Net Worth
Posted on June 12, 2007 - Filed Under Philosophy |
Taking advantage of a situation and taking advantage of someone is oftentimes separated by a thin line. The difficulty in maintaining a healthy balance can sometimes override the best of intentions, leaving one or more parties hurt.
In Southern California, there is a phrase uttered almost in a hush whisper when work needs to get done yet money does not want to be dispensed. "Get a couple of Mexicans to do it."
Cheap labor.
I do not believe at all in taking advantage of someone, independent of their level of English, their immigration status, or bad fortune. That phrase bothers me each time I hear it’s utterance.
In a former entrepreneurial life, I had the chance to work side by side with a group of Mexicans: only one spoke English. I had thought my work ethic was above reproach but these men I was working with put me to shame. They worked like well oil-machines, hardly complaining and always with pride in their work.
Here was my situation.
The garbage has to get cleaned. The demolition to the house, plus the stuff Jailbird left has pretty much filled the entire back yard. A dumpster did arrive but not before the junk materialized behind the house. WonderWoman and SideKick are too valuable (and too expensive) to be picking up garbage. They have a house to rebuild.
When explaining to someone, the phrase "Just get a couple of Mexicans to do it." showed up. My first reaction was to reject this notion outright. But then something occurred to me. If I am paying a fair wage, why would this be a bad idea?
A few days prior, a couple of Mexicans did show up at my door looking for scrap metal. They left a business card behind. In their broken English, they said they were available in case there was any work to be done. So I used their business card, ignoring the fact they spelled engin [sic] wrong.
A dollar figure was already in my head when they arrived. It was a figure I would have paid anyone, independent of their English level. We negotiated a bit. He got the price he wanted, I paid what I wanted. As a secondary incentive, I told him he could keep whatever metal he found. His face lit up like a Christmas tree.
As he was leaving, he shook my hand 5 times. Excitement written all over his face. A smile broke out onto my face. I wasn’t sure if my smile was because he was going to clean the yard or if it was because I was a positive impact on his day. Who knows?
In the end, we both got what we wanted.
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4 Responses to “Net Worth”
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There are two economies in this country, the W2/1099 economy and the cash economy. Pricing in the cash economy is much lower. Hence the dramatic expansion of the cash economy.
I pay a fair market price for the jobs I want done. I admire the work ethic of many of the people that bid these jobs. I just wish the rest of the residents of this country would adopt the same work ethic.
Be careful here.
Anyone who isn’t licensed and bonded as a contractor may sue you if they get hurt working on your property. Of course, we live in an age when everyone, even licensed contractors, can sue - and often does - but you have no protection what so ever with these handshake agreements with the Home Depot parking lot crowd.
There is also the miniscule chance that the G might actually choose to enforce the law. Charges of tax evasion and hiring undocumented workers might pile up faster than the garbage in your new back yard.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a full supporter of immigration and believe that anyone who wants to work should be given the chance. The sort of labor arrangement you described happens 1000s of times per day all over Southern California. Ninety nine percent of the time, it works wonderfully well . . but there is that 1% chance, hence my warning above.
AI, so far I have been pleasantly surprised with the work ethic. And fair pay for fair work is always a good model.
Engineer X, yes I’ve heard the horror stories regarding people who sue being injured on the property. And I would hazard a guess that it’s less than 1%. Even then, I won’t let the slim possibility of 1% deter me or detract me from getting the job done.
A big hole and a little lye solve all on site injuries…