Covid-19: Decisions regarding quoting, scheduling work

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Not open for further replies.
Location
Santa Rosa, CA
Occupation
Owner / Electrician
I am struggling to be a good citizen and keep my business afloat. I laid off all three of us two weeks ago and we are now waiting, patiently, for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to kick in.
Calls for panel replacements; hot tub circuits; new lights...I don't consider them "essential" so I won't go out there to quote it: at 65 years old, I don't want to take the risk for me or my people and...I'm assuming that I'm already infected..t
But...others are going out and treating the situation like nothing big is going on. Isn't that imprudent...are we going to increase the probability of infections and...ICU's, ventilators, deaths?
I'm having a hard time doing "the responsible thing" and wonder what others are doing. Perhaps, I'm even looking for validation of our prudence.
Thanks for reading.
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
I am generally inclined to agree with you. I think the intent of classifying electricians as 'essential' was to allow people to get their power turned back on if it goes out, or to replace an outlet that's smoking or other such situation that presents its own clear and present danger. It was not to allow electricians to keep doing their normal business and not lose income.

With that said, what I'm seeing and hearing is that most electrical businesses are doing exactly that, taking advantage of the 'essential' designation. I don't know what to say about that, other than I think it's basically selfish and putting other people at risk.

If your helpers are younger, want the work, and can do service calls on their own, it is an option for you to send them on those. If it is only a few hours a week it should not affect their ability to collect supplementary unemployment.
 
Location
Santa Rosa, CA
Occupation
Owner / Electrician
I am generally inclined to agree with you. I think the intent of classifying electricians as 'essential' was to allow people to get their power turned back on if it goes out, or to replace an outlet that's smoking or other such situation that presents its own clear and present danger. It was not to allow electricians to keep doing their normal business and not lose income.

With that said, what I'm seeing and hearing is that most electrical businesses are doing exactly that, taking advantage of the 'essential' designation. I don't know what to say about that, other than I think it's basically selfish and putting other people at risk.

If your helpers are younger, want the work, and can do service calls on their own, it is an option for you to send them on those. If it is only a few hours a week it should not affect their ability to collect supplementary unemployment.
Thank you for the very thoughtful and reasoned response. An electrician who is also a "mensch!" (Forgive me, I still use some of my grandparents' language.)
My helpers are coming around to my thinking: there is no reward big enough for the risk right now.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I have done a couple of commercial jobs while the offices were closed, so no excessive contact.
 

AC\DC

Senior Member
Location
Florence,Oregon,Lane
Occupation
EC
If you don't do and another EC won't do it, they will. So you could be doing a "essential service" by not letting them kill themselves or some one else. Also if Liquor stores and pot shops are "essential services" then anything is essential. I am on the other spectrum. I have a Family to feed.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
It is a tough call, but it seems to me that service work is probably more like essential than new construction, unless the new construction is food, ag, pharma, defense, aerospace, etc.

I think it is probably close to a time when the government says people at high risk should stay inside. Everyone else go about your business but when outside your residence you wear a mask or other covering of your mouth and nose to reduce the chances of spreading or catching the disease.
 

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
..laid off all three of us two weeks ago.. ..won't go out there to quote it: at 65 years old..
Covid-19 Community spread is reported here:

The map is informative, with real time symptom tracking for potential cases near you

In my area near Disneyland California, people are doing a good job of sheltering in place, and reporting risks with me over the phone.

Helped 90yr old client this week. Every service call for NoFixNoPay is an adventure and a privilege.
 

stevenje

Senior Member
Location
Yachats Oregon
A good percentage of construction jobsites come nowhere close in being able to following the "mandates" to keep the possible spread of the virus. The 'powers to be" have little or no idea how a construction worksite functions. If they did, they would shut them down. As far as the construction industry being classed as an "essential service" is a very broad statement. IMHO if the construction project is not an emergency situation for the safety of people or property, it is not essential. I wonder why they risk the health and well being of the construction workers, their families and the community at large. This is the question that needs to answered.
 
Location
Santa Rosa, CA
Occupation
Owner / Electrician
I have done a couple of commercial jobs while the offices were closed, so no excessive contact.
Thanks for sharing that...I'm not sure that doing so is within the spirit of the shelter in place order...if it's not life safety or a matter of urgency, the most prudent thing to do is to stay home...it's hard on us but we're doing it to save lives...
 

Coppersmith

Senior Member
Location
Tampa, FL, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I'm not actively seeking jobs, but if someone calls I'll consider doing a job as long as I feel I will be safe. I feel jobs outside, in outbuildings, and in an attached garage with the garage door open are safe. I will be avoiding jobs inside homes for now. It doesn't matter to me if the job is essential or not. I'll hook up a hot tub or put in a Telsa charger.
 

Electromatic

Senior Member
Location
Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician
We are a small-ish company doing service work and commercial construction. We shut down for about a week to do the right thing for us and others, and that was before the relief package went through. Half-way through that week, the G.C. on a project said they weren't willing to fall behind and that if we didn't show back up to the site, they'd find another electrician to take over the job. The job was too big to lose, so we're back at it.
It is unfortunate that all of construction is lumped into the "essential" category. A lot of it is not. And anyone in the trades knows there's little to no chance of maintaining 6 feet of distance between coworkers.
We're doing what we can: hand-washing, avoiding excessive office time, etc. For service work, we ask each customer several times whether they're still comfortable having contact.
 

gadfly56

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
... I laid off all three of us two weeks ago and we are now waiting, patiently, for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to kick in.
..
Is CA very different from NJ? In NJ, if you are a business owner, you can't collect UI benefits even if you can't work.
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
Is CA very different from NJ? In NJ, if you are a business owner, you can't collect UI benefits even if you can't work.

I would guess he incorporated his business and paid himself as an employee. Possible to do. The business might have to pay more to the state for the coverage, but that depends on details.
 

cdslotz

Senior Member
We are a small-ish company doing service work and commercial construction. We shut down for about a week to do the right thing for us and others, and that was before the relief package went through. Half-way through that week, the G.C. on a project said they weren't willing to fall behind and that if we didn't show back up to the site, they'd find another electrician to take over the job. The job was too big to lose, so we're back at it.
It is unfortunate that all of construction is lumped into the "essential" category. A lot of it is not. And anyone in the trades knows there's little to no chance of maintaining 6 feet of distance between coworkers.
We're doing what we can: hand-washing, avoiding excessive office time, etc. For service work, we ask each customer several times whether they're still comfortable having contact.
Your GC is breaking the law.....
 

romex jockey

Senior Member
Location
Vermont
Occupation
electrician
Oh and, the post-C19 'beat down' has already begun

Those of you looking, lining up jobs might know what i mean

~RJ~
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
All new construction has been deemed non essential in VT, the local sheriff's have been evicting any ongoing jobs

Predictions are 20% of sm biz will not be coming back after this C19 blows over, and that doesn't take in account next years C20

CARES is the bone thrown us>>>

We've applied, because it's now the ONLY option for us

~RJ~
We are only doing things that need to be done with calls being very few and far between.. Service and construction work for ag mostly. No power for these and there is no food or milk. These are outside projects and I have been alternating who gets what when. Monday, both will need to be on the same job. My part time office help had just had surgery and she is not allowed back. No one is allowed in the office but me. That may change today because my office desktop may come home with me. I had to move the accounting software to it yesterday anyway. The main one went toes up.

Nebraska had a DOL program started last year to help with short time unemployment. Reduced time. That is one option for me with the another being the option above. Applications for it begins tomorrow.

The last option being to close the doors. Financially I will survive, it just wasn't how I was hoping to end things. My wife can't seem to comprehend that the inventory I have is basically worth nothing at this point. In reality, it was worth very little to begin with. It only has real value if someone wants it.
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
An area larger city will attempt to do inspections via phone, texts and pics I would guess, and if they must come on location, no one else will be allowed on site. Most projects in this area are considerably smaller than what you costal guys are used to.

I haven't heard how the state is handling them. They were going to require the EC to remove any covers just a few weeks ago.
 

romex jockey

Senior Member
Location
Vermont
Occupation
electrician
Our dept of labor (unemployment office) has shut it's doors
The lights are on, there's folks inside all pointing to>>>(on the door)
QGcGPoy.jpg

they're almost impossible to get on the phone, despite the state adding personnel
on line is the only viable option, assuming one has it available

the devil makes diy work for idle hands here

and the state ahj's are only 'video & pix' now

don't bother droppin' a dime, cuz they won't show

~RJ~
 
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