Gardener and phone

[EscobarsMule]

aibu to think that a gardener employed for 4 hours per week should not be checking his phone during this time?

I've seen mine today with his back to the house, crouched down looking on the phone. As soon as I make a noise or open a window he slides it into his pocket and carries on weeding.

I'm often out when he comes, so have no idea if its going on when I'm not here.

aibu to say something today?

So he kept looking at the phone and every time you made a noise he put it away, or was this just once?

I only saw him once today, but I've seen him on previous times looking at it in the back of his van. He's normally stationary when I come upon him.

Is he doing his job properly? Are you happy with what he is doing. If so then why worry about how many times he looks at his phone?

My gardener is always on the phone but he does also garden. My view is that there's always something that you would rather people didn't do when you pay them, but you have to take the overview. Are you happy with his work otherwise?

Is he getting the work done that you need doing in the 4 hours? If he is running a business it's likely he has other clients he needs to respond to.
I have often had tradesmen here doing jobs and they still answer their phones during the job.

I wouldn't mind him answering the phone to talk - I think he's on Facebook as he is active on there, and was scrolling through for ages.

No, his work is too slow, I think that's the main prob.

Sounds like it's time for a new gardener in that case.

If the work is a problem, get rid of him or bring it up that there are too many weeds or whatever.

What he's doing that leads to the work being substandard is irrelevant, YABU about the phone.

If you're not happy with the service he's providing then find a new gardener. His phone is really a moot point - same could be said if he was stopping too often to have a cup of tea, a cigarette, whatever.

i had this - it used to infuriate me. I asked him nicely to stop, several times; I was really clear 'I'm paying you to garden not be on your mobile' and nothing changed. Eventually I got rid of him.

i thought it was fucking rude to be honest

If you were happy with his work otherwise then it's irrelevant - if he's self employed could be making sure not missing messages etc.

... but if as it sounds, he's just slacking and if it's weren't the phone it'd be something else and you're not happy with his work, then time for new gardener!

No wonder his work is too slow if he's so distracted by his phone. Time to get a new gardener I reckon. There are plenty of people out there who would like a job, so give someone else a go instead if this slacker.

I would certainly pull him up on his work being too slow.

Looking at his phone could be due to so many reasons.

Monitoring for extra work offers, a sick child, that kind of thing

Can I ask how much you are paying him? Presumably it's on an hourly rate? This is the trouble with hourly rates, someone like him can dawdle along not doing much till he's reached the set number of hours. I'm a gardener and I prefer, once I've got a measure of someones' garden and know what's required to keep it tip top, to quote a 'price per visit' or get them on a monthly contract. Then, it doesn't matter how long I take or if I take a tea break, the result will be the same iyswim.