Plumbing Vacancy

[Killy Bing]

Why would you buy a van and tools to have someone work 16hrs per week?

I wouldn't get out of bed for £8 an hour, and anyone who works for that is a mug. You'll be sacking lads faster than you can find them the standard you'll get.

I'd rather deliver pizzas.

.............. Awkward

glase my handle on?

 

[TBServices]

Que? I'm only being honest.

£8 ph wouldn't be so bad with a contracted 40hr week, but not knowing whether you're bringing home £320 or £120 each week isn't fair.

 

[Killy Bing]

Tis a shame tb but when you start out you can't complain.
The two guys i do heating work for that works out at just £8phr but thats with my own tools and van
so even less than that at the end of the day!
it tends to be regular but not always so.

i haven't been with them one day this week and tomorrow i won't be either.
luckily I've had a few little silly jobs thats earned me enough money this week.

i would love to be on for more but I'm simply not fast enough to warrant that.

As for delivering pizzas.....thats even less! Trust me

kieren could happily turn work away and carry on as he is.

he's offering an opportunity as best he can.
kudos to him!

 

[REDSAW]

not taking the peas or anything, just a thought!!!!!

can i offer a job to someone for say..£10ph defender van, tools etc supplied min 16 hrs per week so i can stay in bed with my mobile, pen and paper for £30ph less tax?

just an idea!

 

[TBServices]

It's the state of things now. Ill stick with being my own man. It's hard work but the money is good. Dunno why everyone complains. If people won't pay your rates, you won't work for them, it's no great loss NOT working for tight gits. Work smarter, not harder.

My missus makes more than its possible to earn a full week on £8ph, working 3 days, and she's a trainee dental nurse. It's disgusting.

 

[tomplumb83]

£8.00 an hour is definitely not the going rate in this area. Unless things have changed from ten years ago. That's not to say you won't be able to get somebody decent, you never know. I'm from Grimsby which arguably has far less money floating about than Lincoln but I was paid nearly £12 as an apprentice plumber on the refinery. I left there in 2003 to work on new builds for a small local plumbing company. I was basically passing tools / helping out and even then I was on around £7.90 as an improver. This was JIB rates in 2003?? I was mortified when my boss told me I'd be on less than a tenner an hour!! But he paid me through my level 3 and I learnt abit so all wasn't lost. As a side note, when I was an 18 yo apprentice I was paid double time at weekends! I was on nearly £24 an hour for doing basically nothing. I think my tool box consisted of some medium Crescent grips and some large Crescent grips! How times have changed! I'm lucky to get that now. I know people in Lincs that will work for £80 a day so you may get somebody but I'd expect them to be called Jerzy or Tomasz without any formal qualifications

 

[pipefitter]

Wow ,I find this post incredible that a tradesman should be expected to work for £8 p/h ,I don't see that you could live on that sort of money.
Makes me laugh that employers expect top quality work ,lots of responsibility ,people skills all for £8 p/h .
Running a small job ,managing plasterer/sparks /customer/boss
Is it really that bad out there that people are doing this ?

 

[cr0ft]

Guys. As much as I like many of you I'm really amazed at how unprofessional some of you are acting. I've placed a job advert and a good chunk of you are basically belittling the wage being offered. If you don't like the wage, don't apply, it's that simple.

I really don't care tbh if people feel the wage is low, just don't apply for the job! There are currently job vacancies with large companies for qualified electricians AND plumbers at £20k pa (£10 per hour) so I am happy it is pitched right for our area.

To come on here spouting off when I'm genuinly trying to offer a job opportunity that will shortly be full time is pretty rude imo.

If anyone else thinks £12/ph is the going rate and they are disgusted with my offer then please place your own job advert and put your money where your mouth is. Otherwise, please let's discuss how much plumbers should earn off of my job ad if that's ok.

 

[Walis]

but I'd expect them to be called Jerzy or Tomasz

I am one of them and I would not work for £8/ph )

 

[tomplumb83]

Haha No disrespect to Walis, Jerzy or Tomasz intended. I'm sure all 3 of you carry out top notch work. Ma przyjemny dzień!

 

[PlumbersMate]

Hi all. I've been reviewing other ads on the Job Centre websites for my area for quite a while now. £8 is around the going rate unfortunately, circa £16k per annum for a domestic plumber.

£64 a day doesn't sound much, but add on 30% to cover on costs for employing someone and you are up to £83.20p. Vans aren't cheap to run either and I will need a second van to employ someone else now plus another set of tools and stock. Basically with the van I reckon it will cost me around £120 per day to employ someone. Clearly I want to make a decent cut on that too if I am going through all the hassle of investing my cash in a 2nd van, stock and tools!

£8/hr is a wage that I can pay on a consistent basis, I would much rather offer that than take someone on for £10-£12/hr and have to sack them because I can't afford them down the line.

The average wage in Lincolnshire is £15k per year sadly, it's not a particularly affluent county.

Around here I can easily get a labourer for minimum wage and there are no shortage of them. We all know that plumbing wages are hugely dependant on the area you are in which is why so many of us go to London for work.

Sadly there is no shortage of plumbers as we all know and wages seem to reflect that.

PS - I should add that gas engineers get much better wages here, around £13 per hour.

Should say mate fair play for doing it weren't having a pop at all

 

[village idiot]

A friend of mine has moved to Wales. Top quality plumber and gas engineer he is. Wife and second kid due in december. Since moving from London to Wales (his wife is from there and wanted to be close to her family?????), he is struggling for work and only does the occasional work. When the current Green Deal thingy started, he was given a life line to do as many installs as possible. He pleaded that I come and join him so we could make a ''killing''. I said NO, and thanks. So he is still struggling.
In situations like that, I can just see him taking up such an offer.

 

[basildog]

A friend of mine has moved to Wales. Top quality plumber and gas engineer he is. Wife and second kid due in december. Since moving from London to Wales (his wife is from there and wanted to be close to her family?????), he is struggling for work and only does the occasional work. When the current Green Deal thingy started, he was given a life line to do as many installs as possible. He pleaded that I come and join him so we could make a ''killing''. I said NO, and thanks. So he is still struggling.
In situations like that, I can just see him taking up such an offer.

I woud buy a van and travel the world ?
Fit a woodburner and off you go !
I am becoming a communist I am sure !

 

[REDSAW]

thread moved to plumbers arms as a closed topical discussion.

origional post remains and is closed for comment.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I am sure you will get the youngsters in for that sort of wages and I hope you can train them to behave in front of customers and do a. It of plumbing too .
Your area can not be that bad if you could charge a £200 for trainee a day ! I usuLly charge customers in London no more then £80 and pay the trainee £50 + breakfast and lunch !
Soon we are going to hit the recession really hard !!! All of you that are working save your wages and don't spend it !!!

 

[EPH]

Good luck in your expansion, it's a minefield. You'll get lots of helpful advice and put downs from others that have never taken the plunge and actually employed engineers. You're the one taking the risks, so you set the wage and live by it.

Theres 5 of us and I'm not sure the pros outweigh the cons but if anything it keeps you on your toes. I've found you pretty much have to charge double what you pay to cover wages, vehicles, uniform, training and the fact in a 40 hour a week you won't be getting 40 hours work.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I dont think its much different down in the devon was speaking to friend of mine other day and he said he only pays £80 a day for a plumber as they are easy to come buy .

 

[julesverne]

good luck Kieran

I also think you also have to make the disinction between Self employed and PAYE.

£8.00 hr for a newly qualified young plumber no responsibilities wouldn't be too bad on PAYE. kieran isnt paying £8.00 hr its all the other stuff on top holiday pay sick pay NI pension it all adds up and the hassle and paperwork. At the end of the day being self employed /business owners were here to make money profit ain't no dirty word.
i'm not ashamed to try and make as much money as i can in this game. i have to retire at some point(im 41 now with no decent pension) and i have a son who will be going to uni in 3 years time i want to do everything i can to help him. so the wage offered is £8.00 it doesnt make a difference if its £50.00 as a business man you will pay the going rate. we all get accustomed to our own living standards some plumbers out will work for £8.00 hr others wont(including me). if kieran cant get anyone £8.00 he will know what he has to do.

it aint disgusting its business thats life at the end day kierans taking all the risk not us. just my thoughts on this

 

[Toxic Ted]

good luck Kieran

I also think you also have to make the disinction between Self employed and PAYE.

£8.00 hr for a newly qualified young plumber no responsibilities wouldn't be too bad on PAYE. kieran isnt paying £8.00 hr its all the other stuff on top holiday pay sick pay NI pension it all adds up and the hassle and paperwork. At the end of the day being self employed /business owners were here to make money profit ain't no dirty word.
i'm not ashamed to try and make as much money as i can in this game. i have to retire at some point(im 41 now with no decent pension) and i have a son who will be going to uni in 3 years time i want to do everything i can to help him. so the wage offered is £8.00 it doesnt make a difference if its £50.00 as a business man you will pay the going rate. we all get accustomed to our own living standards some plumbers out will work for £8.00 hr others wont(including me). if kieran cant get anyone £8.00 he will know what he has to do.

it aint disgusting its business thats life at the end day kierans taking all the risk not us. just my thoughts on this

Well said jules

 

[tamz]

Paying a man 12/hr costs you around 17.50 + depending on your overheads which at a 200/day day rate (where the fk did this number come from) will still give you around a 30% profit margin.
It all depends on your outlook.
Becoming an employer for the first time is a big step for anyone so it is easier if you employ good staff which at £8/hr IMHO as an employer, isn't going to happen.

 

[erpkid]

Guys. As much as I like many of you I'm really amazed at how unprofessional some of you are acting. I've placed a job advert and a good chunk of you are basically belittling the wage being offered. If you don't like the wage, don't apply, it's that simple.

I really don't care tbh if people feel the wage is low, just don't apply for the job! There are currently job vacancies with large companies for qualified electricians AND plumbers at £20k pa (£10 per hour) so I am happy it is pitched right for our area.

To come on here spouting off when I'm genuinly trying to offer a job opportunity that will shortly be full time is pretty rude imo.

If anyone else thinks £12/ph is the going rate and they are disgusted with my offer then please place your own job advert and put your money where your mouth is. Otherwise, please let's discuss how much plumbers should earn off of my job ad if that's ok.

Well done on this. I am originally from Doncaster so not really that far away. My Dad who is still with us and lives there can get a days gardening/labouring done for 30 quid even though he always pays more. He reckons things are getting tougher no matter what the government tells us. It is OK for us to be underwhelmed by the rates but if we were younger and needed a leg up this would be brilliant and in the current climate exceptional.

 

[tamz]

It is OK for us to be underwhelmed by the rates but if we were younger and needed a leg up this would be brilliant and in the current climate exceptional.

Really??

I agree with the bit about the government spin but...........

 

[fogarty]

Just a thought. The hard bit is getting a foot in the door. If your any good you could always show that your bringing in extra money and ask your employer for a suitable pay rise . It works both ways. Some times you have to step back to move forward.

 

[jefaz]

He's getting one more eager person off the dole. A man who can feed his family and feel proud he's done a days work. I say fair play and good luck to you mate,you're giving someone an opportunity and some self esteem.
I would however say you may and that's may have quick staff turnaround as they may use you for an experience leg up.

 

[erpkid]

Really??

I agree with the bit about the government spin but...........

Yes the government as ever are selling us a line. We are in the affluent South east now and we are not considering taking anyone on although we are busy but have no confidence that we won't be sold down the line by some new "initiative". It may be different if you have a larger organisation and can afford to flex a little with people. I assume the OP is like us and so any commitment is exceptional. He can always up the rate if he finds a good un !