Anybody else tired of employees

I don't see why it's so harsh on that one guy that he put one blade on upside down for the first time in 5 years. Mistakes happen, i'm sure you make them too. As an employee for a LCO here in town i can tell you that just as us wanting time off more frequently at times is stressful for you. But going to work everyday to take orders from you is stressful for us. I know we put ourselves into it but in my opinion theres only so much we can take. Give the guys like one day a month to take off to relax...that would help me, anyway. I get every other friday off and when i come back on that following monday i'm refreshed and ready to go and my crew leaders always comment on how well i'm doing. For that whole week i kick some ---! Hardly any mistakes and i don' get as tired as quick so i can pick up slack for anyone who's having a rough day or whatever. Doing the same thing over and over every day week after week gets you in kind of a "robot" mode. You can do the job but you just do it...you don't pay attention to it. As for the blade upside down...the grass will grow back.

my thoughts though...

I can relate with what mottster said here.

I am also a employee for a lco in new milford, connecticut (4-5 days a week) and it does get stressful. What makes it even worse, for what I think in my oppinion, is that we do lawns and only lawns. It makes it tough to do the same exact thing day in and day out. Its not like a landscaping co where 2 days are lawns, 1 day is mulch, and the other day is a garden installation. Its hard to not mix-up what you do and you do fall into a very heavy robot mode, especially with just cutting grass......

I would give your guys alot more than you give them now (kikin grass) I mean, I assume that you are doing most of the more no labor intensive work such as riding your z around all day while they are weedoing and running about. This is what I do in my company. The number of times I have rode a Z around this season can be counted on 1 hand. Weedoing for 10 hrs a day 4 days a week gets rough and by the time friday rolls around I am too looking for a break..


I would suggest that you give your guys some slack and walk a mile in their workboots before you cry boohoo about them wanting a day off once in a while or a once in 5 year blade mistake....

don't get me wrong I do expect mistakes and I never yelled at the guy for the blade thing, but come on 2 times in a week. I have been doing it for over 10 years and never put one on upside down. It is just paying attention to what you are doing, simple. The lip side goes up. how hard is that.
But that is not the complaint. It is just seems like all has been pileing up this year to stupid stuff happening.
As far as a day off once or twice a month, thats what the weekends for. Hello, go get another job and tell them you require every other friday off and they will tell you to get lost. I am a business and I need my employees here, on time, every day. Can't do that then mcdonalds will be glad to hire you. If you need a day off then use your personal days or sick days.
I understand people need a break but I am talking over and above amounts of days off, calling in the morning and playing sick or grandma died again.
Keep in mind that I pay more than most compaines in my area. I start my guys out way above most LC compaines. So I do expect more from them then being a robot.

LandscapeEscape88

Nope, when I am with them I do all the harder stuff most of the day. When they go out by themselves I make sure that they mix up job duties and not one guy is doing all the trimming. I work in the field right along with my guys each and every day. One day I may go with mowing, another w/ fert or landscaping. They have it good, I don't yell at them, when they make a mistake I teach them why it was a mistake, how to avoid it again, and what the consiquences were from the mistake ( as in how it has to be repaired, how much it cost the company to repair it, customer relation damage, etc.). It is not uncommon to let them go a little early and I finish a job up. My new outlook is you give an employee an inch and they will milk it for all it is worth. As of Monday there is a new employee handbook that all will sign regarding time off, sick days, personal, hrs worked, dress codes, behavior, attitudes, and the list goes on. I feel like they want to play the game then "GAME ON". If they don't like the new rules they can work else where. If I sound harsh, I am not. These are no different from anyother type company policies. I have always been easy going but I am being taken advantage of and it stops monday.

You have to see the signs of worker fatigue. First 3 or so months I realy don't give a damn. They sat an there azz collected unemployment, and the weather is cool.

I am setup that August is our slow month. Everyone gets days off. But last year we did realy nice Commercial landscape and this year we have a couple big ones. So, not much chance of a day off when I feel it's fine. They take a day here and there to do personal things. It's fine. They have a life to. Just that I prefer notice before that day or the end of the day before.

Some of that nonsense got to the point where they just did not show up. I have no tolerence for not being responsible enough to call. You miss a day, I do not know in advance, you lose 1/2 a days pay. It's courtesy to call.

I always let my men know what's coming up in advance, not the basic mowings, but when we have those jobs that are good for the company and you need all hands for a day. Or when we get a 3 day weekend for the 4th of July and they get paid for the 4th and Thanksgiving.

glan,

I don't even dock pay for that, The first time I sit them down and explain that it is unacceptable and then if it happens again, when they come in the next time I have their check waiting for them.

All I ask for from my employees in common courtesy, and proper work ethics. It is very common this time of year to be done at 3. Today we were done and everybody gone by 2. You know what I heard, "Since we are only going to be out till 2 today, I am going to take off after lunch and let the other guys finish up." Not, Then that means they have to stay out longer to finish. This is what I am talking about giving an inch and milking it.

I realize it is all my fault cuz I have been very lax when it comes to these things. I never hade a good employee handbook and it is biting me in the azz. Why do people think that just cuz it is lawn care that it is not important to work regular, or pay attention when doing things.
Like I said before I pay very well and I do expect a lot, but not more than any other company out there.

Im not going to spell out what I pay each person, but I will do this.


$7.00 per hour no experience (new person)


up to


$16.00 an hour. Driver been with me 15 years. Nice enough fellow no real problems, just don't have much smarts. And his son has now been with us a couple years

I have 2 others with me 15 years.


I would think that the length they have worked with me says enough. There are other men working with us. Just mentioned a few.

i agree 100% with LandscapeEscape. I have been working with this guy I know mowing lawns for two years now. I am one of the best workers he has. You know I mow in nice straight lines, never miss spots, stripe his lawns, never really ask for days off, don't complain about to much work, and i never fell like i get rewarded from it. He never says"nice job you did their" or anything, I am still making the same amount of money that i was making with him from when i first started, and i know that he cant afford to give me a raise but i think that i do better work than what i am getting paid for. I feel kind of like what your employees feel like according to what you said about them. My job is kind of boring walking behind the same mower every week doing the same lawns that i just did but not a week ago...it does get kind of boring. Maybe if you would just tell them that they did good at this or let them take some time off here and their, they might turn back and work like they used to. But I am not saying to go and let them quit in the middle of the day when they are out working with everyone, if they did that all the time i would fire them. Their may not be good info in this but i will say if my boss did some things in here that i have mentioned than i would feel completely different about my job