So I walked out of work today...

Castiel · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:51

Biohazard said:
Are plumbers being sacked in their thousands?

It is an ever demanding market.

Here in the south, there is a huge shortage of plumbers, my mate works for himself and earns more than I do and that is not insubstantial.

Biohazard said:
I'm thinking the same as you but if the lad says so...

(I would never have done this, dads company or not)

Neither would I. According to the Gas Safe register each individual gas safe engineer has to be registered by the company, so if he left they would still have a record of his personal registration and getting that transferred to him as self employed shouldn't be an issue.

Seems pretty straight forward actually.

https://engineers.gassaferegister.co.uk/Register.aspx

Castiel · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:53

Danm54 said:
I still needed to do the course's and pass the exams.

It works a weird way, you pass the exams for the appliance you want to work on the you have to register this with Gas Safe, if you're not registered then you cant work.

It is possibly right that I could register under my own name and be qualified but we're talking in the hundreds to add your name to the register.

Ive just checked and i need to go on a refresher course at the on March.

Yeah, I just looked it up.

Seems easy to do though....any company that employs you would put you on the register the same as your Dad though and if you go self employed a few hundred quid is peanuts compared to the work it will allow you to do.

"andy" · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:53

dont go out on your own...yet at least , family is important and you will still have the main issue of a job being harder when your alone.

you need to sit down with him and go through all your problems again and probably not at work where he might be distracted or busy , he probably realises how much it means to you after today and will listen . go see him at the weekend even.

if you really cant work with each other then cant you split jobs ? eg instead of him pricing up and you doing the installing then cant you price up your own jobs ? and him do the jobs he prices up ? he might realise exactly whats involved then...

if you are qualified and think it would be much easier with a helping hand (it usually is !) then what about getting an apprentice in ?

Danm54 · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:53

Moses said:
Would he be shafted if you bailed?

Thats why he called, he's screwed if i dont turn up monday!

My Dad is 50 so its a long time before he retires and hands me the company.

This whole moving the company forward talk is making me laugh, he has 2 PC's, one is pre Windows and the other is a Socket A heap that he's always moaning is too slow!!!

Its all pen and paper in there which id guesse is where most of the problems arise but some people wont change.

jp_bl_68 · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:54

Danm54 said:
So the big question is do I go in on monday and tell him all the problems I have (I do tell him regularly but they never seem to be heard) or do I start looking at doing something else?

Starting your own business is going to be tough especially the way things are these days. Competing for business with your father is going to be problematic, to say the least. I'd talk to him. Let him know where you think things are going wrong. Be completely honest and take things from there.

Im 25 in a couple of day

Me too! Happy (almost) Birthday

ins0mn1ac · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:54

Sounds like he's the one who needs you, balls in your court. Make him realise this! and have a good chat.

Arnie · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:57

Disco Boy said:
He's your dad, just talk to him and have a reasoned discussion instead of storming out like a child.

I agree - he's not just another employer, he's your father.

Wicksta · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:58

What about suggesting to your dad you become a partner in the business? It all sounds a bit of a strange situation to me, if there is just the two of you and it's your dad why are you being paid such a meagre salary? Is he Scottish?

Mr-White · 21 Jan 2011 at 17:59

Over the weekend make a list of the problems and their impact on the company and explain your reasons for leaving - give him an ultimatum

MW

cheets64 · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:02

I worked for my sisters ex husband and his dad, fitting all types of flooring and turning up to jobs, not knowing what the designs are, tools between 2 different vans, once had a to drive 5 miles to get a basic tool, I could see simple mistakes being made and tried to turn them around and make good money but had to leave in the end due to sister and him getting divorced.

ColdAsIce · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:02

I would go back to work with your dad but start saving on getting your own equipment and the certification you need in your own name. Word of mouth goes a long way in the trade you are in and it sounds like you are not one to leave a job unfinished or half arsed, which happens more often than not.

Hopefully you can start up on your own in the future.

jp_bl_68 · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:03

Mr-White said:
Over the weekend make a list of the problems and their impact on the company

I'd definitely do this but I wouldn't give him an ultimatum. Let him see that you've given this a lot of thought and you're acting in the best interests of the company.

Abraham · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:05

Moses said:
Write up a plan of how you could improve everything massively, how you can actually move the business forward. Get him to sit down with you properly and talk through that, and your role in the company. It sounds like you need him to start recognising your importance, or you need to go somewhere else.

This, find ways to simplify the office work, get more efficient ways of quoting jobs/ordering parts, work out an estimate of how much more work you could do if you took another person on again. And as mentioned by someone else maybe ask to take a more serious role in the company, partner, joint MD, your dad may be a long way off state retirement but it sounds like he's ready to take more of a back seat in the running of the company. Be confident in yourself, your ideas and your abilities, it sounds like you've got a potentially good situation so if you can it's probably worth pushing it towards that potential.

GreatAuk · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:06

Castiel said:
Here in the south, there is a huge shortage of plumbers, my mate works for himself and earns more than I do and that is not insubstantial.

There is a huge shortage everywhere! It takes a ridiculous amount of time to get a plumber up here as well. I'm sure a qualified plumber would have no problems getting work. Even without a gas cert, I'd be surprised if OP couldn't find another job/get work.

Danm54 · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:12

Ive got a mate who I went to college with, he's one of the few that finished the course and is still working in the trade, he's always made it known that if I ever left the company he'd be there to start a new company with.

Ill start on a list of the problems etc, its gonna be a long one!!

mattyfez · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:13

Talk to your dad and maybe switch roles available couple of days a week so you both understand each others frustrations.

Castiel · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:14

GreatAuk said:
There is a huge shortage everywhere! It takes a ridiculous amount of time to get a plumber up here as well. I'm sure a qualified plumber would have no problems getting work. Even without a gas cert, I'd be surprised if OP couldn't find another job/get work.

Coincidently I was just talking to my mate (he is my neighbour) he cleared over £100k last year.

jp_bl_68 · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:16

Danm54 said:
All my gas qualifications are through the company so if I walk then ive basically lost them

I'm not sure I understand this. By qualifications do you mean on the job training as opposed to nationally recognised qualifications?

When you talk to your dad about the problems it might be an idea to mention that you want more official training.

.Ox. · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:17

Yea definitely give it a good talk.

stulid · 21 Jan 2011 at 18:18

Nearly walked out of my job two times this week, and this afternoon was seriously thinking about hitting my supervisor in the face, and walking over his bloody body on my way out of the place.

Whats the likely sentence for a first time offender? lol