jokers99
Madison, S.D.
Full Member
Joined: 05/26/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
We prefer positions that charge a reasonable fee for the site and pay for all hours worked. We also need to know how many hours we will be working. Currently we pay $200 month and our next position is $85.00 a month for site. We would not mind working hours for site but it seems to be $700-900 a month after you do the math. That just does not make financial sense to us.
Kerry and Joanne
Lucy (female Jack always on the attack)
2007 Holiday Rambler Admiral,2002 Ford Focus
Full-timers mantra, Close your eyes, click your heels,
you're already home.
Madison S.D. via Vancouver, WA. 
|
Jayco-noslide
Galesburg,Il., USA
Senior Member
Joined: 11/24/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
We are workers just finishing our 6th summer and our 2nd with the same employer. We consider this to be the best jobs and best employer of the 5 we have had. Not a campground but a retail store near a major national park. We get $8.50/hr., working 40 hrs/ week for a total of 80 paid hours per week. We live in an employee RV site for which they charge us $30/ week. They gave us a 50 cent raise for our 2nd year. We think this is a good package as the pay makes it worthwhile to travel to the job.
Jayco-noslide
|
mpj
Mid-Missouri
Senior Member
Joined: 09/27/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Thank you for all your suggestions. Keep them coming. Hubby and I will be discussing them and determining if any of the options given suit our situation.
Regarding the parties who failed to return the work agreements / contact us further after the job was offered and accepted on the phone: we always tell them during the interview and in their work agreement what the pay is over the 15 hours for site. Pay varies and is determined by their experience with our reservation system and their willingness to do restrooms. We don't promise more than an additional 15 per week - so the couple only works 30 hours per week between them. Extra hours are usually asked for during holiday periods, or like this summer, when workers do not show, etc. At any rate, all hours over the 15 for site are paid, so the workamper couple is guaranteed at least 15 hours pay per week. Sometimes the outside work cannot get done because of weather, and they do not work 15 hours, but they still get paid the 15 hours, because that is what we promised. If office hours are shortened (not busy, go home early), we still count that shift as part of the 15 hours for site - whether it is completed or not. As far a including the site, we are still discussing that option. However, we have had some workers who only put in the required hours and consider themselves "off duty" when not scheduled to work, unwilling to help when needed, even though that time would be compensated for - either in additional time off or $$. We try to be fair employers, but realize that as the workamping world changes, we too must change, while trying to stay within our means.
We look forward to hearing from more of you.
mpj
|
Dennis Henderson
Crystal River, Florida
Senior Member
Joined: 08/03/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
mpj wrote:However, we have had some workers who only put in the required hours and consider themselves "off duty" when not scheduled to work, unwilling to help when needed, even though that time would be compensated for - either in additional time off or $$.
Aha! There's a problem...
We most definitely do consider ourselves "off duty" when not scheduled to work.
In an emergency, yes, we may stay an hour extra or even work an additional day if our plans permit.
However, if our plans do not permit, we would say "no" and feel no obligation.
We've seen too many cases where a statement like you made turns out to be "carte-blanche" to take advantage of workers and disregard the agreed-upon work schedule at whim.
Truly, if you made a comment like that in the interview, it would be the deal-breaker.
When we are in a workamper situation where we are compensated fairly and are not only treated with respect by the employer/owner/manager but are able to respect the employer/owner/manager, we will bend over backwards to help out.
Dennis and Cindy Henderson
fulltiming, currently at Crabtree Meadows at milepost 339 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
|
CROSSBOLT
Whiteville, TN USA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/16/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
My suggestion is to contact former workampers you have had and ask them what improvements you could make. What would YOU have to do differently to get THEM to come back. The reason you did not get your work agreement back is because those folks did not like what you laid out. You gotta remember fuel is four bucks a gallon to get to your place and wherever after. Even before it was $4/gal it still cost the workamper couple a significant investment just to get to your place. For some of us this workamper thing is an alternative lifestyle to living in a stick-built and working for someone else. Lots of us have to make something regular to bridge to full retirement. You are one of the campgrounds that do not offer enough for some of us workampers. Millie and I go for park management because that is where the money is. In a year and a half we will back off to workamper only and leave the headaches to someone else.
there are several places we will NEVER return to because of the raw surprises we received. We are BACK to a place we have been because of the GREAT compensation.
It is up to you.
Karl
Karl
|
|
|
wepampercampers
Full-Timers Tillicum Beach, near Waldport Or.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/15/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
trying to think about how I do a cold call with a potential employees....
1. I sell us as managers....I let the potential know about us and our experience and our management style.
2. I sell the company.....
3. I sell the location.....
4. Then I have already learned something about the potential employees during the first three. We have a profile we look for in workampers and one of the items is "successfully retired" Now there is chit chat to fill in blanks that I am still wondering about.
5. Then I fill in specifics about the what, where, when, why's...
where the nearest walmart is where the nearest VA hosp is, where the nearest casino is, what the local stores are and stuff like that...even whats the best way to come in.....smoothest route....
6. If they are first timers at this point I remind them that workampers won't increase their personal wealth, but will be able to hold their own financially.
7. Go over general duties and responsibilities....
8. Then I go into what opportunities in the area we are managing are...what the host sites have and don't have, what we provide....and what standards we expect/encourage, and specific things they will be expected to do...and what the busy season hours are and what the slack season hours are...and I also tell them that after they are here, there might be additional hours available if I know ahead of time......but they know the minimums.....to help make the go/no-go choice
9. This is usually an appropriate place to stop talking answer their questions and ask them if they want to think about it for a bit.....
10. I have a program called ... "experience workamping" for first timers and I offer a couple days free visit to camp and work or watch hosts work...
11. And then if everyone is happy we arrange an exchange of paperwork.
12. Then I keep in touch with them during the off season, to hear if something has come up or if there is a problem that may prevent their arrival.....and by this point they know they can tell us if they have a better offer or whatever as I know that is part of this business, and then if they have a problem I start all over again. And I expect these things
So, I kinda get a potential employee to want to work with us first, then approach the income part.........but this approach has been pretty sucessfull in getting great employees.
I learned it from a volunteer recruiter and just adapted it to jobs paying minimum wage........next step up from volunteering....hahahahahaha
figured if I bored you with my non reference checking approach to hiring....you might find something in it that you can adapt to your approach.....you just never know what will help you...
good luck
Don
Jo 'n Don
www.PamperingCampers.com
|
Kirk
Livingston, Texas.
Senior Member
Joined: 06/17/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
Firedude wrote:I'd as lo like to point out that if you volunteer for a state or government agency they are required by law and do provide workers compensation irregardless of the number of employees. This may be true in California, but it is not true in all states. Workman's Comp. is a state law and varies quite widely. We have volunteered in two parks that required that we sign a statement that we understood that we were not covered by Workman's Comp. I don't remember for sure which one the one was but I do remember that the first place was for Callalam County Parks, in Washington state. I think that I know which was the other, but am not positive so will not list that one.
Good travelin! ........Kirk
sent via Starband, Manual Flyer dish
www.adventure.1tree.net
|
hohenwald48
Hohenwald, TN
Senior Member
Joined: 07/27/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
Work/site trade is not taxable for federal tax purposes if you must reside on site as a condition of employeement. Doesn't matter if the job is paid or volunteer. See IRS Publication 525 (page 6 if my memory is still working). States may have different rules.
Folks always want to repeat what they think or have heard. Just do a Google search on PUB 525 and read it yourself.
* This post was
edited 09/08/08 08:41am by hohenwald48 *
2001 Monaco Knight
2004 Dutchmen Dorado
1999 Jeep Wrangler
100% Solar Powered Home
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
|
firedude
On the road
Moderator
Joined: 01/21/2003
View Profile
|
Thanks Kirk for pointing that out and I stand corrected. It is the law in Californian, but as I mentioned in last part of my previous post... "Please obtain proper and accurate information from the appropriate agencies when accepting a position".  I believe if you work anywhere for the Federal Government I am told you are covered by Workers Comp. I don't mean a private contractor or vendor for the feds, but directly for a federal agency.
* This post was
edited 09/07/08 05:04pm by firedude *
|
wepampercampers
Full-Timers Tillicum Beach, near Waldport Or.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/15/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
it is in our permits with the forest service that we (the company) provide workers comp for employees....and I seem to remember we were covered when volunteering for the corps of engineers........
|
|
|
