.
 and my Son came in yesterday and said something profound-- he said while looking for an employee just remember, "you're fishing from a pond of unemployed people"..  Think about it.


   Even thou this thread was started as somewhat of a "Rant" it has shown a difference between employer and employee, what they think and what is expected..  Thanks

[sofadoc]

Just about everything that can be said regarding this topic has been said.

Randy:  Bobbin, Fingers, and Peppy are rare exceptions. There certainly isn't enough of people like them to go around. I don't think you're going to find the kind of employees that you're looking for. Unless their name is on the sign outside, they don't care. And over-paying them isn't going to make them care.
Again, with few notable exceptions, "If they were any good, they'd already have their own shop".
That's why I just do what I can do with my 2 hands, and then go home everyday.
If you don't mind sharing, how did the canvas guy take it?

[RandyOnR3]

Just about everything that can be said regarding this topic has been said.

If you don't mind sharing, how did the canvas guy take it?

I kinda figured I'd leave that one alone until someone asked..
A couple things odd have happened over the last week to make our minds up..
a week or so ago he was sent out to install a cockpit cover on a boat.. took a couple hours at the end of the day and because he was using his own truck and doing it on the way home, I gave him cash for gas and sent him on his way.. it wasnt until monday morning (a week later) after the customer got the bill that I got a call about the cover..  the cover had never been installed.. and was still in his truck.
Monday morning  I went out to inspect the inclosure he was working on, and found areas where he had set a snap and later pulled the snap and put it in  a half inch off leaving a hole in the material.. dont know what he was thinking but was unacceptable..
  I came back to the shop and opened his work box and found a box ov 1000 snaps both male and female along with a fe bags of other items pulled from our inventory..
Now back to your question,
  he walked in on tuestay morning, both my wife and I were at our desks having coffee and I told him that I was sorry but we had made the decision to let him go..
Odd thing, he smiled said OK,  walked over , picked up his stuff and walked out the door..  no questions, no "I'm sorry", nothing..
Later that day the wife informed me that he owed us almost 800 in advances he had made.. dont think I'll ever see that money again..