Timescales and finishing jobs

[Tony Soprano]

Just wanted to get some opinions on this really. I’m in a situation where a job comes towards the end  and it requires a certain amount of time to get it over the line, make sure the test sheets and as fitted drawings are spot on, finish all the practical work etc. In this scenario there never seems to be enough time to do everything and when I bring this up with management it’s like it fall on deaf ears. Plus your sent on your own. I told them that paperwork still needed finishing but All they want to do is get you on the next job before your even finished at the job your on. Then the next thing you get a call to say “ I need your paperwork”. But I still haven’t been sent back to finish it . Has anyone else had this issue. I know some of you will have had this problem. How do you approach it? How do we make them understand that we need longer? I’m not the quickest spark out there but I do a very good job. I’m very conciencous. I have lots of experience but I feel that I’m lacking in my approach with management. I’m talking about in terms of getting my point across. I’m not stern enough with them I don’t think. I need to get to grips with this because it’s making me unhappy with doing this job and starting to make me hate the trade. It’s also made me think about getting out altogether. I just want to do a good job without snags. But time is always against us nowadays. Any advice would be appreciated. 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The problem with this question is...….

None of us know exactly who you are or what issues or problems there are with your workload/employers...

It is possible that your employers are spot on with what they expect from you and you are just too slow to meet their expectations...

OR 

It may also be true that they are just rip-off merchants trying to get something for nothing out of everyone....  

Whatever your employers are like you have got to remember the ground rules of business hierarchy and authority...

i.e..  "THE PERSON WHO PAYS THE WAGES CALLS THE SHOTS!" 

If your employers want to provide a low standard poor quality job quickly for their customers then that is what you are employed to do!

If they want quality and high standards then they will not generally expect speed. 

Now lets say that your perception is correct regarding quality and speed, if you want to complain to the powers that be,  then put your concerns in writing,

no good just talking about it.

BUT... it is also possible that putting something in writing will make a rod for your back and you will be victimised even more... 

if those who call the shots don't agree with your opinions..!

You need to seriously consider.....

1]  Are you 100% confident that it is impossible to complete the assigned work any quicker?  Yes/No

2]  Are you an extremely valuable, hard to replace asset to the company?  Yes/No

3]  Is it extremely important that you keep earning your current wage or can you afford to have no income for a period of time?  Yes/No

Dependant upon the answers to these questions....

you will probably have a better idea about whether it is worth complaining or keeping quiet and just getting on with it until you can find alternative employment.

Guinness

 

[Tony S]

What is it you want out of your job? From your last thread it’s obvious you want the money but will you accept the responsibility that goes with it?

At the end of the day, if you want the money you have to put the work in or look else where. As a hint, it’s easier to find a new job if you’re currently employed.

I’ll just add something else on the maintenance side. I married just after I came out of my time and was due to start on shifts just after our honeymoon. Before we married I warned my wife to be “don’t expect me to be home at the end of the shift, if there’s a breakdown, I’m in there for the duration”.

 

[Tony Soprano]

I’m already putting in all the effort that I can. Everyone on the firm is pushed. We have all spoke about it and we all agree. There’s simply not enough time to do everything. This is due to problems on site, labour or timescales being cut short. I am 100% sure that I can’t work any quicker. And I know I have enough experience to know that these jobs need more time to complete.

 

[Tony Soprano]

What is it you want out of your job? From your last thread it’s obvious you want the money but will you accept the responsibility that goes with it?

 

I have no issues with responsibility. But tasks take as long as they take to complete. 

 

[binky]

get job done, but tell management it still needs testing?  You need to throw the ball back into their court in a legally binding way, ie by email or some other written documentation. Ideally you all nedd to do this otherwise it will look like you are the problem.

 

[Tony Soprano]

get job done, but tell management it still needs testing?  You need to throw the ball back into their court in a legally binding way, ie by email or some other written documentation. Ideally you all nedd to do this otherwise it will look like you are the problem.

This is a good point And I totally agree. We don’t get board squedules to work with, no elevation drawings. Nothing in writing. It’s all a phone conversation. We are going in blind and therefore are not covered for comebacks. They could say do it one way, realise it’s wrong then tell you they didn’t tell you to do it and your screwed. Nothing in writing to cover you. I will just start putting every little detail in an email from now on. They shouldn’t be sending us to other jobs until the job is 100% done. 

 

[Sharpend]

Sorry Tony are you direct or subbie?

 

[Evans Electric]

I was wondering that  too. 

 

[Tony Soprano]

Sorry Tony are you direct or subbie?

Direct mate

 

[Sharpend]

So that’s a little harder to achieve a change as they will see you as purely a number and easily replaceable. 

Any action you should take would come back and bite you, I’d advise that you look for a new job in this instance. 

 

[Tony Soprano]

Never been a subby. Always been on books. 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

This is a good point And I totally agree. We don’t get board squedules to work with, no elevation drawings. Nothing in writing. It’s all a phone conversation. We are going in blind and therefore are not covered for comebacks. They could say do it one way, realise it’s wrong then tell you they didn’t tell you to do it and your screwed. Nothing in writing to cover you. I will just start putting every little detail in an email from now on. They shouldn’t be sending us to other jobs until the job is 100% done. 

From what you say its sounds to me like your working for a business that isn't doing as well as it pretends to be....

Maybe not quite "rip-off merchants trying to get something for nothing out of everyone"....

More a struggling business trying to make savings by squeezing more out of its workers and cutting corners to save time on jobs....

A company with high standards, good reputation, no cashflow or loss of profits issues, would typically never risk tarnishing their image....

But when things get tight and a bit of a struggle that's when they start increasing pressure on the thumbscrews...

and omitting a few bits out of the process here and there, if they think they can get away with it...

As I said earlier... It is still the person paying the wages who calls the shots...

and if they want to, (or need to), make cuts and savings.. they will do it...  as it is their shot to call!

You may be 100% justified in your complaints....

But verbal counts for nothing..  they can just brush it off as an employee just having a bit of  a moan!

Formal complaints in writing are harder to ignore.....

However.....

If they are actually struggling financially whatever you say or do verbally or in writing will not be acted upon as they lack the resources to do anything!

You only have to read the business news of the past few years.. 

it is littered with companies from all sectors who have gone to the wall as they weren't quite a profitable as everyone thought....

Employees of these sorts of companies could moaning and complain as much as they liked to no avail!

You need to do a bit more in-depth research into the actual financial stability of your employer...

see if it is worth kicking up a fuss or not..

You may be just wasting your time.

Guinness

 

[Tony Soprano]

You need to do a bit more in-depth research into the actual financial stability of your employer...

see if it is worth kicking up a fuss or not..

In my experience all companies are the same. They want as much out of you as possible and want to pay you as little as possible. It’s never been any different. I think I just need to try and get my head down and get on with it until next year. They have lots of work coming up so I doubt they are in money trouble. I think it’s just a case of not enough blokes. 

 

[Evans Electric]

They have lots of work coming up so I doubt they are in money trouble. I think it’s just a case of not enough blokes. 

Well that speaks volumes Tony .

Carrillion had loads of work I believe ,   means nothing ,   it has to be profitable ,   not finishing jobs usually results in final cheques held back  causing cash flow problems & poor reputations .

It sounds like squeezing the labour force until the pips squeak .  Its sounds like poor management skills also and lettuced supervision .   

What is the ratio of management to workers  by the way ?  

Does your firm rhyme with "Dukes" by any chance ?    

Firms in our trade need the workforce on their side ,not  just moved about like  pawns on a chess board .       Its like the football analogy when they say  " The manager has lost the dressing room"    I other words  the manager is a useless *******   , the players don't respect him ,  ergo  they don't play their best .  

A firm I worked lost most of the work force by one false move from the supervisor.      Group of us working away in Cardiff at the Freightliner  Depot ,   they send a message , " Can you all get back to Brum  Monday for two weeks on a new build school  first fix  or we're in trouble "   

We worked all day Saturday ..straight through the night ..all Sunday ,  load of work  finishing , packing away , get all the tools on to three vans ....get back to Brum , to bed about 11.30pm  .   Everyone staggers in at this school building site  ,  half asleep , knackered , at varying times , all six of us  arriving after 9.00  .......   and the supervisor in his wisdom decides to dock  everyone's pay  accordingly .     Big mistake . 

By saving a couple of quid per man  he  succeeded in alienating his troops  , his team , his players  if you like .   He gave a speech along the lines of  " You'll all have to get your fingers out because this job is so far behind we 'll be on penalty clauses "      So we made a start by beggering off to the cafe .   

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

In my experience all companies are the same. They want as much out of you as possible and want to pay you as little as possible. It’s never been any different. I think I just need to try and get my head down and get on with it until next year. They have lots of work coming up so I doubt they are in money trouble. I think it’s just a case of not enough blokes. 

Work coming up means nothing.... 

Any fool can go out and promise customers the earth without pricing a job correctly..

I could have a massive order book of promised work...

But can't actually do the work because, of time, resources, credit/cash to get the materials in the first place etc..  

Cashflow is the big killer of thousands of companies with full order-books...

But little or no cash-in-the-bank, so find themselves struggling if one or two contracts have delays in the payment coming through. 

And when the banks start pulling the plug on loans / overdrafts etc..

More often than not its the top dogs in the board-room bleeding it dry with big bonuses flash motors and all the other perks... 

Very few companies ever publish or claim to have a small order-book and little or no cash-in-the-bank...

especially if they are actively trying to win new customers and contracts..

It is only when it all goes pear shaped that a bit of digging reveals the true state of the accounts...

:C

 

[Blue Duck]

@Tony Soprano

Sounds like your working for the same firm as me! :lol:

I guess they're all the same In the commercial game, 'just get it done' seems to be the motto, no pride or care taken, just lash it in and hope for the best.

That and all the chancers who have been in the job for 20 years and don't know the difference between an mcb and an RCD, it's all the same innit!? 

You want less pressure then I guess it's time to hang up your black hat and just stay on the tools until you find something different.

 

[Tony Soprano]

You want less pressure then I guess it's time to hang up your black hat and just stay on the tools until you find something different.

It’s more the pidgeon-poop that comes with it. And I would be in less money if I did hang up the black hat. I’ve worked on some big jobs and have a lot of experience. If certain things improved then I feel that the jobs would progress a lot quicker. But half the time we don’t get the info we need until the last week. Then it’s all hands on deck.

Does your firm rhyme with "Dukes" by any chance ?    

 

Lol no mate. But I’m fully aware of who your referring to lol

 

[Tony Soprano]

Sounds like your working for the same firm as me! :lol: 

I guess they're all the same In the commercial game, 'just get it done' seems to be the motto, no pride or care taken, just lash it in and hope for the best.

Yes it is like this everywhere now mate. I’ve been doing this job 18 years now and it’s getting worse every year. And the extra pound an hour you get for being a black hat ain’t worth the hassle. 

 

[Evans Electric]

More often than not its the top dogs in the board-room bleeding it dry with big bonuses flash motors and all the other perks... 

Very true .       Brummie saying :     New curtains ..no knickers !