Frustration with continuing "staffing issues"

[ekrampitzjr]

To return to a question that was raised here, no government money is going to able-bodied people to allow them to stay home and not work. States resumed requiring those getting unemployment benefits to look for work a year ago, and if one of those people turns down work, benefits end, period. The extra money in 2020 was to allow people to survive when many employers were forced by the rules to shut down and people were required to stay home. Those circumstances changed quickly.

I still hear employers claim that people are getting paid more to stay home than to work, even though that hasn't been true in a long time. Usually these are the same employers paying minimum wage with no benefits.

That's more common than you think. Had an uncle (related by marriage) who complained years ago he couldn't find "good employees" for his HVAC business. Guess what—he was paying minimum wage with no benefits too. He could have paid better, and I'll just stop there about how I know that (clue: expensive cars, antiques, etc., and he was a bit shady anyway). In the meantime, other HVAC companies were running ads on radio stations here offering paid training, $40K/year with full benefits to start, and your own van after finishing training. And even with all that, they still look for applicants.

With the right employees paid well, I suspect my uncle could really have grown his business. No, it remained small. I wonder why.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Most people got a feel for what it was like working from home. No traffic to deal with (and wasting the travel time), no coworkers crap to put up with. No nasty looks or talking or laughing behind your back, you know the normal stuff that some people have to deal with at work. And now in these crazy times driving to work in some areas is an extremely dangerous adventure, you never know when the next road rage may target you, that sort of thing.
I've seen on some forums that workers would take a cut in pay to work at home. We think working at home is just for the folks that spend hours on a computer keyboard, it doesn't have to be that way. There is no reason the Transmission rebuild tech couldn't be doing that from home, if he or she has a decent garage, they could do the tear down and cleaning at the shop and then bring the parts home to assemble, they would probably do a better job at home due to less stress and some ugly boss hanging over their heads.

 

[Lubener]

That money ran out a long time ago and was barely a pittance anyway.

If you read, I also said savings.

 

[Propflux01]

The point I was trying to make is that you have two surveys from the same federal reserve that directly contradict each other.

Yes, I agree, but which ones lying.

 

[PWMDMD]

Most people got a feel for what it was like working from home. No traffic to deal with (and wasting the travel time), no coworkers crap to put up with. No nasty looks or talking or laughing behind your back, you know the normal stuff that some people have to deal with at work. And now in these crazy times driving to work in some areas is an extremely dangerous adventure, you never know when the next road rage may target you, that sort of thing.
I've seen on some forums that workers would take a cut in pay to work at home. We think working at home is just for the folks that spend hours on a computer keyboard, it doesn't have to be that way. There is no reason the Transmission rebuild tech couldn't be doing that from home, if he or she has a decent garage, they could do the tear down and cleaning at the shop and then bring the parts home to assemble, they would probably do a better job at home due to less stress and some ugly boss hanging over their heads.

There are only so many jobs that can be done remotely and LOTS of jobs that can not. The first thing the pandemic taught me, which I had never thought about before was, teledentistry is not a thing.

 

[Hall]

You might also like the Civic Si

Good luck getting/finding one

 

[DuckRyder]

GTI.

 

[WylieCoyote]

Dropped it off. I knew the appointment setter had no idea what she was talking about when she told me they just need four to six hours diagnostic time. It has to sit on their lot for a week before anybody's going to look at it. I left it. Now I'm anticipating them telling me that this is normal operation, to which I will say "here, jump in my convertible and see if you can get it to slam into drive." They best not test me after my car sits outside on their lot for a week, needlessly.

 

[bdcardinal]

Dropped it off. I knew the appointment setter had no idea what she was talking about when she told me they just need four to six hours diagnostic time. It has to sit on their lot for a week before anybody's going to look at it. I left it. Now I'm anticipating them telling me that this is normal operation, to which I will say "here, jump in my convertible and see if you can get it to slam into drive." They best not test me after my car sits outside on their lot for a week, needlessly.

I totally get your frustration and believe me, there is just as much frustration on the dealer side of things. Lot of parts on backorder with no date off, only to have Ford call and ask us why we haven't received them.

 

[Exhaustgases]

There are only so many jobs that can be done remotely and LOTS of jobs that can not. The first thing the pandemic taught me, which I had never thought about before was, teledentistry is not a thing.

Like I mentioned there are jobs that are not normally considered at home jobs. But if a person some how can do them at home then yes.
Sure jobs like working in power plants and or food industry, refinerys, hospitals etc. can not be at home jobs. Most all mechanic jobs and even some machinist jobs, and other such similar jobs could be at home jobs. The options need to exist. The more that existing jobs transfer into home based then more people would consider doing those sort of jobs.

 

[clinebarger]

There is no reason the Transmission rebuild tech couldn't be doing that from home, if he or she has a decent garage, they could do the tear down and cleaning at the shop and then bring the parts home to assemble, they would probably do a better job at home due to less stress and some ugly boss hanging over their heads.

Ugly Boss....You mean the guy that makes sure stuff gets done correctly even if he has to hurt some feelings & ego's along the way?

In a Dealer Service Department environment...You can't hardy be a dedicated Transmission Rebuilder. Don't confuse that with a Transmission Shop that normally has dedicated builders.

 

[2EHA]

This may be the best summation of the problem I've heard yet.
My brother has been trying to hire diesel mechanics for two years.
Nobody wants to get their hands dirty today.

found the problem

 

[ekrampitzjr]

found the problem

I wonder if the mantra that vehicles will all be electric is discouraging people from becoming diesel mechanics. Why train for a job that might not exist in 10 years? (Their logic, not necessarily mine.) We've had similar discussions about the claimed shortage of truck drivers and the mantra that all the trucks will be self-driving soon. Why train for that field, then? Or why stay in it?

 

[MotorFan]

Frustrating, but at the end of the day it’s just first world problems. At least there’s still food on the shelves.

"still food on the shelves"......stay tuned on that one.

 

[Strommen95]

As someone who leans right, I do find it funny that in these particular online discussions people that generally are 'conservatives' suddenly forget about supply and demand when it's their own business being penalized with supply and demand.

If you're not getting employees for an extended period of time, the wages being offered aren't enough. Everybody else facing the same issue means it's even more important to pay more. Otherwise, you've done nothing to differentiate from the countless other businesses offering employment aswell.

Anybody in any industry whining "we can't hire people!" only has the mirror to look at.

 

[cb_13]

They can’t find people to work for $35/hr when other skilled trades are knocking down $60? They can’t find techs who want to work 6 days a week with no overtime pay? They can’t find techs who want to work on a flat rate system where you’re paid 60%(approximately and it does vary)of the agreed upon labor time for anything covered by warranty?

Color me surprised!

 

[dan_erickson]

I work in a body shop and we are booked out for weeks. Also, so is every body shop in the area. I don’t know what it is this year but I’ve made a killing because we have never slowed down.

 

[MattPersman]

GTI.

Or GLI

 

[skyactiv]

How many parents would want their high school aged son to become an automatic transmission tech in 2022? If I was a parent I wouldn’t.

 

[John105]

As someone who leans right, I do find it funny that in these particular online discussions people that generally are 'conservatives' suddenly forget about supply and demand when it's their own business being penalized with supply and demand.

If you're not getting employees for an extended period of time, the wages being offered aren't enough. Everybody else facing the same issue means it's even more important to pay more. Otherwise, you've done nothing to differentiate from the countless other businesses offering employment aswell.

Anybody in any industry whining "we can't hire people!" only has the mirror to look at.

One of countless examples, let's take Walmart. $110k for a truck driver, $200k for a general manager. That's wonderful, imho above industry standard. Yet they have started layoffs. To me, simply upping pay isn't how one attracts great workers. I suppose I'm fortunate, I would say I'm overpaid at my job. I'm loyal, don't even have a CV, and keep on chugging. But there are folks at my co with 30-50 years tenure, so I'm not alone (I have 12). I've seen 70 y.o people leave my co., and come back a few years later. While my employer does a lot right? Our benefits su**. I was happy as a clam until my wife left the workforce and I had to pick up healthcare. Since Walmart among others can't find truck drivers, should they look in the mirror and increase the pay? My town has patrolman making $170k and it's not easy to hire cops. Up the pay?

Maybe the issue is actually unsolvable, like puzzles we were given in HS where one piece of info was missing. Oh another example of my lousy benefits lol I received documentation that I had to do deferred compensation, not 401k (lopsided). I felt I would be losing about 20k/yr but had no choice, then in the 11th hour no longer had to and OK to remain in 401k. some of you would say how can you work for such a co that's bizarre