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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Have you ever had somebody want to work for free?
- - By strother (***) Date 03-20-2012 01:51
I had a guy today ask me if he could come help me a couple of hours a day to get some experience. He said he didn't expect any pay he just wants to learn. He is working for a construction co. in a neighboring county. I met him awhile back when he was working for at a plant I used to do some work for. He is very eager to learn but I don't want to put myself or him in a bad position.
What I am wondering is can I let him work for free without being under some type of formal intern or apprenticeship program?
Parent - By Lawrence (*****) Date 03-20-2012 03:39
If he is eager and has even a little bit of construction skill he is worth being paid because in some small way he will help you make money.

Nice offer on his part...  If you can't afford some sort of minimum pay than in my opinion it's a poor idea to take him on.
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 03-20-2012 03:41
He just wants to learn, man! Take him along!

I do it all the time, for friends that have always wanted to learn how to weld.......it's not work, because they love it when they figure out how to run a bead. Then you can't get rid of them...:lol:
Parent - - By Chris2626 (***) Date 03-20-2012 03:54
I agree with sourdough it's dam hard to find someone who actually wants to learn, I know I have even thought in the past when I was learning to weld I would have worked for free to get the experience although of course i wouldn't want to drive far if working for free. I'd be a little worried about the liability issue if he got hurt, you know it really s*cks that we have to even think about this, the whole dam country seems to be so sue happy.
Parent - By hillbilly (**) Date 03-20-2012 04:24
I've had the shoe on the other foot before, I was the one offering to work for free. It was a one man show deal, old man and his shop only taking on any work that came through the front door. I told him I wanted to see both sides of the operation, business and shop. I told him I'd sweep floors, be the gopher and whatever else it called for aslong as he wouldn't grow tired of my questions. When it was all said and done I learned a wealth of knowledge, on all aspects of his buisness and picked up clients (with his blessing) because he was slowing turning the lights off on his show. This is all due to the fact I offered to work for free and he was willing to pass on his knowledge. And let it be known he never not paid me in some way, lunches meals, material for jobs I was working on at my place or just good ole cash
Parent - - By waccobird (****) Date 03-20-2012 11:00
strother

Just a couple of things come to mind but mainly

LIABILITY

Have him sign a contract at the least

Good Luck

Marshall
Parent - By strother (***) Date 03-20-2012 23:18
Marshall, Liability is my main concern!
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 03-20-2012 13:08
I would talk to your WC carrier and see about adding him on your WC insurance even if he is just an intern of sorts. Other than that, if you can use him to run to the truck or whatever...he is worth a wage of some sort. It can be good for both you and him IMHO. Hard to find hands that are willing to work for free, that means he want to learn something new. IMHO, eagerness/willingness can't be taught, it has to come from inside the individual.
I'm just throwing out suggestions, so take them with a grain of salt. I don't know all of the legal aspects of taking on someone like that. I hope you can use the guy in some way.
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 03-20-2012 13:26
I just can't believe we are even having this conversation!

Even ancient apprenticeships in the european style included some form of care for the apprentice.

A worker is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7)

“The laborer deserves his wages.”  1 Timothy 5:18

Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.   Deuteronomy 24:14

Some the same people who cry a river of tears every time they are undercut in the patch or the field, and snivel about how hard it is to keep their own wages up under those conditions, would encourage somebody to take a man on and not pay him?

What a great idea to take on somebody that really wants to learn... But throw him a bone.. even if it's a little one.
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 03-20-2012 14:35
I never said that you had to make them toil, for nothing. I am the one who cries about undercutting.

I forgot we live in a country with no shortage of inept dolts, who make it someone elses fault when they get in a pickle, creating a good living for ambulance chasers.

I'm just saying that if someone wants to learn and OFFERS to work for free, they are not expecting to get paid, aside from the cool experience of learning.....

I don't think the original poster is talking about a full time position, in fact if he is, it's an absurd post. I believe he is talking about a person that wants to come on for a job or two, to get the feel for it. Many people learn how to weld and then discover they don't really want to do it for a living. It's intimidating what I do for a living.

Do you know how many times I, myself, have worked for free? For years I volunteered on projects for the experience, and as one poster suggested......I always got paid in one form or another, but the biggest paycheck was always knowlege..............my two bits.
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 03-20-2012 14:41
I hear you Sourdough

It's a good conversation  :)
Parent - - By Sourdough (****) Date 03-20-2012 14:50
:lol:
Parent - By joemahoney Date 03-20-2012 20:27
Never,had a bunch who would not work for money lol
Parent - By hillbilly delux (***) Date 03-20-2012 23:39
When I broke out as a rig welder I would offer my first job free of cost except materials just to get my foot in the door. Almost always paid off in the long run.  Maybe I am just gulable or stupid for believing that there are still good intentioned people here in America. I wouldnt even worry about the liability issue. Just take the guy and show him a thing or two. He must want it pretty bad to offer to help you for free.
Parent - - By strother (***) Date 03-20-2012 23:30
Lawrence, I'm not wanting to take advantage of the guy. If I take him on as an "apprentice" I would like to compensate him for his time in some way. That said my time and experience is worth something. My thought is to try him for a few hrs a day for a couple of weeks. If he has potential and I can fit him in the budget , then I'll offer him a job. If not I'll cut him lose.
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 03-21-2012 00:19
The liabilty/insurance thing is something to give thought to.  Other then that I figure you are compensating by giving exactly what is asked for, experience and insight.  That can be worth way more then any hourly wage you might pay.  I would try to find a way to help him out, I have been asked that before informally and I have asked to do the same formally.  I asked that once from a particular guy I knew could teach me tons of stuff, he said there was no way he would/could unless I was on the payroll and he did not have enough work for it to happen.  I kept hammering him and negotiated a nothing wage...I started making money for him right away and he paid what he could over and above board without me asking for it.  He taught me to flame weld/braze and the basics of tig.  What he taught me has made me a lot of money over the years.  That guy taught me so much, matter of fact I would like to hang around him again because I could learn some finer things from him now.  I might not have stayed with welding if it was not for him.

Follow your heart on this one man.
Parent - - By Chris2626 (***) Date 03-21-2012 01:24
Lawrence it really does s*ck we are talking about this but I'm from Louisiana and people who live here know that this state is really SUE happy really bad.

I do agree see if there is a way you can have him sign a contract or something, again ashame we have to do this but you gotta keep yourself safe. Just because he may not come after you doesn't mean his mother or father won't. Maybe i have seen to much bad stuff here in Louisiana I don't know.
Parent - By mechan (**) Date 03-21-2012 04:21
In my opinion (which probably is not worth much!) I would not take on an intern, apprentice, trainee, or any employee unless I was willing and able to pay them. If you are not able to offer at least minimum wage, I would probably not treat this as anything more than a friendly weekend showing someone aspects of a trade and allowing them to ask questions in a non-work environment. If nothing else, it would allow you to get a better feel for how he is as a person and possibly how he is as a worker. Treat the time as an extended interview with the bonus of him of getting to pick your brain.

The last company I interviewed for there were three different interviews in three different states and the total time spent interviewing was around twelve or thirteen hours. It certainly gave them a feel for if they wanted to employ me and if I wanted to work for them. It is cheaper to find out you do not like someone over lunch than it is to find out on a jobsite when time, equipment, and customer satisfaction is at stake.
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Have you ever had somebody want to work for free?

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