Piece Work

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If you have to put in 12 hour days just to make a living, I wouldn't consider that very succesful.

If you were getting paid $500 a house (I have no idea what the going rate is) and you were getting one done every two days, I'd say you're doing alright.

Work smarter not harder.
 
cowboyjwc said:
If you have to put in 12 hour days just to make a living, I wouldn't consider that very succesful.

If you were getting paid $500 a house (I have no idea what the going rate is) and you were getting one done every two days, I'd say you're doing alright.

Work smarter not harder.
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John it goes back to efficency in the way you work.Lets take a typical 1 man crew piecing here.(leaving out the ones that spin there wheels).

1950 sq ft tract home they have wired 100`s and hundreds of.All exactly the same way.Base price depending on the builder averages.$475.00 to $600.00.That is a bare boned 2 c/f 2 cable drops 2 phones and a back to back service.Now thats a bare boned model.Should take a good piece worker somewhere around 5 solid hours to finish it.Now keep in mind the average piece worker starts and doesn`t break until done aside from a drink of water.Here at least we try to keep a piece worker in the same subdivision all the time.That way they can see what is ready next and claim the house.They pick up the rough packs once a week and when they have finished the one they started they jump into the next one and box,drill and build the bare service.So the next day all they have to do is pull wire cut in and finish the service.

Doing it this way is super efficent and some do 5 to 6 houses a week.It does help that they all have a scrap guy they call to come sweep the house and keep the scrap for a tip.I know one scrap guy that just bought an 04 f 250 super duty doing this (not bad huh)

Where the piece guys really get paid, is through the extras in the house.each opening be it switch,recep,c/f,recessed can,coach lights are $5.00 @.in the average home there will be around 35 openings @ $5.00.Almost every home gets a pool prewire another $35.00 and $5.00 for the pool light.Spa prewires pay $45.00 @.

Once they are in motion they just scream and the extras might add 3 hours on the job for them.So for that 3 hours they add around $260.00 to the base pay.Not bad for a days pay.These aren`t figures I pulled out of the air.This what many of these guys make.I know one guy who if he can`t take home 2K/ week is peed off.Now I`m not saying this is what all the piece guys here make, but I know of at least 50 that do 100 K+ / year.The others probably around, 40 to 60 K /year.While the average hourly guy will get 30K/ year.

For the most part they don`t jump from company to company so they are accountable for the work they do and tags they get.But unless the guy is known they are not allowed to piece from jump street,they start hourly and prove them selves.You see piece is a privelage.It is up to the company to determine if they can make money paying piece.You just can`t throw a bunch of fly by night romex rangers into a fleet of trucks and expect to see a profit.That won`t happen, it took years of growing pains to figure out how to make it work.

If a company does it the correct way and has good piece workers they will do at least 30% more homes / year.That my friend can add up to a huck of change.Another benefit to the company going piece is like what is happening here right now.New starts are off like 40%.The slow hourly crews hit the bricks, aside from a select few and the piece guys still make the same money and the company thrives.Maybe the gross will drop but the bottom line percentage stays pretty much the same.
 
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iwire said:
Did I say otherwise?

It happens that I get bonus money based on job profit but that is in addition to my hourly. :cool:
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In that case, you're being docked for any mistakes you make.

It's like income tax "refunds". Some people think "Hey, this is fantastic -- I got back $500 from Uncle Sam!" and forget the other $5,000 they paid in. They aren't getting a "refund", like it's some kind of extra money, they are simply getting back some of the taxes they paid. They might feel better than the person who paid $4,500 and received no refund, and especially better than the person who paid $4,000 and owed $500 (hey, I owed $16K one year -- I felt REALLY bad, I've got to tell you!), but all three paid the same amount.

So, what's the difference between you getting a $5,000 bonus on top of $50,000 pay because you didn't screw up, and the co-worker who doesn't get that $5,000 bonus because they did VERSUS both of you getting $55,000 in pay and Bozo the Bungler being docked $5,000?
 
Julie I have no idea what your talking about.

My bonus is not like a tax refund. (A no interest loan to the Govt.)

And no one is getting penalized.

Without going into details the plan we use is more or less a profit sharing plan. When a job is bid a profit % is established. If I can make the job come in at a higher profit % I along with every one on the job gets to share in profits above what was expected.

But hey if you want to be a piece worker knock yourself out.

I am very happy with my present deal and from all indications the company is also happy with what they get from me. :)
 
iwire said:
Without going into details the plan we use is more or less a profit sharing plan. When a job is bid a profit % is established. If I can make the job come in at a higher profit % I along with every one on the job gets to share in profits above what was expected.
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Yes, Bob. I've worked under profit sharing plans.

You still didn't answer my question -- what's the difference between these two scenarios in terms of risk to the employer and potential earnings for the employee --

1). You and Bozo both have a base of $50,000 you can earn, plus the potential for an additional $5,000 in profit sharing. You're a great worker and get the profit sharing bonus because you consistently bring jobs in under budget. Bozo is a slacker and hasn't had a job come in under budget since Nixon was president. At the end of the year, you've got $55,000 on your W-2 and Bozo has $50,000.

2). You and Bozo both have a base of $55,000 you can earn, but y'all may be asked to correct mistakes and will not be paid for those hours, or will be docked from your pay, for any re-work. You're a great worker and never have to perform any rework and don't get docked a single red cent. Bozo is a slacker and spends $5,000 worth of time or dockage reworking jobs. At the end of the year, you've got $55,000 on your W-2 and Bozo has $50,000.

In both scenarios your employer loves you dearly and gives you a Christmas ham and gives Bozo a (small) sack of (high sulfur) coal.
 
it should be out lawed.

it should be out lawed.

If a company has to pay piece work, then they need to find out why thier having trouble with the employes not producing,or the bid bieng terrible. My companie does piece and I have found nothing but trouble stems from this.The employes are in such a rush homeruns get missed,I have seen 10 plus miss tyes on rough and seen checks for 1 doller @1hour. That can't be legeal. The other problems dive in at trim if all the lights are not their do you get paid hourly to go back? It,s not your fault the light isn't thier. and it stems on from that. I know that since my company went to it,many good electricians have quit and unskilled electricians have replaced them. So from first hand experiance, I think it should be illegal befoure someone is in a hurry and makes a life threatning misstake................
 
I could only see residential working out with piece work. If your wiring the same house over and over and over again, it would become like factory work. Not my cup of tea. I wanna see a guy get paid piece work to tend 40 fast paced, bury the sparky driven masons to make the company and himself that bigger profit. I'm not saying it couldn't be done but all that extra money made would be spent on beer and donuts for the masons.
 
They way i read it in New Jersey two or more persons would have to have a joint venture to preform work together and each party would have a business permit issued by the board of electrical examiners to engage in electrical contracting you can not subcontract to a unlicensed person. There are alot of people doing it and the only way to get caught is by audit or someone turning you into the board of contractors.
 
shelton,

just because someone is paid piecework, doesn't mean that they need to form a joint venture, or that they are issued a 1099, or anything else.

it simply means that following the law, they are paid commission on what they do.

all piecework is is basically a commission. Just like many of the sales guys at your local supply house are paid by commission.
 
They way i read it in New Jersey two or more persons would have to have a joint venture to preform work together and each party would have a business permit issued by the board of electrical examiners to engage in electrical contracting you can not subcontract to a unlicensed person. There are alot of people doing it and the only way to get caught is by audit or someone turning you into the board of contractors.
 
shelton said:
They way i read it in New Jersey two or more persons would have to have a joint venture to preform work together and each party would have a business permit issued by the board of electrical examiners to engage in electrical contracting you can not subcontract to a unlicensed person. There are alot of people doing it and the only way to get caught is by audit or someone turning you into the board of contractors.
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did you accidently repost this?
 
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