How Yoru Company Pays for Rain Days??

[aquamtic]

Would like to get some feedback on how others handle employees pay
for rain days.

I have heard some of the following:
Full Paid
Paid but made up
Not Paid and made up

[Jpocket]

What i've observed around here, is if the ground isn't too saturated, and it's not POURING you send your guys out anyway.

If it's pouring I would emagine you send em out on saturday, and Sunday if you have commercials to do.

[MOOSE]

If it's raining too hard and isn't going to let up or stop. they get paid for 2 hours if they showup at the shop. On hot summer days if it starts raining we just mow in the rain.

[mtdman]

If we don't work that day, they don't get paid. I'm not paying someone to miss a day if we don't work. I make it clear that if there's a rainout and we aren't working, they go home or don't show up. If they want to make up the time later I'm flexible. I also try to head them off on rainy days and keep them from coming in, or if it's an iffy day that's going to be on and off I don't work them. I don't get paid for not working when it rains, I'm not paying them.

[DTE]

I understand that it is hard to pay employees if you don't get paid yourself, but how do you keep quality work if you can't ensure them a full week??

[JB1]

I understand that it is hard to pay employees if you don't get paid yourself, but how do you keep quality work if you can't ensure them a full week??

we might work 15 hours the next day or whatever we have to , to make it up.

[rodfather]

I understand that it is hard to pay employees if you don't get paid yourself, but how do you keep quality work if you can't ensure them a full week??

pay them well per hour like I do is how, laborers get 17.50 and foreman get 22.50 an hour

[PMLAWN]

I understand that it is hard to pay employees if you don't get paid yourself, but how do you keep quality work if you can't ensure them a full week??

They do get a full weeks worth of work, just not all in one chunk.
We try for a 4 day week at 10 hours a day. If we get stopped for any reason they go home and than we start up the next day where we left off. Our weeks worth of work still needs to get done.
I tell them when they start that we try for 4 days but that if it gets cut one day we go on Fri. They know to expect it.
We also cut in the rain till the ground becomes to soft. (we have red clay).
Last summer we only had to stop work and go home 2X's.
We also watch the weather and plan ahead and if we know something is coming we will push more before it gets here.

[tiedeman]

what I used to do for employees was provide them with a guarantee pay from March-the end of November. Basically, they were guaranteed 32hrs paid. Even if they only worked 20hrs, they were still paid 32hrs.

I did this to hang onto the employees, and also in circumstances like you stated with the rain

[J&R Landscaping]

[QUOTE=tiedeman]what I used to do for employees was provide them with a guarantee pay from March-the end of November. Basically, they were guaranteed 32hrs paid. Even if they only worked 20hrs, they were still paid 32hrs.

Do you have a way to balance yourself out or what? I don't know what your weather is like but if you get a few weeks or so of crappy rainy weather, do they have to make it up? Sounds like you could be losing money on that deal...If I understand it right!

I do my work by myself most of the time but I do have a helper with me. He is aware of the coditions and I try to be flexible with him. I won't have him come in unless its a bigger job or I get really backed up. Though he works pretty steady in the fall! payup

[tiedeman]

[QUOTE=tiedeman]what I used to do for employees was provide them with a guarantee pay from March-the end of November. Basically, they were guaranteed 32hrs paid. Even if they only worked 20hrs, they were still paid 32hrs.

Do you have a way to balance yourself out or what? I don't know what your weather is like but if you get a few weeks or so of crappy rainy weather, do they have to make it up? Sounds like you could be losing money on that deal...If I understand it right!

I do my work by myself most of the time but I do have a helper with me. He is aware of the coditions and I try to be flexible with him. I won't have him come in unless its a bigger job or I get really backed up. Though he works pretty steady in the fall! payup

Yes, you do lose money, I will admit that, BUT you are more likley to retain those employees and then not have to worry about training and hiring new ones. The most that I ever lost one year from paying an employee that was $1,200. I forgot to mention that only managers were paid this guarantee pay

[Tadams]

I only have one guy that works with me right now but if the irrigation side picks up I will add another one. I usually try to watch the weather channel and stay on top of it so we can get them done before it rains. If we do get caught in the rain, we try and work on the equipment then- change oil, sharpen blades, clean decks, wrap extra spools of trimmer line, sharpen chainsaws. We do real easy laid back stuff & take our time so he thinks that he is ridin the clock.

[tiedeman]

[QUOTE=tiedeman]what I used to do for employees was provide them with a guarantee pay from March-the end of November. Basically, they were guaranteed 32hrs paid. Even if they only worked 20hrs, they were still paid 32hrs.

Do you have a way to balance yourself out or what? I don't know what your weather is like but if you get a few weeks or so of crappy rainy weather, do they have to make it up? Sounds like you could be losing money on that deal...If I understand it right!

I do my work by myself most of the time but I do have a helper with me. He is aware of the coditions and I try to be flexible with him. I won't have him come in unless its a bigger job or I get really backed up. Though he works pretty steady in the fall! payup

Another thing that I should mention of what I used to do. If I knew he was getting close to around 30 to 32 hrs, I would try not to schedule any more work for him once he reached 32hrs. Sure you might look at it as being a jerk, but it was just a way that I did things

[mtdman]

I understand that it is hard to pay employees if you don't get paid yourself, but how do you keep quality work if you can't ensure them a full week??

As I said, I explain the volitile nature of the business, and explain they may have to work longer hours or makeup days if they want to get their full time in each week. I've got built in makeup days, usually on the weekends, incase of rain days during the week. If they want their time, they can work those days. If they don't like that setup, they can look elsewhere.

I also don't have any full time employees. Last season, my first as an employer, I had part timers that could work extra days if necessary. I think my strategy for a while will be to fill my hours with part timers. When I go with full timers, my plan is to have a part time employee with flexibility that could make up for rain days if the part timers didn't want to work.

I doubt I will ever gaurantee paid hours for full timers, ever. I did gaurantee the part timers at least 20 hours a week, but I had no problem filling that.

[proenterprises]

I occasionally help another company during busy months, we usually work 40 hours weekly. 4 (10) hour days. If we get a rain day, we work Friday, If we get one or more rain days, we work extra hours on the other days to make up, it all balances out in the end.

[Brianslawn]

the yards still need to be mowed when it quits raining and they still take same ammount of time to mow. they just get a day off and work later next couple days or on saturday to catch up. if chance for rain, we try and get extra done before it rains. simple as that.

[turtle]

pay them well per hour like I do is how, laborers get 17.50 and foreman get 22.50 an hour
Gee rodfather you pay your guys pretty well. I'm a superviser with close to 14 years experience and some education and I only get $13 an hour. Gee I realy feel like a fool.

[tiedeman]

Gee rodfather you pay your guys pretty well. I'm a superviser with close to 14 years experience and some education and I only get $13 an hour. Gee I realy feel like a fool.

that is why I am going to work for him next year :)

[PMLAWN]

that is why I am going to work for him next year :)

But are you going to plow snow for him???


How sure are you?:p

[topsites]

we might work 15 hours the next day or whatever we have to , to make it up.

I agree with you, thou I have no employees, I would pay for actual work only. Thing is, you go work 3-4 days from sunup to sundown, that's over a week's worth of pay right there... Not my fault if I pay someone 200 dollars and they blow it in 2 hours.

So to the other guys...
One might can get away with paying them regular during the rush AND the slow times thou I would think most won't tolerate that. As for me, I get paid salary throughout the year, the same amount every month whether I work, double-time, or not (but it's always the same amount, and that's where the tolerance factor comes in). See I don't care, it don't matter to me because I know about my bank balance and stuff... Something I just don't see employees 'getting.'

Far as who is going to put up with it, I think one needs the same take it or leave it attitude with employees as one has with customers.
Don't bend over backwards for them...
It is, after all, your business :)

[tiedeman]

But are you going to plow snow for him???


How sure are you?:p

If Rod paid me around $120 an hour, with his equipment of course, then I am about 99% sure:p

[cwlawley]

I have had part time helpers in the past they were paid for work done. If it rained, no one worked and no one made money. I am hopefully getting ready to add my first full-time person and I plan on making a schedule for that employee. They will get paid when the schedule is complete. they can ride it out all week or they can do it in four days. Either way, they make their schedule, I handle the jobs in between and we both get paid and keep our customers happy.

[rodfather]

Gee rodfather you pay your guys pretty well. I'm a superviser with close to 14 years experience and some education and I only get $13 an hour. Gee I realy feel like a fool.

IMO, you get what you pay for.

[GarPA]

Before you guys think Rod has lost what marbles he has left, find out what houses cost and apts rent for in his area. You will then likely come to the conclusion that his hourly rates are by no means too high. His area is considered in the "commute zone" for New York City, albeit a long commute.

Re: pay for rain days, I'm going to use a guaranteed minimum # of hours per employee per week and the paid hours guarantee will be different for part time versus full time. Yes they could quit and owe my money in a given week but keeping good people is I think the #1 headache in growing a company in this business we're in. I'll roll those dice

[rodfather]

but keeping good people is I think the #1 headache in growing a company in this business we're in. I'll roll those dice

exactly...and I know I still have some marbles left cause I can hear them rolling around once in a while lol

[PMLAWN]

exactly...and I know I still have some marbles left cause I can hear them rolling around once in a while lol
I am in the LCO business, I know i have lost all my marbles

[greenhorizon]

I agree it is very important to keep good help. Specially in south Florida, we cut year round. I pay if we work, with 5 guys on my crew its not peanuts. They know if it rains we later the following days until we catch up. We work 10 hour days 5 days a week in the summer and 8 hours a day in the winter. We have a schedule to keep and they know it. If it rains for a few days straight (as it sometimes dose), when it stops we work sun up to sun down Sat. and Sun. included until we are back on schedule. They are not worried about rain days because the work still needs to be done. If we finish in 8 hour a 10 hour day they get payed 10. They worry about me having enough work more than the rain outs. I pay them well and they are loyal. It is hard to find good people but when you find one try to keep him.