Working together

[cooltools]

Ok been working as ref/ac eng for 26 years on everthing and anything in that time as we all have!Decided to go on me own two years ago after seeing lads been given jobs who have had no training but after a few weeks think thay are eng and no it all!!
Anyway with all the bad times comeing with work hopefully this will stop and a lot of the cowboys will go bust!!!So was thinking if us subcontracts start working together and help each other with work eg im based in north west and seemed to get loads of work in the midlands.What if we could set up a datebase of top end suby to help each other with work?
Also how much overtime is too much?Just won a job 250 fan coils vrf and got 20 weeks to till building opens ,got 5 men on the job but one of them thinks he only has to do 48 hours per week!!!

regards cooltools

[nike123]

Also how much overtime is too much?Just won a job 250 fan coils vrf and got 20 weeks to till building opens ,got 5 men on the job but one of them thinks he only has to do 48 hours per week!!!

regards cooltools

If rest of your crew is satisfied with working conditions, paycheck and amount of overtime, then you have disturbing factor in that guy and you need to act accordingly (first talk, then if talk doesn't help, replace him with someone able and wiling to cope with rest of your team). Remember, you running business and not charity!

[Argus]

,got 5 men on the job but one of them thinks he only has to do 48 hours per week!!!

regards cooltools

He's within his rights to refuse more than 48 hours a week if he opts out of that and it should be noted in his contract of employment that you will, of course, have given him and all your employees.... .


It's called 'opting-out' and it's the law.
The working week is the aggregate of the hours calculated on a defined period of time, usually 13 weeks.

UK employment law is a complex issue, I suggest that read up on the basics.

You'll be in serious doo-doo if you sack him for that reason and trying to sack a person for any other reason that can be related back to this point is constructive dismissal - equally illegal and serious.

If he tells you in writing that he wants the basic hours, then that's his right.

Here's the official DirectGov site that gives you more information. Most importantly, it tells you more about your obligations as an employer. I should stress that this site is UK law ONLY - though the Working Time Directive harmonises employment legislation throughout the EU.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employme...ff/DG_10029426


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[cooltools]

yer did know that ,think it over 17 weeks not 13 but in this climate with a lot of companys finding it harder to get work and then this lad starts this you do think why bother haveing staff?just get suby teams in to help.

[R1976]

Hi cooltools,

If you need subcontractors then I am based in the midlands and always looking for new clients to work with. Please feel to leave a message.

[Devsan]

hi cooltools
its a difficult oe. i use to be an operations manger for a compnay in the south and i had the same thing. we had a guy who would regulary leave a job on a friday afternoon half finished with some excuse why he left. at the time we couldnt do anything about it due to him spouting off about how he has already done over the hours.
in the end he had to go as you cant run a buisiness as a charity all it leads is to you having an early heart attack.
subsequently i have now started my own sub contract buisiness so if you ever need a hand give me a shout