Employed electricians

[Sidewinder]

Just wondering whose responsibility you feel it would be to procure, pay for, etc. for wholly employed (PAYE) electricians for use in solely in their employers undertaking of the following:

Test equipment

Calibration of said test equipment

Training to keep up with the regs

Consumable materials

Consumable tooling, hacksaw blades, knife blades, drill bits, hole saws, etc.

Provision of any relevant documentation e.g. BS7671, OSG, GN3 etc. etc.

Can anyone else think of other possible areas of "conflict"?

 

[Evans Electric]

I'd say :-

Testers supplied by company, incld. calibration.

All consumables by company.

When an employee I never heard of any qualified sparks get any additional training on Regs or receive any publications .( Other than for apprentices)

 

[sellers]

Companies should pay for all of those things, the one i used to work for did!

 

[Apache]

Are they working alone and signing own certs? If so the training responsibility becomes yours as the employer.

As a Vet when I was employed I would expect all of the above to be provided and paid for by the employer. Although it wasn't done to me I know colleagues who have done expensive courses and have signed an agreement that if they leave within a certain time period they have to pay a proportion back.

 

[sparky b]

The Employer

Agreed!

 

[Evans Electric]

16th edition was night school for most guys as I remember.

When an employee we supplied our own overalls, boots and hand tools.

 

[Barx]

The employer 'should' provide most of this stuff. But in reality, does this happen. I know it doesn't in my employment. Boss pays for tester (I'm not convinced the calibration is real) mains drills, transformers and leads. 5.5mm sds bits and sds chisels. I have to use my own 18v cordless for which I have to buy drill bits and hole saws. I have to get my own blades for saws and knifes. All hand tools are my own of which I have to replace, even though they get worn out at work.

The stuff he does provide we have to fight for. I.e. there are 5 people working as rewire team. we have 2 mains drills, 2 leads and 2 trannies. We never have > 3 5.5mm bits in van. 1 spare set of chopping bits and 1 auger. So if your having a bad day and everything is snapping (as its cheap crap) then your screwed. So I generally buy extras myself to for the easy life.

 

[Sidewinder]

Evans,

It is illegal for an employer to ask an employee to provide boots & overalls now unless the employer has a DAMNED good reason for not doing it that will stand up in court!

 

[Barx]

Evans,It is illegal for an employer to ask an employee to provide boots & overalls now unless the employer has a DAMNED good reason for not doing it that will stand up in court!

Oh yeah. We have to provide our own boots and work clothes. Something tells me I'm getting a bad deal here

 

[wozz]

My old employer provided all of those, boots they would buy the crappest ones, if you wanted something a bit better you would put a bit of your money towards them. Exams, not that they apid for any for me, I believe they paid for one retake after that it was up to you to fund retakes. Only exception would be the books probably available in office but not in every van, but they were just on the end of the phone.

 

[Sidewinder]

Barx,

Look http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg174.pdf as a starter.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 20:30 ---------- Previous post was made at 20:28 ----------

There is now a statute law requirement to provide SUITABLE PPE, end of story.

If the PPE provided is not suitable for the employee, then the employer is committing a criminal offence.

If the cheap boots don't fit you correctly then your employer is breaking the law.

Trouble is, if you complain they sack you!

Yes?

 

[Sidewinder]

Well Canoe, I agree, but, try it for real and see where it gets you?

I suspect out of work.

Hence the thread, I am just curious how many of our members employers are actually acting illegally!

 

[Barx]

Barx,Look http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg174.pdf as a starter.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 20:30 ---------- Previous post was made at 20:28 ----------

There is now a statute law requirement to provide SUITABLE PPE, end of story.

If the PPE provided is not suitable for the employee, then the employer is committing a criminal offence.

If the cheap boots don't fit you correctly then your employer is breaking the law.

Trouble is, if you complain they sack you!

Yes?

I already know it is the law and so does he. At the moment I think if I forced him to provide said goods. Company would go under. Its on an hair line as it is. He wouldn't sack me as without me there would be no company anyway. I am the forefront and have run the work force for a few years now. In the past when company had some money in it. I asked him to pay half to boots and a pair of snickers (other brands seem to be too tight round the nuts)......... he refused. I have a lot of issues with this guy and would happily go work somewhere else given the chance.

 

[Evans Electric]

Evans,It is illegal for an employer to ask an employee to provide boots & overalls now unless the employer has a DAMNED good reason for not doing it that will stand up in court!

I'm talking about 25 years ago .

( Evans !....Evans !.... what happened to "Deke"? Did I upset someone or am I back at Birchfield Road Secondary School again?? :C )

 

[Sidewinder]

You know I mix you & thingamybob up!

 

[Evans Electric]

 

[wozz]

Barx,Look http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg174.pdf as a starter.

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 20:30 ---------- Previous post was made at 20:28 ----------

There is now a statute law requirement to provide SUITABLE PPE, end of story.

If the PPE provided is not suitable for the employee, then the employer is committing a criminal offence.

If the cheap boots don't fit you correctly then your employer is breaking the law.

Trouble is, if you complain they sack you!

Yes?

More like the boots looked like school shoes with steel toe caps, if you wanted riggers or something you had to put a bit more to it.

 

[Sidewinder]

wozz,

Your post highlights part of my point.

IF the best PPE for your job is Rigger boots, then regardless of the cost, or whether your employer likes it, or if they are above the value that they want to pay, they have no choice in the matter as it is a statute law duty.

 

[steptoe]

firm I worked for supplied you with boots, [cheapo ones mind] , polo shirt x3, hard hats/goggles/gloves etc,

consumables were an arguing match sometimes though so I simply put it to stores they either give me some hacksaw blades/stanley blades drill bits etc or give me a purchase order or when I get to job Im going to have to ring the office and tell them I cant do the job as I have no stuff.

reg books I think should be the indiviual, and the same with exams, unless the firm needs you to have a certain exam to do your job properly, ie, when I was made QS I needed to have 2382 17th so the firm put me through it, they also paid my IPAF etc, they needed me to have it for a particular job,

if you simply 'want' an exam then its down to you to pay it,

one firm I worked to many moons ago would pay for your time off if you paid for the exam.

 

[kerching]

When I was an employer I used to pay for everything.

In return my employees used to use my materials, transport, plant and consumables to carry out their 'foreigners'.

I do not employ them any more............... :coat