how much do you pay your employees?

[david griggs]

were considering hiring someone to do all the trimming and edging, while we ride our ZTRs.

[kerr lawn]

start at 7, pay 8 plus nextel phone bill monthly, and i have paid 10 but they know something and drive. this is all hourly.
bryan

[wolfpacklawn]

usually start at 8 and have paid as much as $10.50.

[Turf Technologies]

Why do they need a nextel if there just edging and trimming?

[ohiolawnguy]

i think your thinking is backwards. you need someone to ride your ZTR's while you trim and edge, and spray weeds.

in my opinion (of course this is just my opinion) anyone can mow the grass. but, it is the little things done properly which the customer is hiring you to do.

I have been in this business for 13 years(employee), and our 3 ZTR's we have owned have put in over 4000 hours. of those 4000 hours, i have rode on them for maybe 400-500 hours. about 80-100 hours a year for the past five years.(we ran walk behinds only prior to that)

[P&J Lawncare]

$12,$10,$9 and $8 for the new guys, I give one dollar raises every year and bonuses through out the year.

[SLS]

I've been thinking along these same lines (hiring a helper).

I have wondered though...what the heck do you do with them in the winter??? "Helper mothballs"???

If you don't have enough snow to plow and the green growth is dormant for 3 or 4 months what in the heck do you do with 'em???

I know that there are mulchbeds, cleanups, and such but still we have about 2 months of "nothingness" here.

[kerr lawn]

sackedbysapp- my guy that has the nextel right now is my go to man. He can edge, mulch, trim bushes better than me. I can leave him some where and i know what the quality will be, abs nothing but the best. So i feel as though it is good money spent.
peace
bryan

[swn]

Start out at $7 an hour.
I think that Ohiolawnguy is right about us doing the little things. I have never found anyone that can weedeat the way that I would like. I did this last year, but this year I have 2 new guys so I do most of the riding now.

[roymcneese]

I THINK THE MORE YOU PAY UP FRONT THE LESS QUALITY YOU GET:blob2:

[Scotlawncare]

Originally posted by roymcneese
I THINK THE MORE YOU PAY UP FRONT THE LESS QUALITY YOU GET:blob2:

I agree 100%. I have experienced that for the last 2 years. BUT NO MORE.

Scot

[Got Grass?]

Over the winter...

Depends on who you know. If you mow any business ask them if thay need any extra christmas help doing stock, deliveries, etc...

Great way to help out both your employes & customers.

[Cutting_Edge_Lawns]

I do this part-time, about 15-20 hrs a week, around another full-time job, but I hired my first employee last month. I pay him 7.50/hr, ends up costing about 8.50/hr w/ all payroll considerations- WC, Medicare, SS, OESC, etc. Although I manage a staff of ten at my other job, I am finding it difficult to keep my employee busy, as one of us always finishes our task first. I am going to have to buy a second trimmer & WB so we can better utilize our time!! So far, having an employee has meant more business, enough so that we may be adding another. I am currently adding a lawn every week to two weeks, through customer referrals. I am pleased with the growth, but am concerned I will not be able to keep up with demands if employee quits...... Don't want to get too dependant on their assistance.....

Anybody else dealing w/ these growing pains?

Shawn

[darryl gesner]

I don't have any employees, but in my area you wouldn't find anyone worth hiring for $7/hr. Most of the guys around here start at about $10/hr without experience and $12 to $15 with experience. $15 would be for a foreman.

[The Lawn Choupique]

At $7 and a half a hour why would an employee go anywhere else? It seems at them big bucks your employee's would greatfull to be working for you. That's what is great about this industry, the high pay a hard working stiff can expect to be paid by a lawn maintenance company. I would not walk around the block for $7.50 per hour. Let me know how your employee's make out paying there mortgage, medical insurance, car notes, funding there 401k's and paying for their kid's college on $7.50 an hour.

[motodude]

Insurance, 401K, college? What planet are you from buddy?

[darryl gesner]

What? A 401K? No pension?:D

[The Lawn Choupique]

All them eyes in the sky in the quick stops are not there to keep a eye on the customer. They are there to watch the $9 a hour clerk. Pay a man $8 an hour and you just GOT to know that they will have to make up the difference some how. Just do the math.

[Cutting_Edge_Lawns]

Originally posted by The Lawn Choupique
At $7 and a half a hour why would an employee go anywhere else? It seems at them big bucks your employee's would greatfull to be working for you. That's what is great about this industry, the high pay a hard working stiff can expect to be paid by a lawn maintenance company. I would not walk around the block for $7.50 per hour. Let me know how your employee's make out paying there mortgage, medical insurance, car notes, funding there 401k's and paying for their kid's college on $7.50 an hour.

I would like to make two important points here-
(1) I did not go looking for an employee, he came looking for me, he lives at one of the apartment complexes that I service.

(2) I asked him what his pay expectations were, he indicated that he would like to make at least $7hr, I told we would start him out at $7.50, and after 30 days of employment we would re- evaluate. He has worked for me for two weeks so far, and seems dependable and works hard.

I can afford to pay him up to $12 an hour if he is a really hard worker, somewhere in between or not keep him if he ends up being a slacker. If I give him everything I can right up front, it would be difficult to give him increases in the future. If I am going about this the wrong way, I am willing to learn, but I am new at this employee thing, like I said, I didn't go looking. He also offered to work for cash, and I insisted on setting him up as a legit employee on a trial basis (This way if he doesn't work out in the first thirty days, I do not have an unemployment claim filed against my co.)

I am not out to screw anyone, and realize that I will have to compensate good employees to keep them, but like I mentioned, I am a small co, so their will be no 401K, pension plan, etc. Health ins is a possiblity once we reach a certain point. Although I appreciate your candor, I think it is misdirected without all the facts.

Shawn