Hired help, hourly wage?

[Ryder]

I started at 21 cents an hour. Working for my dad on construction. I was 12 and I would get 2 dollars a day before taxes. I picked up scraps, carried lumber, fetched all kinds of tools and cords and whatever the crew needed. Worst was nailing sub flooring. When i Got a "real job" In a soda fountain at 1.25 per hour, I thought I had it made.

I would guess your "real" job was inside work out of the weather and you enjoyed air conditioning or at least a fan. You had it made for sure.

 

[melking]

I started at 21 cents an hour. Working for my dad on construction. I was 12 and I would get 2 dollars a day before taxes. I picked up scraps, carried lumber, fetched all kinds of tools and cords and whatever the crew needed. Worst was nailing sub flooring. When i Got a "real job" In a soda fountain at 1.25 per hour, I thought I had it made.

I would guess your "real" job was inside work out of the weather and you enjoyed air conditioning or at least a fan. You had it made for sure.

Correct you are Mr. Ryder. The only bad part was that I had to walk to work. It was 10 blocks and I thought it was like a mile.

 

[TexasBred]

I worked on our family rig as young as 12 years old (no hyd tongues)... mowed my first neighbors lawn at 8 for money... we didn't get round bales, a cab tractor, or post hole auger until I was in my teens. My dad was very clear he wanted us to experience that early on so we would not have any romantic notions about it. We all experienced directly and indirectly the toll that life style takes on a person and their family. My dad did not want that for us and made it blatantly clear.

I think people who have experienced true hard work don't romanticize it. Its the people who who kind of ran down the edge that like to hype it up. You see the same thing with war. The guys that really experienced it in the trenches rarely have much to say about it. Those that kind of dipped their toes in tend to tell all the "war stories".

Thats just my .02

Give that man a hand...…...don't remember my dad ever saying he wanted us to have it better and easier than him or have more than him. Just wanted us to learn to work, be smart about it, have a good attitude and good things would happen. Kinda funny....I always thought we were rich but can remember the first year he came home with his W-2 form and was so thrilled he had grossed $6,000.00 for the first time in his life and raised 5 kids.

 

[TCRanch]

Kind of going back to my initial post, the 16 year old is now 17. He worked for us off/on during the summer & school for $10 an hour. Sweaty, physical labor is clearly not his preference but he's a good kid, does an okay job - and has a father that drove him 10 miles to work when he had a flat tire. Did I ever mention his mom is a Principal? They're trying so hard to instill a good work ethic in him. Anyway, he's pretty much booked for the summer with football camp, life of a soon-to-be-Senior, etc and his time is limited. But there's a guy in town that retired early and works part time at the hardware store currently going out of business. Told me he'd love to help out for any odd job, just to keep him active/sane/motivated. Doesn't really have any ranching/fencing/heavy equipment experience but I would be hesitant (okay, embarrassed) to offer only $10 an hour when I pay a buttload for a professional to come in and get the job done. Thoughts?

 

[Ryder]

If $10 is the best you can do, then tell him it's what you paid before him. If it is the best you can do and if he wants the work you would be glad to have him.

 

[ddd75]

Kind of going back to my initial post, the 16 year old is now 17. He worked for us off/on during the summer & school for $10 an hour. Sweaty, physical labor is clearly not his preference but he's a good kid, does an okay job - and has a father that drove him 10 miles to work when he had a flat tire. Did I ever mention his mom is a Principal? They're trying so hard to instill a good work ethic in him. Anyway, he's pretty much booked for the summer with football camp, life of a soon-to-be-Senior, etc and his time is limited. But there's a guy in town that retired early and works part time at the hardware store currently going out of business. Told me he'd love to help out for any odd job, just to keep him active/sane/motivated. Doesn't really have any ranching/fencing/heavy equipment experience but I would be hesitant (okay, embarrassed) to offer only $10 an hour when I pay a buttload for a professional to come in and get the job done. Thoughts?

i doubt they are paying him that at the hardware store

 

[herofan]

I worked on our family rig as young as 12 years old (no hyd tongues)... mowed my first neighbors lawn at 8 for money... we didn't get round bales, a cab tractor, or post hole auger until I was in my teens. My dad was very clear he wanted us to experience that early on so we would not have any romantic notions about it. We all experienced directly and indirectly the toll that life style takes on a person and their family. My dad did not want that for us and made it blatantly clear.

I think people who have experienced true hard work don't romanticize it. Its the people who who kind of ran down the edge that like to hype it up. You see the same thing with war. The guys that really experienced it in the trenches rarely have much to say about it. Those that kind of dipped their toes in tend to tell all the "war stories".

Thats just my .02

Give that man a hand...…...don't remember my dad ever saying he wanted us to have it better and easier than him or have more than him. Just wanted us to learn to work, be smart about it, have a good attitude and good things would happen. Kinda funny....I always thought we were rich but can remember the first year he came home with his W-2 form and was so thrilled he had grossed $6,000.00 for the first time in his life and raised 5 kids.

I suppose things were good enough for your family that there was no need to wish things were better. If you thought you were rich, I assume thingd weren't too bad.

 

[TexasBred]

I worked on our family rig as young as 12 years old (no hyd tongues)... mowed my first neighbors lawn at 8 for money... we didn't get round bales, a cab tractor, or post hole auger until I was in my teens. My dad was very clear he wanted us to experience that early on so we would not have any romantic notions about it. We all experienced directly and indirectly the toll that life style takes on a person and their family. My dad did not want that for us and made it blatantly clear.

I think people who have experienced true hard work don't romanticize it. Its the people who who kind of ran down the edge that like to hype it up. You see the same thing with war. The guys that really experienced it in the trenches rarely have much to say about it. Those that kind of dipped their toes in tend to tell all the "war stories".

Thats just my .02

Give that man a hand...…...don't remember my dad ever saying he wanted us to have it better and easier than him or have more than him. Just wanted us to learn to work, be smart about it, have a good attitude and good things would happen. Kinda funny....I always thought we were rich but can remember the first year he came home with his W-2 form and was so thrilled he had grossed $6,000.00 for the first time in his life and raised 5 kids.

I suppose things were good enough for your family that there was no need to wish things were better. If you thought you were rich, I assume thingd weren't too bad.

True....just observing it was obvious we had more than many but nobody was starving or homeless.

 

[backhoeboogie]

First pay was hauling hay on a hay truck. Some paid 12 cents a bale and others paid 15 cents. The truck got half. The truck owner and the two swampers split the other half. I think we went with three man teams because we were so young. Loading onto the tail gate and stacking was two steps for us. We stair stepped bales in the barn.

When you got a hay truck of your own, it meant earning more. You took care of that truck. I had to get mom to buy oil when she went in to town because I didn't have my driver's license yet.

 

[Dave]

But there's a guy in town that retired early and works part time at the hardware store currently going out of business. Told me he'd love to help out for any odd job, just to keep him active/sane/motivated. Doesn't really have any ranching/fencing/heavy equipment experience but I would be hesitant (okay, embarrassed) to offer only $10 an hour when I pay a buttload for a professional to come in and get the job done. Thoughts?

I have been helping a rancher all winter and now well into spring. He buys me breakfast and lunch. I work about 4 days a week. My wife says I need to get a tee shirt that says, "Will Work For Food". For some of us it is more important to keep active and moving than it is to make money. In fact I told him that I wouldn't work for money. That way if it is 100 degrees out and he is building fence I can just go home. But yesterday I took a generator and an air compresser to a pasture with 4 connected tire tanks and blew out the lines. Then helped gather 20 fall pairs that we sorted. I hauled two loads to a pasture 5 miles away. For this I got sausage and eggs for breakfast and a hamburger for lunch.

 

[Stocker Steve]

For this I got sausage and eggs for breakfast and a hamburger for lunch.

The rancher should step up to beef steak and eggs.

 

[Dave]

For this I got sausage and eggs for breakfast and a hamburger for lunch.

The rancher should step up to beef steak and eggs.

He would pay for whatever I ordered. Yesterday being Monday the normal place is closed. The Monday place is good but pretty limited selection.

 

[Dave]

Today we were going to gather 180 of them out of a canyon and push them about 6 miles down the county road to another pasture. Our third guy bailed on us at 8:30 last night. Pretty tough for two guys to do and then turn around and ride 6 miles back to the pickup. It is hot today too. So that plan got moved to Thursday.

 

[herofan]

But there's a guy in town that retired early and works part time at the hardware store currently going out of business. Told me he'd love to help out for any odd job, just to keep him active/sane/motivated. Doesn't really have any ranching/fencing/heavy equipment experience but I would be hesitant (okay, embarrassed) to offer only $10 an hour when I pay a buttload for a professional to come in and get the job done. Thoughts?

I have been helping a rancher all winter and now well into spring. He buys me breakfast and lunch. I work about 4 days a week. My wife says I need to get a tee shirt that says, "Will Work For Food". For some of us it is more important to keep active and moving than it is to make money. In fact I told him that I wouldn't work for money. That way if it is 100 degrees out and he is building fence I can just go home. But yesterday I took a generator and an air compresser to a pasture with 4 connected tire tanks and blew out the lines. Then helped gather 20 fall pairs that we sorted. I hauled two loads to a pasture 5 miles away. For this I got sausage and eggs for breakfast and a hamburger for lunch.

This is ironic. I listened in on a speech given to some high school seniors yesterday about not letting people take advantage of them when it comes to working. One of the presenters said, "there are people who will try to get a week's work out of you on a farm and convince you that buying your lunch and $20 a week is sufficient compensation; don't fall for that."

I know you're doing it because you want to, but you would be durprised how many people will try to take advantage of a naive youngster.

 

[greybeard]

I listened in on a speech given to some high school seniors yesterday about not letting people take advantage of them when it comes to working.

Good deal!! :roll:
You should put that on your wall too. I sure wouldn't want the current generation to have to work too hard, especially for too little $$..pore little things have a long hard row to hoe as it is, with people expecting them to get out of bed before 10am and all.........

 

[NEFarmwife]

For our kids, anything they do for US or OUR sole farm operation, it is an obligation. Anything they do for the farms as a whole (grandpa, uncle)...laying out pipe for them, walking beans, hauling manure, is paid hourly or by the job...depending on what it is. But most young adults around here make about $10 an hour.

I prefer my kids to get paid by the job because I believe that encourages them to "get it done". If they want to take a whole week cutting cedar trees out of Grandpas pasture, that is on them. But an opportunity to make more, may have slipped by.

 

[Son of Butch]

I listened in on a speech given to some high school seniors yesterday
One of the presenters said, "there are people who will try to get a week's work out of you on a farm and
convince you that buying your lunch and $20 a week is sufficient compensation; don't fall for that."

Sounds like a presenter lacking in wisdom with nothing of importance to say, other than to knock farmers and instill
fear in the youth of America of a society that is out to screw you at any turn possible. What a send off for 17 year olds.
Sure hope he wasn't a paid presenter.

 

[greybeard]

BINGO!! SoB. Presenter was probably afraid of work himself, has no idea what real work is and spent a good amount of his life tooling along the fringe Brute & Fence was talking about.

 

[herofan]

I listened in on a speech given to some high school seniors yesterday
One of the presenters said, "there are people who will try to get a week's work out of you on a farm and
convince you that buying your lunch and $20 a week is sufficient compensation; don't fall for that."

Sounds like a presenter lacking in wisdom with nothing of importance to say, other than to knock farmers and instill
fear in the youth of America of a society that is out to screw you at any turn possible. What a send off for 17 year olds.
Sure hope he wasn't a paid presenter.

Ok, maybe there is some misunderstanding here. There is a big-time farmer who is a teacher, and she agreed wholeheartedly, as did I. So, you are saying lunch and $20 a week is adequate for a recent graduate looking to start a career?

This speech was given to a smaller group, some of who were the higher functioning mentally challenged students; there have been instances where students in that situation were taken advantage of. I've know people to get a week's worth of physical labor from one of those kids, (not always in the farm)and give them $30 for the week and call it good. That is ridiculous.

These are students who don't always have the ability to understand finances and planning without some help, but they can do physical labor. Somebody with a sharp tongue will talk them out of getting a public job through their school work program. Instead, they flash some cash in front of them and convince them to come work for them for pennies. Those people are low in my opinion.

 

[herofan]

BINGO!! SoB. Presenter was probably afraid of work himself, has no idea what real work is and spent a good amount of his life tooling along the fringe Brute & Fence was talking about.

Maybe I misinterpreted Brute's post. Although it could apply to anyone, I assumed he was also referring to some farmers who like to romantasize hard labor. Maybe a few of them didn't work quite as hard as they say, otherwise they wouldn't act like it was so wonderful and hope their kids could also go to bed every night with a broken back, bleeding hands, and barely able to move a muscle.