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Originally Posted by taranaki
First assumption is wrong, as is the second.A few years back, I did a spell in the grocery industry in a university town.There is skill in anything if you can refine it to its simplest form.I had a crew of about 30 people filling shelves for me, they worked from 8pm to midnight and fell into two distinct groups.There were the lumpy housewives, whoseonly motivation was the pitiful money that they got from stacking the shelves, and the varsity students, who were hired to muscle the cartons from the back store into the aisles.Because we needed that job done quickly, we made it a 'job and finish' arrangement.It was educational to watch the guys tearing around, working up a sweat but still considering their every move to get the job done as quickly and effectively as possible while the dullards just plodded along, watching the clock and gas bagging to each other.The guys got paid 4 hours, but seldom worked more than two. In terms of real pay, they were earning more per hour than I was to supervise them.Didn't cost the company a cent extra in wages, but if they'd cut the rate and insisted that the job be done in two hours, only idiots would apply for it.There's no skill in donkey work, but with the right incentives, it can be done far more efficiently.
As to your mechanic, your boss ought to be ashamed of himself.But then the mechanic deserves crap money if he's willing to invest 16k just to get a foot in the door.
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I also several years back spent 3 years working in a grocery store stocking shelves. So I know the skill level needed to do the job. Any trained monkey could do the job. Back when I did the job I had to put the price on the cans no fancy scanner.
I think its great what you did letting the guys go home early, that's a nice gesture on your part. But you still didn't increase their base pay. The got the same pay per hour if they stayed 4 hours or 2 hours. All you did was give them an incentive to bust ass and get the job done. No problem with that since that is how I earn my living now. The faster I do my job the more money I make. Speed is the object quality doesn't factor into it.
As for the mechanic we hired that is the going rate of pay in my area. You can get several jobs for the same pay around here. We mechanics do the job we do because we enjoy doing it, that is our reward. Now our incentives make the job worthwhile when we are busy. I can double my weekly paycheck without working any extra hours.