When Is It Time To Move On

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sparkyrick

Senior Member
Location
Appleton, Wi
I've been with the same small company (11 guys in the field) for almost 25 years and I'm thinking of moving on. There is no chance for advancement here since there is only one guy in the office doing all the bidding, estimating and so forth. I've always been underpaid compared to other contractors in the area. I received my Master license back in 2001 thinking I'd make myself more valuable to the company. The only thing that did was give him a new name to pull permits with! Even to this day, I still make less than the ABC wage in my area.

Maybe the time has come, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
To be blunt, based only on the info you have provided it is time to move on.

You have let yourself be taken advantage of and after 25 years you won't change their ways for you.
 

sparkyrick

Senior Member
Location
Appleton, Wi
I make $24/hour running jobs and have my Masters. A co-worker that doesn't run jobs and has no licence makes $22.75. Doesn't seem fair. I do take home a company van, but I only live 5 minutes from the shop.
 

sparkyrick

Senior Member
Location
Appleton, Wi
I went through my company phone list I keep on my laptop. We've lost 28 electricians in 25 years. 24 of those quit and went elsewhere and 4 became disabled. Not a single person has ever retired from here. Guess that should have told me something.
 

rt66electric

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
rules of employment / wages

rules of employment / wages

Here is a rules that I have learned

They are not going to pay you any more than they have to.....

The only way to get a raise is to "go across the street"

NO guarantees that the new shop will keep you employed for the long run

can you make more on a Saturday side-job, than overtime???

Due to taxlaws and such , it is nearly impossible to have less than 15 employees go big or fail due to constraints of the bureaucracy and legislation.

Once you are "the man" then you can decide to pay other people or yourself.
Once you are "the man" then you have to listen to others whine for more pay.

Being a one horse patrol, will not get you rich, but , It aint bad..... compared to working for ______??
 

mivey

Senior Member
Have you had a plain talk with your employer? Outline your reasons for better compensation and you should get the feedback you need to make a decision. Depending on the employer, you may want to have sharpened your resume and pre-explored alternatives.
 

sparkyrick

Senior Member
Location
Appleton, Wi
Have you had a plain talk with your employer? Outline your reasons for better compensation and you should get the feedback you need to make a decision. Depending on the employer, you may want to have sharpened your resume and pre-explored alternatives.

I've beaten this subject to death with him many times and each time I do get a raise. But I'm getting tire of having to ask for a fair wage. I already have a phone interview coming up this week as a maintenance electrician for a large insurance company here. It'd be a strange being out of construction, maybe I'd like it!
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Here is my rule. If you have to ask us when it is time to move on then it's time. Just make sure you have something better lined up.
 
I am about 35 miles to the east of you and it is the same wage scale over hear. A master working for a EC may make $25-$27 and that is why I also got into maintenance for a very large national company. Not only do I make more than that in hourly wages but I have a pension plan, insurance, paid vacations and holidays and I don't have to deal with customers and chase down payments. Plus when I get paid half of the pay doesn't go to the Graybar/Englewoods.
 

sparkyrick

Senior Member
Location
Appleton, Wi
Well the bossman heard I wanted to leave the company and offered $4/hour raise and a new company van. That will put me at $28/hour. Decisions, decisions....
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Well the bossman heard I wanted to leave the company and offered $4/hour raise and a new company van. That will put me at $28/hour. Decisions, decisions....

not a bad raise.

the thing is will it be enough to keep you satisfied there?

personally, the new van does little for me. how does that benefit you personally?
 

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
Well the bossman heard I wanted to leave the company and offered $4/hour raise and a new company van. That will put me at $28/hour. Decisions, decisions....

Did you use him as a reference? It's all about the money & benefits -- Family is personal, business is business -- Not a bad Idea to talk with others to see where you land on insurance ,compensation, holidays, benefits. I will state an employer that has made sure you are employed for 25 years is under stable conditions clause. My employers insurance benefits are worth about $7.50 per hr alone.
 

sparkyrick

Senior Member
Location
Appleton, Wi
No, I didn't use him as a reference. I get all the usual paid holidays as well as 3 weeks vacation. Plus we have profit sharing and I usually get a nice end of year bonus. The company van is nice to have too. Tough decision.
 

tkb

Senior Member
Location
MA
No, I didn't use him as a reference. I get all the usual paid holidays as well as 3 weeks vacation. Plus we have profit sharing and I usually get a nice end of year bonus. The company van is nice to have too. Tough decision.

After 25 years you should be getting at least four weeks of vacation.
Sometimes it's easier to negotiate some perks along with actual pay increases.

Take the money and van if you don't think you can do better elsewhere, but try to parlay another week of vacation and a higher profit sharing percentage.
 

chris1971

Senior Member
Location
Usa
I've been with the same small company (11 guys in the field) for almost 25 years and I'm thinking of moving on. There is no chance for advancement here since there is only one guy in the office doing all the bidding, estimating and so forth. I've always been underpaid compared to other contractors in the area. I received my Master license back in 2001 thinking I'd make myself more valuable to the company. The only thing that did was give him a new name to pull permits with! Even to this day, I still make less than the ABC wage in my area.

Maybe the time has come, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself.

The moment you feel taken advantage of is the time to move on.
 

TobyD

Senior Member
not a bad raise.

the thing is will it be enough to keep you satisfied there?

personally, the new van does little for me. how does that benefit you personally?

I am self employed.I have a Master's too.I would jump at the opportunity of the wages you are receiving.After 34 years in the trade I'd welcome the offer.
 

John120/240

Senior Member
Location
Olathe, Kansas
The bossman must be serious. I get out off the shower and find a shiny new van sitting in my driveway.

Congratulations, I guess that means your staying with your current employer ? $4 per hour raise. That is $8,000 per year, that is substantial in my opinion. In your first post you mention that you have your Master Electrician Licence & that the boss uses your name to pull permits. The boss pulling permits with your licence, where would the boss be without your licence ?
 

sparkyrick

Senior Member
Location
Appleton, Wi
Congratulations, I guess that means your staying with your current employer ? $4 per hour raise. That is $8,000 per year, that is substantial in my opinion. In your first post you mention that you have your Master Electrician Licence & that the boss uses your name to pull permits. The boss pulling permits with your licence, where would the boss be without your licence ?

He used my licence once that I know of (without my permission). He probably uses his brothers licence now. I'm still going through with the phone interview today, just to see what they would offer.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
He used my licence once that I know of (without my permission). He probably uses his brothers licence now. I'm still going through with the phone interview today, just to see what they would offer.
Does he not have his own license?

Rules are different in different places, here you would have to have minimum liability insurance requirements on file for that license holder or no permit is issued. You could still hold a master or contractor license but not need the insurance if you are working for someone else and not filing permits under your name/license.
 
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