What is the job worth?

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Aaron

Aaron

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Location
Stratton, ON, Canada
Local community pasture manager quit this week. Again, I got offered his job yesterday for about 3rd time in 4 years and again I turned it down. Board of directors seem to think the pay is phenomenal, I think it's just poverty wage. Again, this is all done by one man.

Job criteria: 1500 acres, 9 groups of cattle, 330 pairs and 50 yearlings plus bulls. June 1 to October 1. Check every 2nd day, 4-6 hours. Everyday if there are problems. Have own truck and own ATV to use to check. Rotate cattle through paddocks, keep them in water, salt and mineral. Treat any and all cases of footrot and pinkeye. Keep fences maintained.

Pay: $12-14K CDN, 11K US

My firm counteroffer was 30K CDN, 24K US. (Travel round trip would be about 25 miles for me, was about 50 miles for previous manager)

What happened was manager was only checking once a week (even though he lied through his teeth and said he checked every 2nd day), because he knows pay wasn't worth it to travel every 2nd day. Board told him he was going to be getting a log book to let them keep track of his hours. Resigned on the spot.

So, what do you think the job is worth?
 
Sounds to me like they get what they pay for . Last three lasting only a total of around four years Total . It like the quote " the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results."
 
Rmc said:
Sounds to me like they get what they pay for . Last three lasting only a total of around four years Total . It like the quote " the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results."
Click to expand...
Oh no, it's been same guy for last 8 years. They just all figured I would do a much better job and actively asked that many times.

They wanted a better 'option' without actually firing the guy working first or, big shock, paying a better wage.
 
MurraysMutts said:
Sounds like somewhere tween 11 and 24k US!

Did they not counteroffer back?
Click to expand...
This was just informal conversations. I don't allow counteroffers unless the terms are going to be loosened quite a bit. I honestly don't have the time to do the job anyways with my own herds, making hay and side jobs. But if they actually got serious about 30k...I might get serious about rearranging my schedule.
 
Aaron, I know you to be a reliable, conscientious worker, but the most I can afford to pay you is $24,960 cad

$150 hd x 30-33.3% = 45-$50 x 400 hd = $18,000 - $20,000 usa
more than that, would have to seriously consider selling the herd.
As owner, I'd try to minimize expenses and base it on the number of cows
330 hd x 45-50 = $14,850 - $16,500 using log book I'd offer $100 per trip
3 times week = $300 wk = $15,600 cad - gotta watch my own profit margins

4 times week = 400 = $20,800 cad
4-6 hours = 5 hr average x $20 hour = $100 per trip
$24 hr x 5 = $120 per trip x 4 = $480 = $24,960 cad ($20,011 usa)

Every part time worker in America has to pay their own travel expenses
so whether you have a 25 mile roundtrip or 50 miles, it only matters to you
and not to me as your employer.

ps
misinformation spread by hollywood/peta:
I heard someone say on a TV show last night, that during harsh winters in Canada,
it's common for cattle to freeze to death and die standing up.
Sheesh, the stuff people believe
 
Last edited:
Aaron said:
Local community pasture manager quit this week. Again, I got offered his job yesterday for about 3rd time in 4 years and again I turned it down. Board of directors seem to think the pay is phenomenal, I think it's just poverty wage. Again, this is all done by one man.

Job criteria: 1500 acres, 9 groups of cattle, 330 pairs and 50 yearlings plus bulls. June 1 to October 1. Check every 2nd day, 4-6 hours. Everyday if there are problems. Have own truck and own ATV to use to check. Rotate cattle through paddocks, keep them in water, salt and mineral. Treat any and all cases of footrot and pinkeye. Keep fences maintained.

Pay: $12-14K CDN, 11K US

My firm counteroffer was 30K CDN, 24K US. (Travel round trip would be about 25 miles for me, was about 50 miles for previous manager)

What happened was manager was only checking once a week (even though he lied through his teeth and said he checked every 2nd day), because he knows pay wasn't worth it to travel every 2nd day. Board told him he was going to be getting a log book to let them keep track of his hours. Resigned on the spot.

So, what do you think the job is worth?
Click to expand...
With the price of gas was milage included? Our guy charges $20 an hour and does a great job. Knowledge and a good work ethic go a long way. He lives within 10 miles as well.
 
Cowboying has never paid what it is worth and probably never will. You dont do it for the money but you got to make a living also. I would say your number is a lot closer to what it is worth than theirs. I also agree with Ken a part time job is usually a full time job trying to be crammed into less hours for less money.
 
I would have to charge mileage at the standard business rate, currently $.585/mile in the States. If they had a truck and ATV to use that I could use for personal business might sweeten the deal.

What they offer is starvation wage. It's a different world than when even I entered the workforce, am 47 now. Used to the employer held all the cards, more labor supply than jobs. Not so anymore, even in the economic gulag of Illinois. It's only going to get worse, not enough skilled and driven people out there.

A part time gig better pay well or have some perks to it to make someone tie up their valuable time for it. This gig offers neither.
 
Whether or not it's worth it is a pretty individualized question, but 60 checks at 5 hours each is 300 hours (I realize that is kinda a minimum and it could be lots more than that...) and that is in the $36 / hr range U.S. I cant see how that is starvation wage. Seems like a pretty good hourly wage. With the variability it seems like it would be a better deal to negotiate an hourly wage then do the logbook deal.

Question-how does this community pasture deal work and who is involved, I've never heard of that type of situation before?
 
It would look good on a resume....I would run 15k by them since they think you would do a better job. That is a lot of money in the cattle business.
 
Aaron> Some good ideas are being presented here. I suspect the main issue here is not one of money but of philosophy.
Do you care for your own stock in a simular way they want theirs cared for? When you are with your own stock you are responsible
only to yourself. They will see you as the hired hand and while it might not be stated will be taken aback if you should iniate any
unilateral changes to procedure no matter how infintismal. In short it is the politics of the situation that will be the ultimate fly
in the ointment. If you can do the task at a rate agreeable to both parties give it a go and be ready for the give and take required
to accomplish the job. LVR
 
wbvs58 said:
I find part time jobs are just not worth it. I find that working the likes of 4-6 hour days I tend to waste the whole day. Just getting sorted and getting there and then when I get home I am too buggered to get much done here.

Ken
Click to expand...
These are my thoughts as well. I have always maintained that part-time jobs need to pull out the red carpet (more so than full time) in order to attract any talent of value, because they know those people have options and don't need that part time work to live.
 

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