You can't find help.

I work in garbage. It's hard work. Especially in the summer. We run it old school, we use rear load trucks, and the drivers run solo. Which basically means that you align the trash with the back of the truck, get out, walk to the back, throw trash, reverse procedure. Repeat approximately 300 times per day. Very rural area, stops are pretty spread out.

When they hired me, that's what I did for about a year. When the roll off truck came open, that's what I moved to. Less work, more problem solving. Not the same thing day to day. I really like it. However...

The second guy they've hired for my old route in 9 months just put in his two weeks notice. First guy stopped showing up, about the tint Covid started, and I think he was hoping he would get that $600 a week extra unemployment. He wasn't too bright.

Second guy was a younger guy, but he was pretty overweight. Probably 5' 6" and knocking on 300 lbs. Poor guy was about as round as he was tall. Great guy, really liked him, but he's decided he's had enough. Although I think his girlfriend has decided that he's had enough.

So, between these two guys, I've had to fill in. Now, I'm not too good to do it. And I don't mind to help out when I need to. But this makes four positions we have open. FOUR. The pay is good, the benefits are really good, but it's work in every sense of the word.

Why can't we find people who want to stick it out anymore?

It's not even a young person thing either. We've had guys of all ages come and go.

October 2nd is his last day. Let's see if I'm throwing trash before then.

Just wanted to rant for a moment. Thank you for your time.

Have a wonderful night.

It's amazing how many people don't want to work, but wonder why they're broke. It's never their fault though. 

We are trying to add a second shift in our production warehouse. Not easy work, but not too bad. Granted, the plant floor isn't air conditioned and were in Georgia. Working on a line filling bottles of disinfectant, so you're standing. We can't hire enough to get the shift going. We've hired double digits of people that haven't made it a week. A fair number never come back from lunch. And we pay pretty well, lots of benefits, bonuses are thick right now. It's frustrating as hell. 

In reply to BoostedBrandon :

You need to take cons. Former jail people who don't have a choice. Who a second chance at a good pay would likely turn into your best employee. 

We can't hire them on school buses. They have to pass a background check. 
 

Steve_Jones said:

It's amazing how many people don't want to work, but wonder why they're broke. It's never their fault though. 

The people who do want those jobs and would make great employees can't come into the country.   

ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) said:

We are trying to add a second shift in our production warehouse. Not easy work, but not too bad. Granted, the plant floor isn't air conditioned and were in Georgia. Working on a line filling bottles of disinfectant, so you're standing. We can't hire enough to get the shift going. We've hired double digits of people that haven't made it a week. A fair number never come back from lunch. And we pay pretty well, lots of benefits, bonuses are thick right now. It's frustrating as hell. 

 That's the sort of jobs recent immigrants are good for. Well except they are being kept out.   

Good luck, apparently around here you don't have to go back to work when your employer reopens. We " rent " guys from a couple of local electrical contractors.  I had called both recently and told them I would take an apprentice if no licensed guys were available.  They both laughed, both shops had a number of their apprentices choose not to come back and keep collecting.  

Before I get into an immigration argument, It's been a problem around here for years. Any physical or hot job regardless of the pay is hard too keep filled. I'm working my first air conditioned job ever and miss the hard work for some reason! 

If in I was in the area I'd be all over it. If I hadn't just started an apprenticeship anyway. Y'all probably have way better (read: any) benefits, and some sort of retirement plan. A fellow could do much worse. 

We have the same problem in the hose business - finding guys that want to get dirty and make hoses is a challenge.  Why get dirty? 

Moving around heavy hose reels and fighting ends onto hoses?  Our branch manager started in 1980 making $5.00 an hour - now our guys are in the $15.00 starting range. Many see no future in working in a shop all day.    

 BTW my sisters and I have dabbled in the garbage business over the years.  I sell conveyor belts and hoses to recyclers.  I try not to make a lot of calls in July........ 

In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :

I know someone that might be interested.  I'm going to text you.

Stampie (FS) said:

In reply to ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) :

I know someone that might be interested.  I'm going to text you.

Hit me up. I'm happy to connect people with our HR lady, she's a sweetheart. 

ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) said:

A fair number never come back from lunch.

I worked in a factory that had a sand blast job that was dirty, nasty, hot, and loud.  

An older guy that was my mentor would ask me about the new hires: "Did he come back from lunch?   Good.  Let's see if he shows up tomorrow."

It might pay better or at the very least be less hard on the body to drive for the guys who run modern equipment. Why sling garbage bags when you can drive a truck that practically loads itself?

frenchyd said:

Steve_Jones said:

It's amazing how many people don't want to work, but wonder why they're broke. It's never their fault though. 

The people who do want those jobs and would make great employees can't come into the country.   

It's not a "those jobs" or an immigrant issue, it's all kinds of jobs, but thanks for playing. 

Datsun310Guy said:

 Our branch manager started in 1980 making $5.00 an hour - now our guys are in the $15.00 starting range. Many see no future in working in a shop all day.    

 

In real wages, that $5.00 wage in 1980 should be worth about $15.77 today- so, they're making less real money starting than your branch manager did in 1980. That's a big part of the problem. 

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

Anything less than $18 an hour ( depending on where you live) is less than the cost of living on a 40 hour week. 

Datsun310Guy said:

 

Moving around heavy hose reels and fighting ends onto hoses?  Our branch manager started in 1980 making $5.00 an hour - now our guys are in the $15.00 starting range. Many see no future in working in a shop all day.    

 

That’s actually a little lower than inflation ($5 in 1980 is $15.77 in 2020), and that’s before adjustments that have led to underestimating inflation numbers.

frenchyd said:

In reply to BoostedBrandon :

You need to take cons. Former jail people who don't have a choice. Who a second chance at a good pay would likely turn into your best employee. 

We can't hire them on school buses. They have to pass a background check. 
 

When i was hiring manager for group homes, my best employees had done years of time. Nonviolent crime. Mostly substance abuse related at felony levels. 

Guys never missed work and would always fill in without complaining. And were shocked when they got raises and promoted. Cause felons don't get that chance. 

If you think you pay enough, but can't get anyone to work the job, you don't pay enough. It's not just that people don't "want to work" it's that lots of these jobs now compete with the much expanded service industry for employees. Motivated hard workers are snatched up by way less physically demanding fields. 

Yeah I got the "I was only making $18 before I moved here and started my business, so you'll start at $15." talk. 
Difference was you were getting overtime every week, gas was $.97, a cheeseburger was $.39, the average home in your area cost <100k, and your spouse was working. Everything, and I mean everything, has doubled or more in those 18 years. 

Datsun310Guy said:

ultraclyde (Forum Supporter) said:

A fair number never come back from lunch.

I worked in a factory that had a sand blast job that was dirty, nasty, hot, and loud.  

An older guy that was my mentor would ask me about the new hires: "Did he come back from lunch?   Good.  Let's see if he shows up tomorrow."

Ok I might be guilty here.  I had a new guy ride with me one day.  I could just tell he wasn't up for the physical part of the the job.  Right before lunch I told him to really think if he could handle the job.  He didn't come back after lunch.  For some reason they don't let newbies ride with me anymore.

newrider3 said:

It might pay better or at the very least be less hard on the body to drive for the guys who run modern equipment. Why sling garbage bags when you can drive a truck that practically loads itself?

Management needs to update equipment but isn't prepared to do so yet. Obviously they need to learn the real cost of working with obsolete equipment. 

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. Don't get injured.

That's how a few market economy works. If you can't find workers, you aren't paying enough, plain and simple.