Interesting. The good employees always seem to go out on their own anyway. Might as well admit that’s what’s going to happen and plan accordingly.
It’s so hard to find good people that I wouldn’t want to encourage them to eventually fly the coop. Of those that have been with me only 1 in 5 or 7 seem to start up their own company. Thanks though.
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If they are employees I would fire them (after establishing a firm policy). That’s stealing. They are at the job because they work for your company. They are representing your company at the customers house. If the customer, a neighbor, or anyone else for that matter asks them to do some extra work they are asking your company not the individual. It needs to be known that you have a stricked policy on the issue. If they’re taking jobs from customers on the side they are taking your jobs. They are stealing!
With sub contractors it’s different. If the customer asks them to do something extra then they are your customer and your subs represent your company on the job so the extra work is yours. If they take that work for themselves they are stealing. If someone unrelated to the customer or job asks them to do some work then that’s their business. They have a right as a sub contractor to take other business. If you restrict them from doing work outside of your jobs then they are not subs but employees. You need to make the boundaries firm and enforce them.
It’s really as simple as outlining your policies and make them clear and firm and enforce your policies.
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[quote=“Salming, post:19, topic:41292”]
The other employees are subcontractors earning again approx. 50%.[/quote]
They are not “employees” then. If they are using their own equipment and pick up their own jobs (distinguished from your specific jobs) then I don’t see how you can be upset with them. If you want employees who generate more work for your company and not themselves, then you need to step-up and make the investment required to be a legit employer. (I’m not trying to bash you, I’m just sayin’…) If you want independent contractors working for you (the IRS would likely disagree with the “contractor” label, by the way) then it’s hard to blame them for caring for themselves.
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This thread seems to have drifted off onto a discussion of “sub-contractors”.
Your original post was about “employees”.
I can understand anyone wanting to take in a little more money, but look at it like this - if your employee is working as a butcher in your grocery store and starts selling milk from his wife’s farm to your customers - that is an employee of yours taking money away from your grocery store. He’s under your logo, your business structure, and sounds like using your tools.
Next step, in my opinion - Mandatory meeting, everyone sign off on the Memorandum Of Understanding, and everyone gets back to work - for you if they wish.
I believe a lot of us here started out this way. Eventually the IRS will take notice. As the business grows I assume our friend will make “adjustments” like everybody else does. ok ok not everybody 
I call it flying by the seat of your pants
I agree that it’s steeling but so is cheating on our income taxes by paying people under the table and calling them subs when they’re not.
If you’re cheating on your taxes it would be unwise to lay down the boom on an employee in my opinion. They may get angry with you and make that phone call. Just thinking …
That’s a fair point, and very true. The good ones learn what is needed and fix things to do them the right way.
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If you want it to stop start fireing some people. If you can deal with it don’t. I’ve been in this situation it sucks.
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Yup my boss said " if you ever do a job on my route your fired no questions asked."
He didn’t care if I did houses in the side , but absolutely no storefronts on his route ever
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What about on a day off or a weekend when you might not be working for him?
Lol … no work what so ever on his route ever
Fired if caught
I understood it An respected it. He had a vested interest just like I do now on that area of work.
It’s bad enough he had to fight off competition then , now way ya put up with a worker do jobs on your route An getting paid for them.
Plus your doing iit on his time while he is paying you. Hells no
Not even after hours though like your asking
He made it clear if I did it’s stealing
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I like the part where it’s ok for you to do houses on the side. I’m a storefront guy now so I see things differently now. lol
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Basically the same arrangement I had with my old boss…His Father owned the business and handed it down to him. The old man said guys were doing the same thing way back in 70s .
Age old problem.
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Back in the 70’s when I started you’d get your tires slashed if you stole customers from another guys route. Kinda hard to get any work done with 4 flat tires. It was understood, ya got what you deserved for stepping out of line.
Did that post make me sound old? LOL
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Just a bit…glad I’m never getting old 
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A little. My neighbor is 95 and you should hear the stuff his union did when guys “stepped out of line” back in the day. 
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That’s because he wasn’t a big residential guy. I borrowed his wooden sectionals a bunch of times. 
Those things sucked
My boss after him was a big residential guy , he wasnt to happy about me doing houses. He didn’t stop me , but didn’t want to hear about it 
The only way he could stop me is feed me
More work , An that he did
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An employer can’t control what you do on your free time. But if you’re getting clients that were attained by your employer’s marketing efforts or advertising budget, of fire you. It’s spelled out in our handbook.
Did somebody mention sectional ladders. lol
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ya he said they were crap!!!
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