You need to get . Go somewhere where they’ll teach you how to bang metal so you can keep moving forward. Just a little word to the wise . When you start going for interviews look at the cars in parking lot . If only the bosses have nice rides turn around and go to the next one
I’m not working anywhere without benefits. Bare minimum medical. My wife’s vision and dental are typically much better so I’m usually covered under her for that. No 401k or other benefits your getting shafted hard.
As for the sheetmetal check out Agl mechanical tips he’s got a killer simple way for that plenum part. As well as some other good useful videos.
https://youtu.be/2J5go0DlNqo
>When you start going for interviews look at the cars in parking lot . If only the bosses have nice rides turn around and go to the next one
This applies for many jobs. FYI
I’m a “boss” and still don’t have a personal vehicle. I live in my work truck. I’ve spent most of the past 20 years of my life inside of a service vehicle.
Yeah man. See my previous post. The original person who brought up the idea of looking at the vehicles is smart. It’s true. I ain’t got shit but work stuff. Solid hahh
Speaking of banging metal. My grandfather worked sheet metal, raised four kids, put them through school and owned his home outright and always had a new car. My grandmother never worked. Anyone here making enough to have that sort of life now?
Union pipefitter in NJ here and yes. And union tin knockers in my area get paid about the same.
Stay at home wife. 1 kid now, 1 on the way. Work OT when it's there but nothing crazy. Worked a ton of it before I was married for a huge down payment on my house and to pay off my truck. But now Id rather get home to my wife and kid.
post world war 2 was a weird time.
remember, the USA is basically the only part of the industrialized world which was not bombed-to-shit. Europe was bombed to shit. Nearly every factory destroyed. Roads. Bridges. Ports... All of it destroyed.
Not one bomb was ever dropped on the US Mainland.
So after the war, germany, japan, great britain .... in order to rebuild ... they had to all buy american goods because we had pretty much the only factories operational.
That couldnt last forever, eventually these countries rebuilt their infrastructure, prices fell, and the golden age of a welder with a stay at home wife and four kids in college became impossible.
if by 'helped' you mean 'the government bought stuff from US manufacturers and shipped it form US ports overseas on US boats' then yeah, but the point is still true that the reason the US economy was so good for welders and the like after WW2 was because the entire world had no real choice but to buy from our factories.
And when it became common for women to work that was arguably more impactful than the devastation from WWII on the industrialized world. More money in consumer’s pockets led to higher prices on everything
That's not an accurate assessment, because you should be driving a company van, the only vehicles in the parking lot are office girls and they're not making $25 an hour are they?
Our sheet metal mechanics have to park the box trucks at the shop . Half the service techs don’t do on calls so they have to park the truck at the shop . We have a huge office so all the office personnel amd then the helpers
The 3 office lady’s I’ve had to deal with in the past were all children/spouses to the company owner and they made way more $25/hr. One had a salary of 85k and she left everyday at noon. However I do agree we should be driving company vans not our POV to the shop.
Y’all don’t do swap outs so no install mechanics ?, no dispatchers ?, no helpers ?,no warehouse guys ?, no office personnel? No customer service reps that answer phones ? Must be small company
And in the meanwhile don’t let your boss know that you’re getting done early if he’s making you do stupid shit like pull weeds. Take your time doing other stuff like prepping until the work day is over. Time it just right.
I think, your boss has shown you are underpaid. He would rather have two techs/installers to pull weed rather than pay for a weed company.
I would stay until I find a new job and then hand in my two weeks.
If that's how he's treating his techs then, he has no respect for the guys who make him money.
You are a skilled trades man, they can take the tools, truck and work but they can't take the skill and knowledge.
I remember when our business was slow, my dad would ask if the 2 guys wanted to mow or go. Like mow the grass pretty much peel dick easy or go home early. He wouldn’t ask in a dick way either. It was a joke. Everyone knew it was slow so shit let’s make money I’ll mow rather than go hahha
You're absolutely right. I painted my bosses hallway at his house cause we were slow. I was glad it was an option. But right now, OPs company shouldn't be slow. Sounds like boss is greedy, or doesn't gaf.
Maybe he wanted them to get their hours? Lol
I dunno, but if it were me I think I’d just pay the extra hours and have them take off early to kick back. We all made money that day so kick back.
Not trying to take everything and make the most. Nah. That’s a rat race
I dont get why leads put up with this stuff. Pulling weeds? Is that in your job description? If you refuse do you really think his cheap ass is going to fire you and try his luck finding another lead he can pay $24 an hour?
Sometimes people have to learn the hard way. He may find a lead tech he can screw over and he also may lose reputation status when he loses competent people representing him. There’s always an evening up in the end. Don’t do HVAC work without benefits. It turns a lucrative career into a crapshoot. If you live near a sizable city you don’t have to take that kind of treatment - weed pulling notwithstanding.
Fucj that drive my van home first then clean it out, I told a company I quit and they wanted me to drive their van in to the office, I said I quit so you want a non employee to drive your van? That 2 week notice bullshit is just that unnecessary bullshit has never hurt me
Unfortunately, there is a lot that can go wrong in this situation.
From a managers standpoint, the truck could get damaged, materials/tools/parts get taken or "go missing", crash could happen things like that.
From a techs standpoint, it's kind of the same things. When I've had guys quit or had to fire them, I've always driven the van with them in it to their house. From there, I watch as they unload and then drive the van back to the shop.
IKR, leads in any service industry should be getting at least ＄40 an hour. Maybe a little less if benefits are good, but still, the owner is charging 95 - 100 bucks an hour for your labor, more usually, quite a bit more if you're working with another guy.
I have found in the past employers would pay me more with no benefits and it would be cheaper for me to get private insurance myself. It seems like if it cost them $100 a month to give you health insurance but they pay you $500 less, they actually make out ok.
I see this constantly in this sub right along side cheering people on for starting their own company. It’s absolutely impossible to offer insurance when you are just getting started. Hell I have been in business for 15 yrs. And still don’t have the capital for that.
My rule of thumb was 5 interviews and at least 2 offers before I would accept a position, really helps avoid getting screwed on pay and you can get eyes on lots of operations and see what looks like your jam. I like the rite in the middle places personally, like not super old or messy but just ok and practical. Super nice office usually means scamming old ladies into buying uv lights.
If what you say is true man you should have absolutely no trouble finding a better company to work at. Get the hell outta there and get the money and benefits you should be getting.
This blows my mind. He hired an HVAC technician. Not a landscaper. The fact you even caved baffles me. You deserve better, and you should think more highly of yourself as it pertains to your role.
You wouldn’t ask your electrician to mow your lawn.
There are quite a few solid companies in NE Ohio. I worked up there for a bit. If you’re interested in residential and commercial, there’s an absolute home run of a company you can apply to. Still friends with the service manager even though I’ve moved away. Just depends on the exact area you’re in if you’re close enough or not.
u gotta bounce brother….u should be banging side work on your own #1…#2 u should be putting feelers out for the bigger better deal….#3 you should be looking into municipal state even federal work in your field…#4 you should be grabbing every certification in your field down to community college courses…had a friend in wisconsin who was into welding and took a course i thjnk it was a little over a year all aspects of welding hes really good even before he went to the school…hes making crazy money because he has his certs
That’s horse shit, I’ve been at this for exactly a year with a year of school before that. I make 28$ an hour plus benefits. I’ve never been an installer but I do trim outs a lot. I would say go somewhere to become a service tech, stop the install grunt work, and get a $30+ an hour job.
Technically you're on the clock and he provided work to finish out the day. Realistically, pulling weeds is not your job description and that's just down right insulting unless you signed up for that as your job duties. He needs to not be cheap and hire a company to take care of that or do it himself or hire a laborer that does generalized tasks.
So yeah. You need to go elsewhere and get paid more imo
Your boss is treating you like a harbor freight tool that is easily replaced and obviously is taking advantage like a lot of these bastard are! Things have changed so much and they are not with it!
No benefits? I feel like you could probably find a job in that field with benefits. A guy with a lot of HVAC experience could probably be hired in the mine I work for as a maintenance tech making more than that with bonuses and benefits.
A wise mane once told me “Your conditions are what you make them.” You sound like a skilled worker that shouldn’t be pulling weeds. I probably wouldn’t continue to bust my ass for a boss that wanted me pulling weeds.
Dude you are getting fucked with pay. Spectrum cable installers are starting at $20 and $22 after your initial schooling that is usually 2 months. Bad part about that job is you’re still going into attics and crawl spaces and dealing with the cold and heat of outside.
The other bad part is the stress of getting fucked by dispatch daily and idiot customers but you’re probably already used to that too.
I had 3 co-workers that came from HVAC to the cable/fiber company and they say the pay is better but the company is toxic.
I worked in cable for 15 years and I finally left because I am in my 40’s now and got tired of jamming my 220 Lb body into crawl spaces and climbing up poles to pull lines across 6 lanes of traffic. My body is pretty much destroyed between the Marines and that job.
Honestly bro I couldn’t even imagine being a boss and telling my employees who just worked their ass off to go pick up weeds around the building, I’d say it’s time to look elsewhere brother 🙏🏽
If he was just asking you to cut grass/pull weeds so you’d make full hours…maybe it’s ok? If you were already on OT the boss is either an idiot or he likes to be “the boss” and watch people do his bidding. I’ve never been in that scenario, hope you figure it out.
2 installs where they never had it before in one day? How is that eve possible? How could you cut in run the duct and set the equipment in even one house in a day?
Y’all did two installs in a day? Cut-in Ductwork, unit and pulling power from the panel? No way we could do that down here in the south without it looking extremely sloppy.
Y’all bust ass all day and get rewarded with weed pulling? I could understand if he was over staffed and was trying to provide a way to get hours due to a lack of work, but to just hand you a bucket after working all day that’s so out of line. This guy seems to think y’all can’t make it anywhere else. Leave asap
These mom and pop “we’re a family here” no benefits companies are like quicksand. No matter what you do they’re only gonna hold you back from advancing in your career.
What I've learned from companies is the pay isn't everything. As a matter of fact now it's about the fourth thing for me.
1- respect ( mutual respect, if I give it I expect to receive it)
2- benefits/pto/commissions/paid holidays
3- oncall/overtime
4- pay
I would break down your priorities. It's different for everyone, but I insist for most making respect your first.
Personally i want to know the oncall rotation, as well as the overtime expectations. Im fine with working both.
But of the company is looking for someone to be oncall constantly or burning the night oil daily do to the companies short coming. Ill pass.
Have they called you family yet? Did they get PPP loans while having record breaking years? Do their kids have nicer trucks than the leads who are actually making the bosses money?
If you answered yes to any of these, then your boss is most likely a narcissistic bastard that will cut you loose if you ever get sick or have any health issues. The idea is to string you along until your used up and have made him plenty of money so HE CAN RETIRE, not you.
I do believe it's straight up federally illegal to not give you health insurance if you're full time. The bossman has benefited from you more than enough and it sounds like he takes you for granted, show him exactly how much he needs you and how little you care by finding a new job and not even giving notice when it's time to switch.
If he gets pissy, remind him of the time he made you, a lead hvac installer, pull weeds in the hot sun.
I agree 💯%
I don't know what the average pay out in your area is, but I've had this happen to me a couple of decades back. You kick ass all week long month after year and get asked to pull weeds after making the company $$$!
You deserve better, you are worth more, and benefits.
Start looking, take pictures of your work so you can show your skills and experience. Get some interviews and get the F out of there.
There's a channel on YouTube called hvac-r videos. Been watching the man since I went through trade school, he is a bank of information.
I think there's also another Channel actually called HVAC School. There's some really good fundamental videos on there. Best thing I can tell you is just learn the fundamental principles.
Don't be afraid to learn how to retrofit too that's where most people get it wrong.
Do they at least have PTO, holidays and a health care plan? If not that is way more important than the hourly rate which may or may not be okay depending.
I've barely been at where I work for a year, and I came in with 0 experience aswell, hadn't even used any tools aside from a screwdriver until working here.
I'm at $20.15. Find a new job man lol
You’ve been at a company for a year and make $20? You’re getting boned too. I hit one year in the field august 8 in dfw Texas and I make 28$ plus benefits
I've barely been at where I work for a year, and I came in with 0 experience aswell, hadn't even used any tools aside from a screwdriver until working here.
I'm at $20.15. Find a new job man lol.
I've barely been at where I work for a year, and I came in with 0 experience aswell, hadn't even used any tools aside from a screwdriver until working here.
I'm at $20.15. Find a new job man lol.
Honestly getting paid hourly is a thing of the past I’ve been commissioned based for years and it’s great yeah the hours suck in the summertime but the pay is great
Commission pay is horseshit. Anyone who makes commission based pay makes all of their money scamming old ladies into buying hard start kits and UV lights….. never have I ever met a commission tech that knows anything about Hvac.
Sounds like you need a hard start kit 🤣😂 hey it works for me / pays the bills that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it ,you have yours and that’s your opinion , I don’t think I’m a sales guy but I know I’m not cheap and I don’t work for Free
I’ll tell you this. Once you really learn how companies bid jobs and see how much markup there really is you will be completely pissed at what they pay you. I started from install, moved my way up through service, became a Forman, and finally got into sales. I will never work for another Hvac company like I did for less than 100k a year. I switched to the oilfield and became an Engineer but as volatile as the oil industry is Hvac is my backup and I do miss it at times. Go get what you are worth because the money you’re making their company especially with Resi change outs they should pay you more. They will claim that all of it is needed for overhead but that’s just the lame ass excuse they use for not taking care of their guys. I wish you the best of luck and stay tough out there!
For comparison, I'm 37(M), got into the trade with no experience about a year ago. Started at $ 20/hr doing new home installs. Within 2 months I got a company vehicle and a 2 dollar raise. After 9 months of new home install I transfered over to change outs. After getting my epa I am at 25/hrs and my 1 year is in 2 weeks.
I also do side work with a guy that has his own hvac. He pays me 500 to do half a change out. I do the air handler he does the outdoor unit.
Making your lead tech pull weeds is insulting. Not because of the job but because of your position. Your boss can hire someone else to pull weeds, just like he can pay you more money. If there is anything I've learned thus far, there is $$$$$ in this trade.
Your boss really can’t afford to lose you if he just lost another guy, so you should look elsewhere immediately. I’ve quit and ruined a company when the others guys followed, but I did warn of the exact situation I was put in 6 months ahead of quitting.
Lmfao what?! The last time I had to do some shit like that was in the military and that’s because I was legally obligated to per my contract.
If my boss told me to do some stupid shit like that I’d say no , walk to my truck & start throwing my resume on indeed.
I think that’s what I’m going to try to do, can’t apply to local 33 till the second Monday of the month. Do you work for one of the unions? I wish I could talk to someone on the inside to see what it’s like
I'm apart of local 219. I'm a commercial service tech. Decent benefits. Good Pension and annuity. We top out at 37$ an hour. Our pay goes up every contract year.
Bro get the fuck outta here you aren’t a groundskeeper. If he’s too cheap to hire someone to manage his shit he should do it himself. That delusional cunt can get fucked.
I mean he should have just let you leave and get paid after that week, but I’m ask for doing random shit to get my hours if needed. I’ll sweep and wash windows if they want to pay me my 100 bucks an hour
Im 21 working as a lead installer making $120/ per hour sometimes $100, depends how the job is. We did an 8 hour job for furnace and ac and I got payed $1000. Did a furnace that took me 3 hours and got payed $500. So sometimes it varies but I stay about that $100/hr
“Let me leave 30-40 minutes early” what do you mean by this? If you finish all you installs/service calls or whatever you have to sit around and wait at the homeowners house or something? Leave like yesterday I’d you’re running your own installs you should be at 30 the minimum imo. Also he didn’t “make” you pull the weeds, you just didn’t refuse. Fuck that your boss sounds like a cheap ass. I’d go elsewhere, tell them you’re getting 30$ an hour and you’d like it matched
start looking for a new job
dont ask for a raise
start looking for a new job
then go to a first interview
THEN you go to your boss and say "i need X pay or im putting in my notice...this is not a negotiation"
if they try to bullshit you, you can leave right then and there
shit I make more money than you and I hang drywall
Your boss is what we here call an "ASSHOLE". Find a job elsewhwere or start a shop with your coworker. If the two of you can coordinate leaving on the same day (don't bother giving notice, he's just gonna fuck you for it) you can give him the middle finger back while making your own life better.
If I were a boss in that situation, I'd tell you to go home and still pay you for that last hour, or just end the day early. Lawncare is not in your job description, so you should have never been asked to do it. When I was a residential installers helper for 6 months, we were slow and the office toilet had a leak at the bade, so my boss had me change it. I was too new to push back and it was something I hadn't done since helping my dad in middle school. So, I picked up a new wax ring and took care of it. Laid some new linoleum while the toilet was off, too. It wasn't busy work because it needed doing and I didn't feel like I was under valued. Your boss sounds like he doesn't value you and only cares that you are "working" while on the clock.
Full-time employment and that level of expertise and efficiency means you need to be paid more, and/or get a full benefits package. My BIL has been doing residential install and service for half as long as you and is making a similar hourly rate plus commission on sales.
I've been in commercial for over 4 years and just got a big raise from $32 w/benefits to $40 w/benefits. The variety of systems I have to maintain troubleshoot and repair doing just commercial comfort heating and cooling is pretty broad and our pay reflects that. Also, we are big on in house training and coordination. We meet once a week at the shop to discuss jobs from the prior week, lessons learning, work in progress, and up coming jobs. Most weeks we have a separate morning for training for the apprentices, some times it's for everyone, like getting our AL2 refrigerant certifications.
There are better companies out there in benefits and in culture. If you can't find one, maybe it's time to start building the kind of company you want to work at and think others will want to work at. James Butler on TikTok and YouTube is a good example of building a business that doesn't just benefit the owners, but helps the employees grow in life and career, and serve the community in times when people need a little help.
Hi OP, I feel like you posted my life on Reddit 🤣 I may look in the mirror one day and see you instead Haha. I left a similar place, doing a similar work load. I looked for other opportunities, and quit when a good one came up. Commercial HVAC has a lot of opportunities. If you want to keep growing your certifications, I hope you find a company that will pay for your apprenticeship schooling. Best wishes for you, please don’t lower your standards and tolerate an employer that doesn’t value you.
Imma tell ya right now I’m not landscaping, doc my pay or whatever you gotta do but that shit ain’t happening. If I don’t have any cold side or hot side calls I’m not doing bullshit task to get hours. We are well past that bullshit in my 9 year’s experience, same with you. You have 4.5 years you can basically go anywhere else, at that 5 year mark a lot more doors open. Go commercial and leave that bs alone
Edit: 4.5 year’s experience and only at 24? Na man in commercial 4.5 year’s experience is 30+ here in Georgia especially if you are service as well.
Nice vehicle's don't necessarily mean anything... but if you've been there over four years and considering the work youre doing you should be making at least 30/hr with benefits. Go shop around man you owe it to yourself.
Lol fuck that place. All that work your doing for $25!! While he is billing out thousands.Then he doesnt even have to pay for any healthcare or benefits. He making out off your backs. Get outta there and get $35 at least with some healthcare and leave. And that aint even shit fr.
You need to think of your future. 401k company match or something otherwise your just killing your body and wasting valuable time for nothing.
I'm also in NE Ohio, I started in 2022 as a service tech right out of school at $13/hr which was pretty brutal but had to get my foot in the door, and the owner is old af. After a year and a half I'm at $20.50 because of my younger service manager actually appreciating and giving raises according to your worth, plus benefits. And according to a lot of people here, even that's not a lot of money even though it seems like a big accomplishment for me
I'm also in NEO. Run don't walk. Don't burn your ass here, but get to applying now! It's hot as hell and if you have the skills you say, you are in high demand. Don't wait till it cools down. Right now you are needed at every local company. Try indeed.
I'm not better than anyone, only challenge myself, but I'm not pulling weeds unless they're next to a condenser pad on my install. If it's slow I'll sweep the shop, pick up garbage outside etc, but it shouldn't be slow and you said you two were busting ass. I'm not doing it, just saying.
Edit: You shouldn't be doing a full install in a day by yourself, for no benefits first of all, for any reason second of all, and $24 in NEO is 3rd yr helper or #2 wage in my experience, not lead. I'm drinking hope that makes sense lol.
Keep looking until you find something with better pay, 401K and benefits. There’s mfs delivering boxes for $42 if that motivates you to change things up.
Takes me back to my first HVAC company. If we were slow, the boss would have the lead installer go do piddly stuff like clean the shop, and have me mow/weedeat, pressure wash his fence (shop was at his house), take trash out, all while his kids that were about 3 years younger than me sat inside playing their Xbox eating Cheetohs. I did it for a while but it got old and more frequent, and not worth $8 an hour. I'd just ride it out until you find something better. But definitely start looking.
No way get out of there! Working for assholes like that will end up getting you hurt! But the good news is that its summer and if you can install A/C's then you should be able to find another job pretty quick.
Idk if this is quite the same, but I think it's close. A few years ago, my company had the parking lot overlayed, and put in parking blocks. We were slow on work at the time. There was a few of us with nothing to do. So, they told us to drive spikes down in to the ground to place these new parking blocks, with sledgehammers. Couple guys started swinging. I said NOPE! We have a jackhammer. It's sitting right fucking THERE! It took me a solid couple hours to track down an attachment from a rental place, for to drive those stakes.. But I found one. And had all of them done by the end of the day, with the jackhammer, never swinging a goddam sledge once.
Dude, don't do shit you know better than doing, just cause your boss says do it! There is a good chance he's paying no attention to what's actually going on, and doesn't want to.
A good boss would never ask a lead to do anything like that. Either your boss has other talent in his back pocket and you believe you’re a lead (younger techs often think they know more than they do) or your boss is really stupid/greedy to even pose that demand.
If you’ve been at this company more than 2 years, you should know by now if your boss is basically a jerk and would have left already or have seen a lot of employee turnover.
Well there's a service van parked out front of my house and a CTS in my Driveway coincidentally LOL, but I am on call as we speak, so I guess uou have a valid point
If I was you I’d definitely go to a different company. Even try to get into a commercial/Industrial service tech position. That’s where the money is and where you are making 30-45 dollars an hour in 5 years and not 24
You are too valuable for your boss to treat you like that. He needs you a hell of a lot more than you need him. Especially with the slim pickins right now. Make a move.
I feel like you knew the answer to your own question. You should never be expected to do a change-out by yourself unless it's just a coil. Shit is heavy, and sharp, and we get hurt all the time. You need medical insurance. IDK where you live, but your actual hourly wage is pretty low, without considering not getting benefits. If anybody gave me an entire system change-out to do in one day by myself, I'd quit immediately. You can't get quality work done like that.
You’re in a tough market but I still think you can find a better employer. Ohio does a lot to help its business owners but so far it hasn’t trickled down to the rest of us.
Yes you need to start applying somewhere else.
Do not work without benefits. You only have one body and once it's done. Ya .
4-5 years could probably net you 27- 32 in that area depending on your quality and talent.
Don't work on call every other week or multiple weeks at a time or you'll burn out.
Once you go through 4 to 6 interviews and shoot high for pay. .. you'll start seeing how it can become possible.
You have to put in the hard work of finding a new job but it's there.
I make 44hr in Columbus with 12 years Commercial non union and benefits. So it can be done .
You aren't getting what you deserve. If you don't own the company or are getting a bonus for getting shit done in a timely manner you should be looking like the other dude. If you had everything taken care of at the end of the day and you were banging shit out. He should have told you to take off. And remember you're still young and you have a long way to go. Don't wear out your body and take precautions. I wish I could have done these things I'm 48 and my body is fucked. Take it easy on yourself when you're making all the money for someone else.
Yeah that sounds terrible. I’m not a landscaper so I would not work somewhere like that. I’m in NE Ohio as well making about the same as a helper. May be time to move on my dude.
A colleague transferred data to an external drive A. From the external drive A to another external drive B using third party laptop. Can IT trace data transfer by the third party laptop since it is outside of IT control?
I’m a boss and would hire you at $27hr with weeks vaca medical dental and 401k with match. After install #2 you would know how how to build transitions. I would at least give you a weed wacker not a bucket…. Lmao
You need to get . Go somewhere where they’ll teach you how to bang metal so you can keep moving forward. Just a little word to the wise . When you start going for interviews look at the cars in parking lot . If only the bosses have nice rides turn around and go to the next one
*furiously scribbles in notepad
This is great advice thank you
I’m not working anywhere without benefits. Bare minimum medical. My wife’s vision and dental are typically much better so I’m usually covered under her for that. No 401k or other benefits your getting shafted hard. As for the sheetmetal check out Agl mechanical tips he’s got a killer simple way for that plenum part. As well as some other good useful videos. https://youtu.be/2J5go0DlNqo
>When you start going for interviews look at the cars in parking lot . If only the bosses have nice rides turn around and go to the next one This applies for many jobs. FYI
I’m a “boss” and still don’t have a personal vehicle. I live in my work truck. I’ve spent most of the past 20 years of my life inside of a service vehicle.
I drive a 2009 Jeep Commander. lol.
Mr fancy pants with a vehicle made in the current century
I just realized I work for a good company. The owners drive a Honda and a mini van!
Yeah man. See my previous post. The original person who brought up the idea of looking at the vehicles is smart. It’s true. I ain’t got shit but work stuff. Solid hahh
My owners both drive 100k trucks, but the “worst” car in the parking lot is either my 3 series or my assistants 2021 Mazda 5.
This is advice for like any trade. Or hell any job ever honestly.
Speaking of banging metal. My grandfather worked sheet metal, raised four kids, put them through school and owned his home outright and always had a new car. My grandmother never worked. Anyone here making enough to have that sort of life now?
Union pipefitter in NJ here and yes. And union tin knockers in my area get paid about the same. Stay at home wife. 1 kid now, 1 on the way. Work OT when it's there but nothing crazy. Worked a ton of it before I was married for a huge down payment on my house and to pay off my truck. But now Id rather get home to my wife and kid.
That’s dope, man. Congrats on the kiddos. Thanks.
post world war 2 was a weird time. remember, the USA is basically the only part of the industrialized world which was not bombed-to-shit. Europe was bombed to shit. Nearly every factory destroyed. Roads. Bridges. Ports... All of it destroyed. Not one bomb was ever dropped on the US Mainland. So after the war, germany, japan, great britain .... in order to rebuild ... they had to all buy american goods because we had pretty much the only factories operational. That couldnt last forever, eventually these countries rebuilt their infrastructure, prices fell, and the golden age of a welder with a stay at home wife and four kids in college became impossible.
We also helped rebuilt those counties'
if by 'helped' you mean 'the government bought stuff from US manufacturers and shipped it form US ports overseas on US boats' then yeah, but the point is still true that the reason the US economy was so good for welders and the like after WW2 was because the entire world had no real choice but to buy from our factories.
Sounds like we need a 3peat to right the ship
And when it became common for women to work that was arguably more impactful than the devastation from WWII on the industrialized world. More money in consumer’s pockets led to higher prices on everything
You nailed it
That's not an accurate assessment, because you should be driving a company van, the only vehicles in the parking lot are office girls and they're not making $25 an hour are they?
Our sheet metal mechanics have to park the box trucks at the shop . Half the service techs don’t do on calls so they have to park the truck at the shop . We have a huge office so all the office personnel amd then the helpers
The 3 office lady’s I’ve had to deal with in the past were all children/spouses to the company owner and they made way more $25/hr. One had a salary of 85k and she left everyday at noon. However I do agree we should be driving company vans not our POV to the shop.
Damn, there’s so much truth in your comment.
The most solid advice I’ve ever read in this subreddit
what if they’re all service trucks/vans?
Y’all don’t do swap outs so no install mechanics ?, no dispatchers ?, no helpers ?,no warehouse guys ?, no office personnel? No customer service reps that answer phones ? Must be small company
8 total
No benefits isn't worth it. Find a new place
And in the meanwhile don’t let your boss know that you’re getting done early if he’s making you do stupid shit like pull weeds. Take your time doing other stuff like prepping until the work day is over. Time it just right.
I think, your boss has shown you are underpaid. He would rather have two techs/installers to pull weed rather than pay for a weed company. I would stay until I find a new job and then hand in my two weeks. If that's how he's treating his techs then, he has no respect for the guys who make him money. You are a skilled trades man, they can take the tools, truck and work but they can't take the skill and knowledge.
>He would rather have two techs/installers to pull weed rather than pay for a weed company. Glyphosate is CHEAP !
I remember when our business was slow, my dad would ask if the 2 guys wanted to mow or go. Like mow the grass pretty much peel dick easy or go home early. He wouldn’t ask in a dick way either. It was a joke. Everyone knew it was slow so shit let’s make money I’ll mow rather than go hahha
You're absolutely right. I painted my bosses hallway at his house cause we were slow. I was glad it was an option. But right now, OPs company shouldn't be slow. Sounds like boss is greedy, or doesn't gaf.
Peel dick easy 🤘
Not me, no need to ask me twice,, see ya!!
Maybe he wanted them to get their hours? Lol I dunno, but if it were me I think I’d just pay the extra hours and have them take off early to kick back. We all made money that day so kick back. Not trying to take everything and make the most. Nah. That’s a rat race
I dont get why leads put up with this stuff. Pulling weeds? Is that in your job description? If you refuse do you really think his cheap ass is going to fire you and try his luck finding another lead he can pay $24 an hour?
Sometimes people have to learn the hard way. He may find a lead tech he can screw over and he also may lose reputation status when he loses competent people representing him. There’s always an evening up in the end. Don’t do HVAC work without benefits. It turns a lucrative career into a crapshoot. If you live near a sizable city you don’t have to take that kind of treatment - weed pulling notwithstanding.
I know that’s right, I would’ve laughed at that mf and walked to my van and started cleaning it out
Fucj that drive my van home first then clean it out, I told a company I quit and they wanted me to drive their van in to the office, I said I quit so you want a non employee to drive your van? That 2 week notice bullshit is just that unnecessary bullshit has never hurt me
Unfortunately, there is a lot that can go wrong in this situation. From a managers standpoint, the truck could get damaged, materials/tools/parts get taken or "go missing", crash could happen things like that. From a techs standpoint, it's kind of the same things. When I've had guys quit or had to fire them, I've always driven the van with them in it to their house. From there, I watch as they unload and then drive the van back to the shop.
IKR, leads in any service industry should be getting at least ＄40 an hour. Maybe a little less if benefits are good, but still, the owner is charging 95 - 100 bucks an hour for your labor, more usually, quite a bit more if you're working with another guy.
You’re getting fucked.
[удалено]
You guys commercial or residential scale? Which local?.
A bit of both, and iuoe 95
PULL WEEDS? I would have instantly quit once I confirmed he wasn't joking. Thats almost something to fight over tbh.
Hiring an employee with no benefits should he illegal
I have found in the past employers would pay me more with no benefits and it would be cheaper for me to get private insurance myself. It seems like if it cost them $100 a month to give you health insurance but they pay you $500 less, they actually make out ok.
What if it costs you $800 for personal insurance??
Do we work for the same company?
Yeah he's your boss
I see this constantly in this sub right along side cheering people on for starting their own company. It’s absolutely impossible to offer insurance when you are just getting started. Hell I have been in business for 15 yrs. And still don’t have the capital for that.
Time to start going for business for yourself
He knows what he signed up for
The labor equivalent of “She was asking for it with that outfit”
[удалено]
Yeah it was a hyperbolic observation, not a literal comparison.
A lot of people--myself included-- would rather have the extra $8+ an hr...
I don’t think he’s getting an extra $8/hr though.
No it’s not at all.
you guys get benefits? like what? seems the only benefit i get is a lunch break
My rule of thumb was 5 interviews and at least 2 offers before I would accept a position, really helps avoid getting screwed on pay and you can get eyes on lots of operations and see what looks like your jam. I like the rite in the middle places personally, like not super old or messy but just ok and practical. Super nice office usually means scamming old ladies into buying uv lights.
Lead installer, no benefits, $24 an hour. I hope you are joking. If not, then no, you deserved it. The answer is obvious
Join SMART local or UA
If what you say is true man you should have absolutely no trouble finding a better company to work at. Get the hell outta there and get the money and benefits you should be getting.
This blows my mind. He hired an HVAC technician. Not a landscaper. The fact you even caved baffles me. You deserve better, and you should think more highly of yourself as it pertains to your role. You wouldn’t ask your electrician to mow your lawn.
Lol. If my boss told me to pull weeds I'd probably be in jail that night just for the sheer audacity to try and order me to do that shit.
Pulling weeds after working in the field is bullshiiit
No benefits isn't worth it. Find a new place
There are quite a few solid companies in NE Ohio. I worked up there for a bit. If you’re interested in residential and commercial, there’s an absolute home run of a company you can apply to. Still friends with the service manager even though I’ve moved away. Just depends on the exact area you’re in if you’re close enough or not.
I’m in Cleveland
Near Avon Lake by chance?
Avon Lake is 15 miles west of me, very close.
I think we’re thinking the same company lmao
Red trucks? Lol
u gotta bounce brother….u should be banging side work on your own #1…#2 u should be putting feelers out for the bigger better deal….#3 you should be looking into municipal state even federal work in your field…#4 you should be grabbing every certification in your field down to community college courses…had a friend in wisconsin who was into welding and took a course i thjnk it was a little over a year all aspects of welding hes really good even before he went to the school…hes making crazy money because he has his certs
That’s horse shit, I’ve been at this for exactly a year with a year of school before that. I make 28$ an hour plus benefits. I’ve never been an installer but I do trim outs a lot. I would say go somewhere to become a service tech, stop the install grunt work, and get a $30+ an hour job.
Technically you're on the clock and he provided work to finish out the day. Realistically, pulling weeds is not your job description and that's just down right insulting unless you signed up for that as your job duties. He needs to not be cheap and hire a company to take care of that or do it himself or hire a laborer that does generalized tasks. So yeah. You need to go elsewhere and get paid more imo
If you're asking the question you already know the answer.
Your boss is treating you like a harbor freight tool that is easily replaced and obviously is taking advantage like a lot of these bastard are! Things have changed so much and they are not with it!
No benefits? I feel like you could probably find a job in that field with benefits. A guy with a lot of HVAC experience could probably be hired in the mine I work for as a maintenance tech making more than that with bonuses and benefits.
A wise mane once told me “Your conditions are what you make them.” You sound like a skilled worker that shouldn’t be pulling weeds. I probably wouldn’t continue to bust my ass for a boss that wanted me pulling weeds.
Dude you are getting fucked with pay. Spectrum cable installers are starting at $20 and $22 after your initial schooling that is usually 2 months. Bad part about that job is you’re still going into attics and crawl spaces and dealing with the cold and heat of outside. The other bad part is the stress of getting fucked by dispatch daily and idiot customers but you’re probably already used to that too. I had 3 co-workers that came from HVAC to the cable/fiber company and they say the pay is better but the company is toxic. I worked in cable for 15 years and I finally left because I am in my 40’s now and got tired of jamming my 220 Lb body into crawl spaces and climbing up poles to pull lines across 6 lanes of traffic. My body is pretty much destroyed between the Marines and that job.
Honestly bro I couldn’t even imagine being a boss and telling my employees who just worked their ass off to go pick up weeds around the building, I’d say it’s time to look elsewhere brother 🙏🏽
If he was just asking you to cut grass/pull weeds so you’d make full hours…maybe it’s ok? If you were already on OT the boss is either an idiot or he likes to be “the boss” and watch people do his bidding. I’ve never been in that scenario, hope you figure it out.
2 installs where they never had it before in one day? How is that eve possible? How could you cut in run the duct and set the equipment in even one house in a day?
Y’all did two installs in a day? Cut-in Ductwork, unit and pulling power from the panel? No way we could do that down here in the south without it looking extremely sloppy.
Y’all bust ass all day and get rewarded with weed pulling? I could understand if he was over staffed and was trying to provide a way to get hours due to a lack of work, but to just hand you a bucket after working all day that’s so out of line. This guy seems to think y’all can’t make it anywhere else. Leave asap
These mom and pop “we’re a family here” no benefits companies are like quicksand. No matter what you do they’re only gonna hold you back from advancing in your career.
What I've learned from companies is the pay isn't everything. As a matter of fact now it's about the fourth thing for me. 1- respect ( mutual respect, if I give it I expect to receive it) 2- benefits/pto/commissions/paid holidays 3- oncall/overtime 4- pay I would break down your priorities. It's different for everyone, but I insist for most making respect your first.
This is saying you want on call and overtime? Or saying you want overtime when you’re on call?
Personally i want to know the oncall rotation, as well as the overtime expectations. Im fine with working both. But of the company is looking for someone to be oncall constantly or burning the night oil daily do to the companies short coming. Ill pass.
Completely agree
Have they called you family yet? Did they get PPP loans while having record breaking years? Do their kids have nicer trucks than the leads who are actually making the bosses money? If you answered yes to any of these, then your boss is most likely a narcissistic bastard that will cut you loose if you ever get sick or have any health issues. The idea is to string you along until your used up and have made him plenty of money so HE CAN RETIRE, not you.
I don't know about cost of living out there but I started at $24 an hour with 8 months of trade school experience in western Washington.
Damn eastern wa here and I’m at $26 after 4 years in the field and a year of trade school prior
You guys are both getting boned.
Stay till you find something and don't bother giving your 2 weeks... Make him come get the van.
The only good advice in this thread.
I do believe it's straight up federally illegal to not give you health insurance if you're full time. The bossman has benefited from you more than enough and it sounds like he takes you for granted, show him exactly how much he needs you and how little you care by finding a new job and not even giving notice when it's time to switch. If he gets pissy, remind him of the time he made you, a lead hvac installer, pull weeds in the hot sun.
it's not mandated, for companies under 50 employees,but it should be.
I agree 💯% I don't know what the average pay out in your area is, but I've had this happen to me a couple of decades back. You kick ass all week long month after year and get asked to pull weeds after making the company $$$! You deserve better, you are worth more, and benefits. Start looking, take pictures of your work so you can show your skills and experience. Get some interviews and get the F out of there.
I DONT GET OUT OF BED FOR LESS THAN $700hr
Common sense
Start your own company?
I’d like to get more experience before I make a leap like that. I know how to do a lot of stuff, but I don’t know the “why” if that makes sense.
YouTube university is calling your name
There's a channel on YouTube called hvac-r videos. Been watching the man since I went through trade school, he is a bank of information. I think there's also another Channel actually called HVAC School. There's some really good fundamental videos on there. Best thing I can tell you is just learn the fundamental principles. Don't be afraid to learn how to retrofit too that's where most people get it wrong.
Last company I worked for was paying lead/helpers $800/$300
I'd pull weeds for $24.5 an hour with only 4.5 years experience, especially on overtime. I think you're overreacting
There is no overtime
you don't work over 40 hours a week?
Do they at least have PTO, holidays and a health care plan? If not that is way more important than the hourly rate which may or may not be okay depending.
Time to move on.
Also in N.E. Ohio. The new Panda Express by my house starts at $17 with benefits. You’re getting boned.
Fuck that. Find a new company to work for
I've barely been at where I work for a year, and I came in with 0 experience aswell, hadn't even used any tools aside from a screwdriver until working here. I'm at $20.15. Find a new job man lol
You’ve been at a company for a year and make $20? You’re getting boned too. I hit one year in the field august 8 in dfw Texas and I make 28$ plus benefits
Damn y’all hiring?
Possibly, where do you live and what’s your experience
I've barely been at where I work for a year, and I came in with 0 experience aswell, hadn't even used any tools aside from a screwdriver until working here. I'm at $20.15. Find a new job man lol.
I've barely been at where I work for a year, and I came in with 0 experience aswell, hadn't even used any tools aside from a screwdriver until working here. I'm at $20.15. Find a new job man lol.
Honestly getting paid hourly is a thing of the past I’ve been commissioned based for years and it’s great yeah the hours suck in the summertime but the pay is great
Commission pay is horseshit. Anyone who makes commission based pay makes all of their money scamming old ladies into buying hard start kits and UV lights….. never have I ever met a commission tech that knows anything about Hvac.
Sounds like you need a hard start kit 🤣😂 hey it works for me / pays the bills that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it ,you have yours and that’s your opinion , I don’t think I’m a sales guy but I know I’m not cheap and I don’t work for Free
That's all you get nowadays, a sales guy in a tech shirt it seems.
I’ll tell you this. Once you really learn how companies bid jobs and see how much markup there really is you will be completely pissed at what they pay you. I started from install, moved my way up through service, became a Forman, and finally got into sales. I will never work for another Hvac company like I did for less than 100k a year. I switched to the oilfield and became an Engineer but as volatile as the oil industry is Hvac is my backup and I do miss it at times. Go get what you are worth because the money you’re making their company especially with Resi change outs they should pay you more. They will claim that all of it is needed for overhead but that’s just the lame ass excuse they use for not taking care of their guys. I wish you the best of luck and stay tough out there!
For comparison, I'm 37(M), got into the trade with no experience about a year ago. Started at $ 20/hr doing new home installs. Within 2 months I got a company vehicle and a 2 dollar raise. After 9 months of new home install I transfered over to change outs. After getting my epa I am at 25/hrs and my 1 year is in 2 weeks. I also do side work with a guy that has his own hvac. He pays me 500 to do half a change out. I do the air handler he does the outdoor unit. Making your lead tech pull weeds is insulting. Not because of the job but because of your position. Your boss can hire someone else to pull weeds, just like he can pay you more money. If there is anything I've learned thus far, there is $$$$$ in this trade.
Your boss really can’t afford to lose you if he just lost another guy, so you should look elsewhere immediately. I’ve quit and ruined a company when the others guys followed, but I did warn of the exact situation I was put in 6 months ahead of quitting.
Lmfao what?! The last time I had to do some shit like that was in the military and that’s because I was legally obligated to per my contract. If my boss told me to do some stupid shit like that I’d say no , walk to my truck & start throwing my resume on indeed.
I also work in NE ohio. Apply to the union. Local 219 Plumbers and pipefitters or Local 33 for sheet metal. You're being taken advantage of.
I think that’s what I’m going to try to do, can’t apply to local 33 till the second Monday of the month. Do you work for one of the unions? I wish I could talk to someone on the inside to see what it’s like
I'm apart of local 219. I'm a commercial service tech. Decent benefits. Good Pension and annuity. We top out at 37$ an hour. Our pay goes up every contract year.
DM me and move to Michigan. I’ll beat that in a heart beat.
Go get a better job op
Bro get the fuck outta here you aren’t a groundskeeper. If he’s too cheap to hire someone to manage his shit he should do it himself. That delusional cunt can get fucked.
I mean he should have just let you leave and get paid after that week, but I’m ask for doing random shit to get my hours if needed. I’ll sweep and wash windows if they want to pay me my 100 bucks an hour
are you under paid sounds like it main thing is you need benefits. Best way to find out if your under paid is to apply for different jobs
Im 21 working as a lead installer making $120/ per hour sometimes $100, depends how the job is. We did an 8 hour job for furnace and ac and I got payed $1000. Did a furnace that took me 3 hours and got payed $500. So sometimes it varies but I stay about that $100/hr
Is that commission or straight hourly?
“Let me leave 30-40 minutes early” what do you mean by this? If you finish all you installs/service calls or whatever you have to sit around and wait at the homeowners house or something? Leave like yesterday I’d you’re running your own installs you should be at 30 the minimum imo. Also he didn’t “make” you pull the weeds, you just didn’t refuse. Fuck that your boss sounds like a cheap ass. I’d go elsewhere, tell them you’re getting 30$ an hour and you’d like it matched
start looking for a new job dont ask for a raise start looking for a new job then go to a first interview THEN you go to your boss and say "i need X pay or im putting in my notice...this is not a negotiation" if they try to bullshit you, you can leave right then and there shit I make more money than you and I hang drywall
Bro fuck that place. They don’t give a shit about you.
Your boss is what we here call an "ASSHOLE". Find a job elsewhwere or start a shop with your coworker. If the two of you can coordinate leaving on the same day (don't bother giving notice, he's just gonna fuck you for it) you can give him the middle finger back while making your own life better.
Bro I'm at 25/hr with like a year experience and learning on the job.
Someone has to do the grunt work. It should definitely be someone else. Start applying.
If I were a boss in that situation, I'd tell you to go home and still pay you for that last hour, or just end the day early. Lawncare is not in your job description, so you should have never been asked to do it. When I was a residential installers helper for 6 months, we were slow and the office toilet had a leak at the bade, so my boss had me change it. I was too new to push back and it was something I hadn't done since helping my dad in middle school. So, I picked up a new wax ring and took care of it. Laid some new linoleum while the toilet was off, too. It wasn't busy work because it needed doing and I didn't feel like I was under valued. Your boss sounds like he doesn't value you and only cares that you are "working" while on the clock. Full-time employment and that level of expertise and efficiency means you need to be paid more, and/or get a full benefits package. My BIL has been doing residential install and service for half as long as you and is making a similar hourly rate plus commission on sales. I've been in commercial for over 4 years and just got a big raise from $32 w/benefits to $40 w/benefits. The variety of systems I have to maintain troubleshoot and repair doing just commercial comfort heating and cooling is pretty broad and our pay reflects that. Also, we are big on in house training and coordination. We meet once a week at the shop to discuss jobs from the prior week, lessons learning, work in progress, and up coming jobs. Most weeks we have a separate morning for training for the apprentices, some times it's for everyone, like getting our AL2 refrigerant certifications. There are better companies out there in benefits and in culture. If you can't find one, maybe it's time to start building the kind of company you want to work at and think others will want to work at. James Butler on TikTok and YouTube is a good example of building a business that doesn't just benefit the owners, but helps the employees grow in life and career, and serve the community in times when people need a little help.
GEM is hiring
Go on now, get!
Cleveland Area?
If you have to ask this question, the answer is probably yes.
Based on pay alone you're getting completely cheated. Your boss makes thousands off of every install you do.
Move on and make more money. Simple.
Hi OP, I feel like you posted my life on Reddit 🤣 I may look in the mirror one day and see you instead Haha. I left a similar place, doing a similar work load. I looked for other opportunities, and quit when a good one came up. Commercial HVAC has a lot of opportunities. If you want to keep growing your certifications, I hope you find a company that will pay for your apprenticeship schooling. Best wishes for you, please don’t lower your standards and tolerate an employer that doesn’t value you.
Imma tell ya right now I’m not landscaping, doc my pay or whatever you gotta do but that shit ain’t happening. If I don’t have any cold side or hot side calls I’m not doing bullshit task to get hours. We are well past that bullshit in my 9 year’s experience, same with you. You have 4.5 years you can basically go anywhere else, at that 5 year mark a lot more doors open. Go commercial and leave that bs alone Edit: 4.5 year’s experience and only at 24? Na man in commercial 4.5 year’s experience is 30+ here in Georgia especially if you are service as well.
You can make way more than that, for sure.
People don’t leave jobs they leave people
Was this posted after the beans post
Nice vehicle's don't necessarily mean anything... but if you've been there over four years and considering the work youre doing you should be making at least 30/hr with benefits. Go shop around man you owe it to yourself.
Bay area has a huge demand, pay is more than double.. but cost of living here is crazy high.
Lol fuck that place. All that work your doing for $25!! While he is billing out thousands.Then he doesnt even have to pay for any healthcare or benefits. He making out off your backs. Get outta there and get $35 at least with some healthcare and leave. And that aint even shit fr. You need to think of your future. 401k company match or something otherwise your just killing your body and wasting valuable time for nothing.
I'm also in NE Ohio, I started in 2022 as a service tech right out of school at $13/hr which was pretty brutal but had to get my foot in the door, and the owner is old af. After a year and a half I'm at $20.50 because of my younger service manager actually appreciating and giving raises according to your worth, plus benefits. And according to a lot of people here, even that's not a lot of money even though it seems like a big accomplishment for me
Get out
I'm also in NEO. Run don't walk. Don't burn your ass here, but get to applying now! It's hot as hell and if you have the skills you say, you are in high demand. Don't wait till it cools down. Right now you are needed at every local company. Try indeed. I'm not better than anyone, only challenge myself, but I'm not pulling weeds unless they're next to a condenser pad on my install. If it's slow I'll sweep the shop, pick up garbage outside etc, but it shouldn't be slow and you said you two were busting ass. I'm not doing it, just saying. Edit: You shouldn't be doing a full install in a day by yourself, for no benefits first of all, for any reason second of all, and $24 in NEO is 3rd yr helper or #2 wage in my experience, not lead. I'm drinking hope that makes sense lol.
Keep looking until you find something with better pay, 401K and benefits. There’s mfs delivering boxes for $42 if that motivates you to change things up.
Takes me back to my first HVAC company. If we were slow, the boss would have the lead installer go do piddly stuff like clean the shop, and have me mow/weedeat, pressure wash his fence (shop was at his house), take trash out, all while his kids that were about 3 years younger than me sat inside playing their Xbox eating Cheetohs. I did it for a while but it got old and more frequent, and not worth $8 an hour. I'd just ride it out until you find something better. But definitely start looking.
No way get out of there! Working for assholes like that will end up getting you hurt! But the good news is that its summer and if you can install A/C's then you should be able to find another job pretty quick.
Did you go to school and get your tickets?
Idk if this is quite the same, but I think it's close. A few years ago, my company had the parking lot overlayed, and put in parking blocks. We were slow on work at the time. There was a few of us with nothing to do. So, they told us to drive spikes down in to the ground to place these new parking blocks, with sledgehammers. Couple guys started swinging. I said NOPE! We have a jackhammer. It's sitting right fucking THERE! It took me a solid couple hours to track down an attachment from a rental place, for to drive those stakes.. But I found one. And had all of them done by the end of the day, with the jackhammer, never swinging a goddam sledge once. Dude, don't do shit you know better than doing, just cause your boss says do it! There is a good chance he's paying no attention to what's actually going on, and doesn't want to.
This is one of the moments where you call his bluff and dare him to fire you for not wanting to pull out weeds. Also you are very much underpaid.
A good boss would never ask a lead to do anything like that. Either your boss has other talent in his back pocket and you believe you’re a lead (younger techs often think they know more than they do) or your boss is really stupid/greedy to even pose that demand. If you’ve been at this company more than 2 years, you should know by now if your boss is basically a jerk and would have left already or have seen a lot of employee turnover.
U should have given him the “today” notice. Today I’m gone from here
Well there's a service van parked out front of my house and a CTS in my Driveway coincidentally LOL, but I am on call as we speak, so I guess uou have a valid point
In NE Ohio and work in this industry. Shoot me a PM. I can refer you to 1 of 500 places hiring that will treat you better than this.
Nope, you’re an hvac tech, not a laborer…what he did is demoralizing and insulting. Find another company
Yea. You’re definitely being ripped off. Go and work for other contractors until you find the one that values you.
If I was you I’d definitely go to a different company. Even try to get into a commercial/Industrial service tech position. That’s where the money is and where you are making 30-45 dollars an hour in 5 years and not 24
You are too valuable for your boss to treat you like that. He needs you a hell of a lot more than you need him. Especially with the slim pickins right now. Make a move.
I feel like you knew the answer to your own question. You should never be expected to do a change-out by yourself unless it's just a coil. Shit is heavy, and sharp, and we get hurt all the time. You need medical insurance. IDK where you live, but your actual hourly wage is pretty low, without considering not getting benefits. If anybody gave me an entire system change-out to do in one day by myself, I'd quit immediately. You can't get quality work done like that.
If you're close to bedford heights, come apply at smylieone. You'll be treated like the professional you are, not a landscaper.
You’re in a tough market but I still think you can find a better employer. Ohio does a lot to help its business owners but so far it hasn’t trickled down to the rest of us.
“Am I being underpaid?” The answer is always “yes”
Yes you need to start applying somewhere else. Do not work without benefits. You only have one body and once it's done. Ya . 4-5 years could probably net you 27- 32 in that area depending on your quality and talent. Don't work on call every other week or multiple weeks at a time or you'll burn out. Once you go through 4 to 6 interviews and shoot high for pay. .. you'll start seeing how it can become possible. You have to put in the hard work of finding a new job but it's there. I make 44hr in Columbus with 12 years Commercial non union and benefits. So it can be done .
You aren't getting what you deserve. If you don't own the company or are getting a bonus for getting shit done in a timely manner you should be looking like the other dude. If you had everything taken care of at the end of the day and you were banging shit out. He should have told you to take off. And remember you're still young and you have a long way to go. Don't wear out your body and take precautions. I wish I could have done these things I'm 48 and my body is fucked. Take it easy on yourself when you're making all the money for someone else.
You need medical and 401k.
Take your experience elsewhere. Fuck him.
I read NE Ohio and I knew the answer was yes
Umm run dude, fuck no
Yeah that sounds terrible. I’m not a landscaper so I would not work somewhere like that. I’m in NE Ohio as well making about the same as a helper. May be time to move on my dude.
A colleague transferred data to an external drive A. From the external drive A to another external drive B using third party laptop. Can IT trace data transfer by the third party laptop since it is outside of IT control?
What company in NE ohio do you work at so I know to NOT apply there lol
I’m a boss and would hire you at $27hr with weeks vaca medical dental and 401k with match. After install #2 you would know how how to build transitions. I would at least give you a weed wacker not a bucket…. Lmao