Doing more than electrical work

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paul said:
I wondered the same. Around here you would get a pay decrease for what you're talking about. I've done many things that are not electrical related, but I got paid for them by my employer. I figure that if they want to pay me my wage to run a broom, or whatever, than far be it from me to tell them no and sit at home. I'll make coffee and pickup doughnuts if they want me too. Just keep signing the paychecks. :cool:
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After I finished a 3 mil job i'd love broom work to relieve the stress.

Two weeks of broom work or fetching doughnuts and coffee would

drive me nuts! I need the challange of waking up to 1000 problems

that I need to find a solution for and the decision must be made right now.

One thing I've learned about myself is that retirement would be a death

sentence.
 
iwire said:
I think you being exceptionally petty particularly when you pocketed a $100 for it. FWIW I would have said no to the money and suggest they let the company know that they where very happy with me.

My job is to do things that the boss can not. I deal with new things all the time, that makes me a more valuable employee and I am less likely for a lay-off and more likely for a raise.
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agree, however i would keep the tip. imo the fact you got a tip means that the customer is happy and he/she will call the boss for the next job. i get tips from people and my boss says great.
 
I agee with stickboy, there is has to be a line drawn somewhere. In fact in my area we have 'levels' of electrical licenses that covers , 'scope' of work. Dont get me wrong Im will do other things to a certain degree, but at the same time, for example, Im not a professional painter, or plumber, or mason. These are different trades, and licenses and their apprenticeships are just as long as electricals. I can do minor plumbing (fix sinks etc..) but i could not plumb a whole house or commercial job to code/regs.

So I ask others if you had the skill to do that plumb/electrical would you not want to compensated for it?? Whats next, you perform brain surgery too?? with stickboys computer issue, thats like a computer programmer, that is a more HIGHLY paid skill in my area.

We have to put limits somewhere, thats what makes a 'job descriptions'.
 
brother said:
. but i could not plumb a whole house or commercial job to code/regs. ......
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Don't sell yourself short. I betcha you could! Just not as fast is a plumber........

brother said:
.... Whats next, you perform brain surgery too?? ......
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Having talked to a surgeon about it, I will repeat what he told me.... Most people do have the capacity to perform brain surgery. Many can't get past the blood and guts issues, and some are simply afraid of the liability. But a properly trained surgeon makes it look likes childs' play, and we do the same for electrical.
 
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stickboy1375 said:
i'm talking about two different trades here, if you dont like my electrical skills then fire me... but dont sign me up to something thats not electrical related.
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First, your employer is looking after you. In the climate we are in he must branch out to keep you employed and keep the company going. I know a EC who did nothing but resd. when things were good he had 50 some guys working. Now it's him and a helper trying learn service work. He never tried to expand his scope to make up in one area if another fell off.
I understand your point as well. Maybe you should sit down with the boss and explane the way you feel. Tell him if he send you out on a call like this he should charge more and pay you extra for the time spent on the, as you would call it, the non electrical. It could be a win win situation for both of you.
When I started doing new construction I had in the scope that I would pull the cat 5 to a box and some one else would terminate. I was completing trim out one day when a guy come to terminate the jacks. I ask what he charged for doing it. $75.00 per box. I quickley learned the termination tricks. I had left almost $1000.00 on the table for some one else to get.
 
480sparky said:
Don't sell yourself short. I betcha you could! Just not as fast is a plumber........



Having talked to a surgeon about it, I will repeat what he told me.... Most people do have the capacity to perform brain surgery. Many can't get past the blood and guts issues, and some are simply afraid of the liability. But a properly trained surgeon makes it look likes childs' play, and we do the same for electrical.
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Well thanks for the devotion of confidence. lol. I know its taboo to mention them but the 'unions' dont like this going outside the 'scope' of work, as stated, has to do with proper compensation. I know the BIG corps love this 'jack of all trades' deal. Like I said, I like to be paid for the time and education I put into learning my trade, as I worked hard to know and do what I can do.
 
iwire said:
I don't worry about, yet my reputation with my employeers has always been good.




Same here and I don't mind researching how to do the tasks.




Not much at work cause me stress unless I feel I am wasting money or holding up money by not being complete.
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I'm Happy to inform you Mr Iwire you do not have OCD;on the jobsite.

I do. My boss has made a lot of money because of my OCD.

In nine years no failed inspections,no call backs to fix mistakes,customers

"only" request me, and I don't complain or needy. Just pay me and pay

to service my truck and fill the tank. I'm sure your the same Bob. :D
 
brother said:
Well thanks for the devotion of confidence. lol. I know its taboo to mention them but the 'unions' dont like this going outside the 'scope' of work, as stated, has to do with proper compensation. I know the BIG corps love this 'jack of all trades' deal. Like I said, I like to be paid for the time and education I put into learning my trade, as I worked hard to know and do what I can do.
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Think about it..... did you at some point in your life take some sort of aptitude test that said you should become an electrician? Forget about what you wanted to be (comedian, writer, doctor, whetever).... the test results indicated you are destined to wear a tool pouch all your life.

Or was there some other reason you became one?

Is learning to be a brain surgeon any more difficult than learning to be an electrician, or a fighter pilot, or computer programmer? Personally, I don't think so.
 
480sparky said:
Think about it..... did you at some point in your life take some sort of aptitude test that said you should become an electrician? Forget about what you wanted to be (comedian, writer, doctor, whetever).... the test results indicated you are destined to wear a tool pouch all your life.

Or was there some other reason you became one?

Is learning to be a brain surgeon any more difficult than learning to be an electrician, or a fighter pilot, or computer programmer? Personally, I don't think so.
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I agree with you 480 Sparky. I'm starting my Brain Surgery study today.

Since I've spent all the years learning electrical, I'll be dead before I finish.

I would have been a good surgeon, I could do invasive surgery and also

have wired the patient care areas on the side. :D
 
Karl H said:
I agree with you 480 Sparky. I'm starting my Brain Surgery study today.

Since I've spent all the years learning electrical, I'll be dead before I finish.

I would have been a good surgeon, I could do invasive surgery and also

have wired the patient care areas on the side. :D
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Have at it. Let us know if Jethro Bodine is in your class....
MSN-Emoticon-doctor-073.gif
 
I have had employees tell me they did not sign on for a particular job. Now when I hire someone they are required to sign an employee handbook that basically states that we as a company may do any and everything at one point or another, within the law. I have yet to fire anyone for this, but it's in the handbook if needed. As a small EC we have done some things I would have preferred not to do in order to stay in and get more business.
 
Karl H said:
Grounds should be up by the way.:D
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For what it's worth, I think people who are of this belief that it even mattters are anal retentive. There is no logical reason for grounds to be up or down. Just keep them consistent. Although in commercial is usually the only place I've seen them up and residential they are always down. So basically it's the commercial guys that think that up is better. But they also think that houses should all be wired in #12.
 
I guess I've done some of almost everything along the way from helper to master and EC, and also licensed for home and commercial improvement. A lot of it was self taught, a lot on-the-job, and a lot got figured out along the way. After all, how hard can (fill in the blank) be, right?

About four years ago, we built a 400-sq.ft. master bedroom/bathroom suite. I made and submitted the plans and drawings, and got the permits. The only work we subbed out were the little HVAC system and the brick/block foundation. We did the rest with our own hands.

I rented a backhoe and dug the foooting (which was a fun learning experience; I'd never run one before, but how hard could it be, right?), had a concrete truck dump the concrete which I leveled, then the mason built the foundation, leaving me a 2'h, 3'w crawlspace opening.

We stripped the siding from the house, did the framing (including a 25'-long triple-2x14" LVL ridge beam for the cathedral ceiling), sheathing, siding, roofing, gutters, exterior trim, plumbing, wiring :)wink:), insulation, drywall, doors and windows, trim carpentry, bathroom fixtures, and painting.

I also built a 12'w, 8'h, 2'd custom storage cabinet with 9 pairs of doors (that match the shelves in the den) in the hallway between the existing house's den, where we replaced a window with a door, and the entrance into the bedroom. We didn't do the flooring, since that's what the guy did for a living.

At our final inspection, the inspector said that in his 25-or-so years of inspecting, this was the first time he'd ever had anyone ace (his word) a final on the first call. I guess we just paid attention to detail.

We have some pictures on our site, showing real before shots, pics that PJ made on her computer, and real after shots. If the Mod Squad has no objections, I'll post a link tomorrow afternoot for those who want to see them.

Guys?
 
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