1. Stop borrowing from the excavators to do the work. Many CRM jobs by
"consultants" (any businessperson more than 50 miles from home, the
old saw goes) ask that monies be borrowed from employees they just
hired for an often temporary back breaking job, unheard of in labor
law where labor must be paid at the end of every week in cash in my
state in the U.S. "Per diem" means, last I heard, "per day" not you
put out the money will see if "the client" will go along with this
low-bid they must take by law in many places, and will get back to you
with a "check that's in the mail". Paying "per diem" upfront sure
helps those who like myself, have to borrow from "Peter to pay Paul"
just to get a job in CRM.
2. Enquire into the "prevailing wage" around the area the work is done
in, (after Britain joins the EU it and France can do archaeology in
each others contract areas I heard, to keep this international) not
what wage the place you do business in pays, or at least keep it in
mind. Some CRM firms I've worked for (from NPS to private firms over
twenty-seven (27) years) do and provide the statistic, though the
worker equivalences might be an issue.
3. Don't fill up a house with excavators, sight or site unseen (visit
sites bid on or else!) then ask them, in one case, to scramble when
the real estate agents bring prospective buyers by. Don't rent a house
in another state while on the phone in another state has been my
experience, though on some sites provided housing was a luxury thought
best provided by people from other states to secure on their own,
though forewarned of such.
4. I wouldn't hire a bunch of your locals, pay them local wage, but
put them up in a more expensive place, then hire the locals in the
more expensive place at your locals wages without some compensation, a
wage adjustment, etc.
5. Provide, in writing, what the job is, what depths are expected,
(nothing like finding out all shovel tests will be 1 meter deep once
you've travelled at your expense a distance with your borrowed money
to work) and at least bring some equipment into the field! SHPO's! I
implore you! Provide standards for the work you require! Give us some
rules to look over while we are digging shovel test after shovel test,
with our own equipment!
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