When I found my small one man business started to grow very fast I was able to take on more staff and so I got intouch with the local Job centre,
Well when i interviewed the male’s i found that more than one person had no interest in working for me or anyone else,
One person comes to mind as he said after my serving him coffee and telling him the wage and what was exspected of him & all training would be given to ensure he was safe using the high ladders etc,
He said, can you just sign this form to say im not what your looking for ?
I replied I know you have not worked for over 18 month’s But you’ll soon get into the routine,
His reply was unless you can give me (after all deduction’s £300 per week in my hand it’s just not worth my while as i get housing allowance, unemployment money, and child allowance before i get out of bed;
I was shocked and annoyed, I did phone up the job centre and we had a chat and they we’re not shocked and asked if i still wanted to employ such a chap ?
Being ex HM Forces you can understand my feelings ref this matter and my reply,
I ended up employing two male and one female, The young girl to work in the office (Mywife took a weeks holiday from her long term employment to help this young lady to understand how the office was to work) and the men with me on the outside work, Both needed to learn every thing from how to clean windows and use the Ladders / The cleaning of floors using the machines and chemicles / to cleaning even house hold ovens (I’d got a contract with a large letting company to keep the houses they let out ready for new customers to move into,
By the time another 18month had passed I found myself going on training programs for all chimney cleaning & repair work plus AGA stove company provided trainiing on the correct way to both clean the actual stove’s & the lnsulation and fitting of the lining,etc
The only problem i had was finding staff who wanted to work,
Trying to get staff who were of good health (ie did not suffer with fits or any other medical problems i needed to nkow about was hard, The job centre could not provide any help in this area and the same came for criminal record, ie did they have any convictions ? I’d been asked by north wales police HQ if i’d be interested in taking on verious police buildings? I’d have to tender for the work and if succesfull it was a good contract to have,
I got the work and emplyed another 4 men "all needed to be able to clean the window’s to my standard and in a good cleaning time; “no smoke breakes or chatter after every window cleaned”
Things looked good, the company was moving in the right direction and all sides of the company was growing week by week, But checking on the two questions i needed to know was a pain,
ie Are these men honest trust worthy or had they been part of the great train robbery?
Did any of them suffer from any illness such as fits? Using the ladders and Industrial frames was a danger to unfit persons, Inspite of me providing forms the employee had to read and sign confirming they had no police records for any crimes & they did not suffer any illness i need know about was always a worry, ie we’re they telling me the truth?
One day after i’d been cleaning the police stations & court building I had just employed a young man who could clean windows, He’d been working with his dad who he said had his own house to house window round "but he and his dad did not get on and my wages we’re much better than his dad paid him,
It was his first day and a nice sunny day so I put him with three of my experienced window cleaners on the outside of the large local police station, (get the outside done while the weather was dry)
Myself and my longest serving member of staff “Steve” got on the insides early in the morning hoping to get as many offices/interview roooms done before the staff came in and then it was hard to do all the inside work due to people being interviewed etc etc,
Steve was a nice lad but a pain in the backside as he was a local lad and liked nothing better than to look at the who’s wanted photo’s on the walls in some offices, He’d say hey look boss i sat next to him in school, or I know him, or he use to pinch the milk of the doorsteps on the way to school etc etc etc, This day as we entered this office he started, Look boss (I said just clean the windows and try to keep up with me Im not interested who’s getting hanged next week now come on)
Please boss just this one !!! Have a look at him you already know him,!!!
He would’nt move from that wall so i thought just this once i’ll please him and then “work”
I said come on as i stood looking at the wanted list, who am i looking at?
That one, he pointed to a photo, Why should i know him I asked?
Because he’s working on the ladders outside this station !!!
It was the lad who worked for his dad, i spoke to the desk sergeant who said he’s wanted for failing to turn up at court for house theft, (No wonder he was good on ladders)
we both went out side tobe greeted by an empty ladder, He’d done a runner never to be seen again,
After that we came to an agreement that any person i used for the police work if i gave the police information they asked for ref the employee they’d would say yes or no if they we’re to be able to work on such buildings,
So going to work is not just about picking up your wage packet, Every day can be different and in some ways entertaining,