How'd it go today?

Not being prepared for lunch is a major time suck. I was very guilty of that when I was a landscraper employee years ago. Now, if I'm working for someone, I bring lunch. As an employee, i feel its my obligation to show up on time with lunch and water ready to go.
 
I only own work clothes. I'll text/ internet at break with the best of them, but none of that when there's work to be done.
 
Bringing a lunch and leaving your cellphone behind were hard and fast rules at my tree service.

Who wouldn't bring a lunch to work? Seems like the basics of basics to me. There is no way I'd be pulling up,stakes on a job site to beetle off for 'lunch'. Seems like a fantastic way to screw production and drag on the work day.
 
It happens, you just tell them not to make a habit of it.

I could not envisage getting anyone to work for me if they couldn't bring their phone.
 
And to me that's crazy. I had a mobile phone available for emergency calls. I fail to see what part of the job of treework requires or is even at all benefitted by an employee having a personal phone to text/call people while I'm paying them? The world is truly a f-cked up place when someone can't work an eight hour day without updating their 'status'.

No phone, bring a lunch , and leave the diapers and tissues at home. :D

I know it's bad and only getting worse. All the more reason to pay more and demand more. I know it's easier said then done, and it was another of the reasons that played intomy decision to sell out. It's easy as an employer for it to become like reverse babysitting. Paying to look after some adult child. No thanks.
 
There is no way I'd be pulling up,stakes on a job site to beetle off for 'lunch'.

I used to work for a fellow who LIVED for doing that. I didn't mind so much except on some jobs we could finish up and go home but nooooo, he always wanted lunch at noon and always at the same BBQ place.

I thought that was kinda crazy...
 
I will say it's not like I sprung the news on them. When hired they know to pack a bag lunch to work everyday. I'm not wasting time, fuel, and energy to drive to a convenience store or gas station. I did spring for the odd sit down lunch if somehow it worked out to be convenient. Ime that was very few and far between.
 
My current groundy brings his phone, checks it at lunchtime and breaks, if he tells me that he needs to be available to take a call for a good reason, I'm ok with that.

The one before was a nightmare...
 
That would drive me batty(response to butch's BBQ lunch). Here labor laws are two 15 min paid breaks and a unpaid lunch in a eight hr day. Always we worked eight hrs gate to gate, 1/2hr paid lunch and no other real breaks besides taking a knee for a minute, or slurping some water or whatever needed to happen,no other official breaks. Why drag the day on and on?
 
I never understood or liked taking unpaid leisurely breaks during the day? Get the day done and I'll take that break on my own porch, not sitting in my own sweat and sawdust at some customers place.
 
My current groundy brings his phone, checks it at lunchtime and breaks, if he tells me that he needs to be available to take a call for a good reason, I'm ok with that.

The one before was a nightmare...

So what is a good reason to have to 'take a call' during the workday? Test results from a medical lab? Wife with child? I dunno. To me it is odd I think because I worked for a long time where there was no cel reception. Radio for emergencys. Seemed I worked that way for over a decade and was still somehow able to manage my life?
 
Agreed, but I like regular, short breaks, time for a quick cup of tea and a cigarette, gain some composure, assess what's left and how well approach it.
 
So what is a good reason to have to 'take a call' during the workday? Test results from a medical lab? Wife with child? I dunno. To me it is odd I think because I worked for a long time where there was no cel reception. Radio for emergencys. Seemed I worked that way for over a decade and was still somehow able to manage my life?

TBH, yes, his wife has ongoing medical issues, he doesn't abuse it, that's the key.
 
Agreed, but I like regular, short breaks, time for a quick cup of tea and a cigarette, gain some composure, assess what's left and how well approach it.




Sure and that would be ok with me. If you take 3-5 here or there to suck a fag or slurp some water and gain composure, maybe reconnoiter on the plan, that's all good. But a 15min shutdown two hours in, half hour lunch 2hrs later, and then another fifteen two hours after that. I'd have a trail paced out in the customers lawn from my impatience. I couldn't do it.
 
TBH, yes, his wife has ongoing medical issues, he doesn't abuse it, that's the key.

And as a owner that's your call to make. Myself, espescially ongoing,I'd let them know my phone is available for emergencies, otherwise touch base after work,make another plan for your wife if she needs to be checked on every couple of hours. To distracting IMO. So what if at first break he gets a text about how rough she's feeling or something for that last two hours,how much of his focus is going to be onthat until he can check up again in a couple of hours?

My call was no cellphones.
 
I know cell phones are big. And you're right I did have a hard time finding good help. My uncle, and another employee I had for five years were solid, besides that a lot of aggravation. And certainly worth noting employing others was one of the reasons behind my decision to sell.
 
I traded some tree work for a will today.

Actually I had an old school friend, who is a lawyer do my will, and she asked if we could trade for removal of a small pine, which was fine with me.

I have a brother that I really dislike, didn't want everything to fall to him, if I died after my wife.
She has 3 nice grown up kids, let them have it.
Not that it is a fortune, but we do own our house with no mortgage, that is worth about half a mil.

I've been thinking about the will thing for a while, finally got around to do something about it.
 
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