To ask gardener not to look at his phone

[JumpRope]

He is here for 4 hours per fortnight. We have a large garden which is a wilderness - in 2 years we are landscaping etc when we so work on the house, so I just need maintenance and for it to look tidy in the meantime.

I keep,seeing him texting - he's self employed,so clearly needs to catch up. But aibu to ask him if he could keep it for afterwards, or maybe once when he's here?

[JumpRope]

Sorry, the relevance of the garden description is I think he's a bit lost and unsure what to do here.

[SouthernComforts]

Does he get the job done within the 4 hours?

[partialderivative]

Is he getting the work done? Are you happy with his work?

(Are you constantly watching him?)

[Only1scoop]

Does he get the job done....

Our tree man is self employed and texts between chain sawing etc but he does a grand job,

[FunkyBoldRibena]

Either ask him to just concentrate on your garden when he is there, don't pay him for his text time, or tell him his services are not needed and get another gardener.

[PureMorning]

Does he do his work properly? Are you happy with his work?

If not the problem is hes crap not the phone

[GoodboyBindleFeatherstone]

I think YABU. As he is self employed you are not his boss.

You can ask him, but he has every right to say no, or even choose not to do the work any more.

Personally I think you're being a bit picky and up yourself.

[JumpRope]

Not constantly watching him - I'm in and out over those 4 hours.

There is so much to do here it would take weeks on end to properly get on top of, so I was hoping he'd come and work like a bastard for his £20 per hour. He doesn't seem to be making the inroads I'm hoping for.

[GilesGirl]

I think you have too high of expectations for your gardener. It's not his garden. He gets paid whether he 'work(s) like a bastard' or not.

Perhaps you were not clear in your expectations?

[Only1scoop]

He is there for 4 hours per fortnight....I think your expectations may be a little high.

[JumpRope]

Frack. I don't want him to kill himself, just work really hard as he promised to try and get it under control.

He cannot take away garden waste as he's not registered. This is a another issue, as I think he works slower so as not to create too much. I've told him to make a bonfire.

[Peppa87]

You are not his boss...

What is the problem if he gets the job done in the agreed time?

[AndIFeedEmGunpowder]

I think it's tricky to ask him not to use his phone but you can say that he isn't making inroads as quickly as you hoped and you are feeling disappointed. If he doesn't make significant progress after that I'd get a new one.

[NewEraNewMindset]

You are allowed to feel dissatisfied, get another gardens or perhaps you would be better off with 'another pair of hands' type person. It sounds like you need garden clearance and not weeding and pruning.

[NewEraNewMindset]

*gardener

[combust22]

Are you paying him an hourly rate or per piece of work?

[FunkyBoldRibena]

You are not his boss...

Lol. Yes she is - she is the client.

If she asks for A and B and he agreed to do A and B, and then spends half the time texting, then he isn't doing A and B.

OP - you need to tell him what you are expecting, or get a different gardener.

[Rockdoctor]

I'm sorry but I think you need to hire a proper gardener or pay him for enough hours to get the job done.

I have just paid two gardeners around £400 for a full days work to clear my "wilderness" - so lets assume 16 hours between them at a shade over £20 per hour, plus £60 to take the green waste away (this is what it costs them to dispose of it properly). They worked "like bastards" and I'm sure there was no texting as we have no mobile reception. Having said that, they still need to come back and finish the clearing job and we haven't even started on landscaping. Four hours per fortnight isn't very much when it comes to gardening. Most of my neighbours, with immaculate large gardens, would be paying for two to four hours per week just to keep on top of things.

[lk26]

As a self employed gardener myself I did use my phone whilst at work. But did try and keep it to minimum.
4 hrs a week realistically is not a huge amount of time to make inroads into a wilderness.
I would spend a mornings work on the upkeep of an immaculate garden.
Perhaps discuss it with him and break the work area down into smaller projects so you can see what work is getting done.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

I run a community garden that we are still bringing back from the wilderness; it is hard work, you do have to work like a bastard for a few hours each week, but he can't do that if he is constantly on the phone.

[rainbowinmyroom]

I think it would be more prudent to save up for proper garden clearance.

[Bogeyface]

If you could lose the Downton attitude and pay for the hours needed rather than expecting miracles once a fortnight then you might get better results. 4 hours a fortnight will be basic upkeep on an already reasonably garden. If you want it clearing then pay for a a good 2 days and a skip rather than expect him to doff his cap in grateful thanks for your £40 a week and work like a bastard miracles.

[Only1scoop]

I'd want it cleared no wonder you can't see much progress.

[Only1scoop]

Second the skip or someone who can take the waste.

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

You just can't get the staff these days, can you?

Perhaps you could ask him to leave his phone in the scullery while he toils? Give it back if he's been a good boy and you've thoroughly inspected his work at day's end?

My Mum, who spends at least an hour or so in her own garden daily, has a gardener for 2 hrs a fortnight. He just about manages to mow the lawn in that time.

If you want to keep him, you need to do as Bogey says.