My current window cleaners are starting to ask me what they are going to do during the winter. 99% of my customers are residential. I really don’t have a commercial route at all. I won’t have time to build a route this year I’m sure. So, what do you guys usually do with your employees during the winter when things are slow after gutter season and possibly holiday lighting? How many of you lay off guys during the winter? What percentage of your total employees do you wind up laying off? Do the employees usually come back after the layoff? Do they just get another job for a few months or do they collect unemployment until they can come back?
Come on, someone has to have an answer to this question?
We lay off almost 75% of the staff for a 3 month period. About 75% of that 75% end up coming back the next year.
For the most part they are all happy to have off over the winter. Regardless of what they say this time of year. Its pleasant working this time of year, once October November, December hits… It gets cold and miserable to work.
So they collect unemployment and relax. Some that choose to work go over to commercial.
I began to reply yesterday but deleted it due to my thinking it was unhelpful.
We go 7 days a week from Oct 20th to Dec 15th. After the 15 we work till about the 20 and then sit back and respond to 'emergency" calls for gutters. Then in Jan we take down the lights and clean plenty of gutters. We increase our pay during that time so the guys ususually have money stocked up to get through Feb/Mar.
Also I’ve been lucky to hire guys who love to snowboard so they love the time off in Feb/Mar when they have plenty of money to spend.
Excellent responses. Thank you guys. Chris, when your guys have to collect unemployment for a few months, does that affect you negatively in respect to the unemployment insurance or is it really not a big deal?
Clean rain gutters.
Yeah a bit, youll pay a bit more in… But its worth it if you think about it. IE: If they find other jobs the cost of retraining is very high. It also comes at the time when you need people most. I could use 15 extra trained up guys right now… No such luck though!
Good to know Chris. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.
normaly gutter cleaning and repairs. Try Contacting the local LDS church,s and find the procurment office. there is one in every state /county/region all over the world theres a good tip for all. Failling that my team switchs to snow removal
I made $1800 dollars on one run on victoria Island any one in Victoria Canada the contract is vacant this year as i am in Alberta
Exact same here. We layoff 100% since we are exclusive to the residential market. Ive had the same guys year after year and no one has not once mentioned that they will look elsewhere.
Steve
That’s good to know Steve. How many employees do you have right now? How long have you had employees working for you?
I have 6 guys right now (3 teams). My most senior guy turns eight this year and the others are between 3-4 years. I have noticed that since I pay strictly commission since 2006, I think that I pay them far better than they could make going hourly at some other job. The economy plays a big part in this whole thing as well.
When late December rolls around and it gets pretty fridged outside, I can tell that my guys are itching to go on unemployment. I usually give them a heads up a week in advance. Everyone is totally cool with it because they know that it is the nature of the business and they arent “permanently” laid off. They know that when spring arrives, they can pretty much write their own paychecks once again for 9 months.
So, when you hire, you just tell them this is a 9 month seasonal job and they shrug and say, “Where do I sign up?” It seems like a lot of guys would walk away from the table since it has a ring of instability to it.
all of our employees including myself go on unemployment at the end of Decmeber. All return in March when work starts up again if they are asked to return. Its not a big deal at all.
I spent my first 5 or so years doing almost all commercial work and built up 2 routes. I had a 3rd a couple years ago, but it went down the drain and is good for about 3 hours a month now. This at least has provided 2 days a week for me and one employee or 3 to 4 for him alone from around mid Dec. to late March. One of my part-timers would just work for a friend who has a Carpet Cleaning and Restoration company from mid-Nov. to mid-April and then back with me for the rest, but he was wooed away more or less to stay with the other guy.
And this winter my full-timer wasn’t too happy to have the cap that the state puts on UC since he bought a house in the summer. But we’re going nuts now and he’s getting time.5 this afternoon for about 4 hours of work. I hope he saves up a little this season.
In a nutshell, I’d love to provide more work in the winter so as to keep everyone happy. Roof snow removal didn’t happen this year. We have several office cleaning accounts that we do as a family. Maybe some more accounts would help out for him next winter. We’ll see.
Really there isnt that much instability to it at all. I tell all new hires everything (even possible slowdown preiods in late July and August). I tell them that all of my guys go on unemployment compensation during the winter months. I have heard of other companies telling their employees (or should I say threatening) that if they file for unemployment they wont be called back. This is totally illegal and unethical. I encourage my guys to file because I want them to be able to have some sort of income during the winter months and work for me again when spring arrives.
Its funny but when I interview someone and tell them about winter, they seem relieved that they wont have their hand in a bucket of ice water 3 months out of the year.
Steve
