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Original poster

My OH works for a cowboy builder - WWYD??

14 replies

builderswife · 20/10/2021 12:10

Hello everyone,

My partner is a great tradesman and has been since he was 16. Hes now in his late twenties and found himself working for someone who I really don't trust. The company does regular residential building work - conversions, extensions, refurbishments - that kind of thing and charges a real premium for the work. Extensions anywhere between £100-£300k! And subsequently, my partner gets lots of work and is paid well. They have done some good work in the past so have lots of photos of successful projects. And because everyone is doing work on their homes at the moment, there's lots of work to go round. So we're lucky to have a regular income.

But my partner comes home frequently telling me increasingly about work they're doing being left unfinished and to a rushed, terrible standard, purposefully so they can get more money in (expecting the rush to end at some point) and customers losing out on thousands of pounds that they have paid and unable to get their money back - with them often paying up front and in cash. I feel terrible about this (in another world that could easily have been us...) and have told him to leave the company but, at the same time, don't want us to fall into financial trouble without work.

His boss is also a bully so makes it impossible for him to have a reasonable conversation with him or even quit the company. Whenever he suggests it, he gets threats saying he'll make sure he doesn't get work anymore. I'm really struggling because it's causing us so much stress and sleepless nights. I'm not sure there is anyone to go to about this and I feel totally lost. V much torn between my morals and being secure ourselves. But also don't want my OH to be unhappy. Any advice out there??

D

  • * [post edited by MNHQ to remove identifying info] **
OP posts:
Sarahlou63 · 20/10/2021 12:35

There must be loads of other employers looking for people like him, why doesn't he apply for other jobs? Or retrain as a truck driver!

IslaPineappple · 20/10/2021 12:37

Is your husband happy that you've named his employer and will no doubt cost him his job?

Tiger2018 · 20/10/2021 12:48

I think the boss is using scare tactics to prevent losing his staff/meal ticket (similar to how an abusive partner would behave to try and stop their victim from leaving the relationship). Your husband can dump his employer - let his boss make threats, it will just make him look like an idiot if he does.

In the construction industry there are hundreds of jobs going, as there isn't enough workers for the amount of orders coming in. The longer your husband stays, the harder he'll find it to secure something else because he's working for a cowboy.

My advice would be get applying for other jobs ASAP - here is a very reputable website that you can take a look at - www.trs-system.co.uk/construction (set up by the CITB).

Good luck and feel free to PM me :)

Smartiepants79 · 20/10/2021 12:49

Good tradesmen are in short supply right now. Tell him to get another job.

cloudtree · 20/10/2021 12:50

I don't think you need to do anything. Having named his boss with so much identifying information he's likely to be sacked imminently.

namechange30455 · 20/10/2021 12:56

You surely can't think naming his employer here is a good idea?

I'd suggest you get this thread taken down asap before you cost him his job.

FlorenceWintle · 20/10/2021 13:06

Anyone who has paid large sums of money upfront and in cash to a builder is taking a huge risk and I don’t think that’s your problem.

However, I can see why your DH has had enough. Surely he can find work elsewhere? Get it lined up before he resigns, so that any bad mouthing will be irrelevant.

sleepingrabbits · 20/10/2021 13:10

@namechange30455

You surely can't think naming his employer here is a good idea?

I'd suggest you get this thread taken down asap before you cost him his job.

I reported it and MN have edited it. I expect Op had good intentions to warn people against the company, but don't want to get into a bad situation themselves. Plus if the company doesn't get more work then her DP will need a new employer anyway. So best to start small and build up his portfolio on his own or go to another company. If he's good, he can skip up the salary levels once he's moved.
builderswife · 21/10/2021 10:57

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

IslaPineappple · 24/10/2021 15:46

Are you sure you just don't want to slag this company off?

Are you even married? WinkGrinGrin

LakieLady · 25/10/2021 10:30

If your DH is as good as you say, he won't have any trouble in finding work. My BIL has his own building company, and he looks after his tradies really well, because he knows the company is only as good as the work that they do.

His company is so busy atm that he's always on the lookout for reliable people who can turn out decent work.

And good on your DH for walking rather than turn out substandard work!

drpet49 · 13/11/2021 21:30

I don’t know how your husband can do this to others people. Shoddy work. Shame on him

PlumManor · 22/11/2021 18:11

@drpet49

I don’t know how your husband can do this to others people. Shoddy work. Shame on him
What you don’t know, because this thread isn’t new, is that the OPs husband packed the job in. The post has been deleted.
GreyhoundG1rl · 22/11/2021 18:14

What you don’t know, because this thread isn’t new, is that the OPs husband packed the job in. The post has been deleted.
Why was it deleted? I suspect op is not all she seems.

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