Help Needed - Self Employed/Apprentice

[little_duke]

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum and need some help. I am 26 and in my second year at college doing my level 2 2330 c&g course. I have part 1 already and am 2 months away from my level 2.

I am currently with my third company now as a trainee due to work going dry and me not getting on with one of the employees at the old firm.

thing i need to know is.

As said before it's my third year working as an apprentice, but i'm also self employed. as far as i'm aware this is illegal as i don't have a contract, am told to wear uniform for the company but not allowed holiday pay and get a severe £35 a day before tax.

Being older i have bills, car insurance, petrol and normal expenses to pay for but i dont know where to stand?

at 26 years old, earning £112 a week is shocking, help me out on the facts

cheers

mark

 

[VoltzElectrical]

or wear it, and invite someone from HMRC to watch you wear it driving his van, and answer for all the holiday pay he's not paying you, and the fact he's paying you less than the minimum wage, and dodging his employers national insurance contributions.

This bloke is a chancer.

 

[Dave 85]

You're getting shafted.
If you have 1yr+ experience, and are good at what you do, working for someone self employed I cant see why you shouldn't get £80+ per day. I did the same as you and by the time I was nearing the end of year 2 (night college) I was getting £120 a day (I was working on my own a lot and owned my own van, tools and tester) my 'boss' was also one of my old school mates. The other lad working for him was getting £50 a day (self employed) but he had no Van/tools and wasn't very good.

 

[DPhilpott]

Where r u in the country?

 

[piratebillybob]

I did the same as you and by the time I was nearing the end of year 2 (night college) I was getting £120 a day

£120 a day?

That would make you on £31,200 a year after only two years at college?

 

[alarm man]

You're getting shafted.
If you have 1yr+ experience, and are good at what you do, working for someone self employed I cant see why you shouldn't get £80+ per day. I did the same as you and by the time I was nearing the end of year 2 (night college) I was getting £120 a day (I was working on my own a lot and owned my own van, tools and tester) my 'boss' was also one of my old school mates. The other lad working for him was getting £50 a day (self employed) but he had no Van/tools and wasn't very good.

nepotism isnt praise mate..

 

[VoltzElectrical]

i was on £100 a day after two years. £10 an hour based on a 10 hour day, thats about the going rate for a self employed mate.

 

[Dave 85]

Alarm man...
I never suggested it was, what's your point? I was running my own jobs and doing all my testing. I had 2 other contractors giving me the same rate when the main one was quiet. The other lad, for the record, was also his mate and nearly as experienced but had no drive and couldn't be trusted to work on his own.
Favouritism has nothing to do with it.

If you can do the same job as a qualified more experienced spark, and have all yr own gear, you're worth paying.

maTe...

 

[alarm man]

The other lad, for the record, was also his mate

well thats cleared that up then..

maTe

 

[TaffyDuck]

i was on £100 a day after two years. £10 an hour based on a 10 hour day, thats about the going rate for a self employed mate.

Well I must be living on a different planet then. £10 per hour x 40 hours a week = £400 per week, or £21k per year. for that I would be expecting someone pretty hot. You may well be good but most 2 year apprentices/mates are not worth that.

 

[little_duke]

Where r u in the country?

I'm in tamworth, west midlands 20 minutes from birmingham

After reading all that i feel worse. I had my own van but got laid off a year a go meaning i had to sell it, have all my own tools but only thing i dont have is drills (on my wage its no way possible to fund for them)

i use the other lads drill if needed as we're put together all the time.

i worked one saturday, 2 weeks a go changing any damaged sockets, switches, fans and light fittings and got £40 for it. £15 was fuel so it wasn't worth getting out of bed. it angers me because i work really hard, and get nothing in return.

 

[katfinnuk]

I mean this in the nicest possible way but count yourself lucky that at least you have that route to experience and qualifications with a little money thrown in. I have to work for free for the experience and pay for college. I'd swap places with you. So be a little grateful, some of us with great potential are still waiting and trying for what you have. Good luck to you.