Staff Problems

[thaipod]

I'm sure TV members have had problems with thai workers and have stories to tell,( I'd like to hear some ) but I'm just about at the point to tell them to finish . I'm at the stage of giving up and employing Burmese instead .

My workers are never on time and quite often on the phone or sitting around waiting to be told what to do next. Training them is never ending . The girls go to lunch and come back late or sleep and takes them a half an hour to get organized ,and if there is holidays they come back 2 days after and never call to say they won't be coming to work . I don't know how many times I've been asked for cash advances .

My wife is just giving them another lecture and yes the maid has turned up an hour late with her 5 year old with more excuses about her family. TIT .

[whistleblower]

Pick the worst one and fire him/her, that should get their attention for a while.

[teatree]

Employing Burmese could be the answer. Much harder working.

[giddyup]

Went into my local post office a couple of days ago, three girls behind the counter all sitting at the same desk doing each others hair and putting on make-up. Not even one looked up when I walked in. There is a very poor work ethic with a lot of Thais.

[chiangmaikelly]

I had the same problem. At first I drank a lot. Then I got old. Then I retired. Now I don't have the problem.

[pigeonjake]

you might find it not that easy to just fire them,

im just saying i was operations manager in bangkok for a stainless steel fabrication works, and if they are employed properly, you will find it hard to get rid of them, might be a court case on your hands, tred carefull my freind, the employment law is very very much in favor of the employed and not the employer

[thaipod]

It's not easy to fire them especially if they decide to go against your decision . My wife will normally give them work they don't like or reduce their hours until the figure out not worth coming to work give them written warnings.

Now I'm having other issues with the construction guys working on my office . When they start the work they are here for a couple of day's then gone for a week or two

[mogandave]

They are easy to fire, you just have to pay them severance.

We pay a monthly attendance/production/safety bonus that we take away when they are late, absent, not getting their work done or not working safely.

I don't have a lot of trouble getting work out of them, but they do have to be supervised, including showing them how it’s done and breaking them up and making them work by themselves.

You get more flies with sugar than salt.

[pigeonjake]

i no what you mean i really do,

but like we all say TIT,

ill just relate a quick story, i had a welder working for us, the forman in the factory came rushing to my office khun ron, come quick, there was this welder pissed, i took him to my office, told the forman to go and get head of HR, she came down i said i want him gone, to be told let me read book, it stated in our work book, no drinking at the work place, he drank outside,

technicality, but i got rid of him in the end, but it was hard work,

jake

[h90]

same same here.....my wife got them half decent under control.

If someone is 5 min late in the morning he gets ears full and abuse which if translated they would ban me here.

Money in advance is now reduced. Usually when someone has too much money in advance than they don't come to work anymore

[h90]

They are easy to fire, you just have to pay them severance.

We pay a monthly attendance/production/safety bonus that we take away when they are late, absent, not getting their work done or not working safely.

I don't have a lot of trouble getting work out of them, but they do have to be supervised, including showing them how it’s done and breaking them up and making them work by themselves.

You get more flies with sugar than salt.

or both.....punishment for wrongdoings and goodies for good work, with low base salary. And it must be on a level for 5 year old.

A few get grown up and understand the purpose of the company, but many are mental in the age of a 5 year old.

(Recently two guys in the production were upset with the office as the promised the customer who had a machine brake-down to produce his spare part as fast as possible. Which was unfair because it makes them busy, specially as there was the soccer-EM, so they are tired. And they explained it that way to my wife. As well that too much work makes them tired. One got kicked out, one got his bonus cut to zero).

[Berkshire]

What sort of business are we talking about? I'm guessing low skilled workers with low wages...correct?

[CharlieH]

Money is the key, deduct or fine people for problems, bonus for no issues.

Make it clear and make sure its enforced, they'll either do it or leave.

[mogandave]

I think that by and large, most Thais just don’t care a whole lot about their mostly crappy jobs. We get all worked up into a frenzy and run around red-faced, look down our nose and shake our fists, and they laugh. I don’t think it’s childish, I just think they have different priorities. They quit and go help with the harvest or because their mom is sick, it would not even occur to them that their job has some importance beyond generating income. I respect that, and in a lot of ways admire it.

I know I can get at least twice the work out of an average factory worker in the US than I can from an average worker in Thailand, but I have to pay the US worker five or ten times as much.

We should consider ourselves lucky. If the average Thai had the drive and work ethic of the average American, we westerners would not be able to earn a living here.

[endure]

Now I'm having other issues with the construction guys working on my office . When they start the work they are here for a couple of day's then gone for a week or two

That's not a problem that's unique to Thailand. It took a bunch of builders 7 months to put a new staircase in my house in the UK. At one stage I was climbing up ladders to go to bed.

[mogandave]

Money is the key, deduct or fine people for problems, bonus for no issues.

Make it clear and make sure its enforced, they'll either do it or leave.

Make sure your rules and policies are written, complete, fair and enforced universally and the labor department will support you.

[chiangmaikelly]

I think that by and large, most Thais just don’t care a whole lot about their mostly crappy jobs. We get all worked up into a frenzy and run around red-faced, look down our nose and shake our fists, and they laugh. I don’t think it’s childish, I just think they have different priorities. They quit and go help with the harvest or because their mom is sick, it would not even occur to them that their job has some importance beyond generating income. I respect that, and in a lot of ways admire it.

I know I can get at least twice the work out of an average factory worker in the US than I can from an average worker in Thailand, but I have to pay the US worker five or ten times as much.

We should consider ourselves lucky. If the average Thai had the drive and work ethic of the average American, we westerners would not be able to earn a living here.

Do you think that goes for the Thais that work in the Mercedes Benz factory in Thailand? Or the BMW factory in Thailand or the new Ford factory built in Thailand not in Detroit? Or Dow Chemical or Chevron or ...... Edited September 7, 2012 by chiangmaikelly

[mogandave]

I think that by and large, most Thais just don’t care a whole lot about their mostly crappy jobs. We get all worked up into a frenzy and run around red-faced, look down our nose and shake our fists, and they laugh. I don’t think it’s childish, I just think they have different priorities. They quit and go help with the harvest or because their mom is sick, it would not even occur to them that their job has some importance beyond generating income. I respect that, and in a lot of ways admire it.

I know I can get at least twice the work out of an average factory worker in the US than I can from an average worker in Thailand, but I have to pay the US worker five or ten times as much.

We should consider ourselves lucky. If the average Thai had the drive and work ethic of the average American, we westerners would not be able to earn a living here.

Do you think that goes for the Thais that work in the Mercedes Benz factory in Thailand? Or the BMW factory in Thailand or the new Ford factory built in Thailand not in Detroit? Or Dow Chemical or Chevron or ......

Are these average factory workers with crappy jobs?

[chiangmaikelly]

I think that by and large, most Thais just don't care a whole lot about their mostly crappy jobs. We get all worked up into a frenzy and run around red-faced, look down our nose and shake our fists, and they laugh. I don't think it's childish, I just think they have different priorities. They quit and go help with the harvest or because their mom is sick, it would not even occur to them that their job has some importance beyond generating income. I respect that, and in a lot of ways admire it.

I know I can get at least twice the work out of an average factory worker in the US than I can from an average worker in Thailand, but I have to pay the US worker five or ten times as much.

We should consider ourselves lucky. If the average Thai had the drive and work ethic of the average American, we westerners would not be able to earn a living here.

Do you think that goes for the Thais that work in the Mercedes Benz factory in Thailand? Or the BMW factory in Thailand or the new Ford factory built in Thailand not in Detroit? Or Dow Chemical or Chevron or ......

Are these average factory workers with crappy jobs?

Yes. I know because I know the workers and I live there. They have crappy jobs and some dangerous too. BTW they are hireing. GM is really short of people right now. Yes that is GM as in General Motors.

[h90]

I think that by and large, most Thais just don’t care a whole lot about their mostly crappy jobs. We get all worked up into a frenzy and run around red-faced, look down our nose and shake our fists, and they laugh. I don’t think it’s childish, I just think they have different priorities. They quit and go help with the harvest or because their mom is sick, it would not even occur to them that their job has some importance beyond generating income. I respect that, and in a lot of ways admire it.

I know I can get at least twice the work out of an average factory worker in the US than I can from an average worker in Thailand, but I have to pay the US worker five or ten times as much.

We should consider ourselves lucky. If the average Thai had the drive and work ethic of the average American, we westerners would not be able to earn a living here.

A German labor could do at least the double, sometimes I think maybe triple. But a lot is balanced because the Thais have no problem working 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week.

We worked for 3 month from 8 AM till 1-3 AM, 6 days a week. Of course the labor made excellent money and liked it therefor. If you do that in German the labor union and the state would complete freak out.

That compensate a lot....

[chiangmaikelly]

I think that by and large, most Thais just don’t care a whole lot about their mostly crappy jobs. We get all worked up into a frenzy and run around red-faced, look down our nose and shake our fists, and they laugh. I don’t think it’s childish, I just think they have different priorities. They quit and go help with the harvest or because their mom is sick, it would not even occur to them that their job has some importance beyond generating income. I respect that, and in a lot of ways admire it.

I know I can get at least twice the work out of an average factory worker in the US than I can from an average worker in Thailand, but I have to pay the US worker five or ten times as much.

We should consider ourselves lucky. If the average Thai had the drive and work ethic of the average American, we westerners would not be able to earn a living here.

A German labor could do at least the double, sometimes I think maybe triple. But a lot is balanced because the Thais have no problem working 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week.

We worked for 3 month from 8 AM till 1-3 AM, 6 days a week. Of course the labor made excellent money and liked it therefor. If you do that in German the labor union and the state would complete freak out.

That compensate a lot....

You lost me. You worked where and for who and with whom?

[Chonburiram]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

[chiangmaikelly]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

I take it you have never worked in a Thai company for a Thai boss? Correct me if I a wrong.

[h90]

I think that by and large, most Thais just don’t care a whole lot about their mostly crappy jobs. We get all worked up into a frenzy and run around red-faced, look down our nose and shake our fists, and they laugh. I don’t think it’s childish, I just think they have different priorities. They quit and go help with the harvest or because their mom is sick, it would not even occur to them that their job has some importance beyond generating income. I respect that, and in a lot of ways admire it.

I know I can get at least twice the work out of an average factory worker in the US than I can from an average worker in Thailand, but I have to pay the US worker five or ten times as much.

We should consider ourselves lucky. If the average Thai had the drive and work ethic of the average American, we westerners would not be able to earn a living here.

A German labor could do at least the double, sometimes I think maybe triple. But a lot is balanced because the Thais have no problem working 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week.

We worked for 3 month from 8 AM till 1-3 AM, 6 days a week. Of course the labor made excellent money and liked it therefor. If you do that in German the labor union and the state would complete freak out.

That compensate a lot....

You lost me. You worked where and for who and with whom?

I work now in Bangkok, for my company, with Thai staff, together with my wife who is Chinese ethnic from the south of Thailand.

[h90]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

That is not true....I take your old Thai had a Vietnamese heritage?

there are also massive differences between, North, East, South, and if they are Chinese ethnic and most important what kind of work.

And strange is that 22 year old staff in the office are still considered as children who help

[h90]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

I take it you have never worked in a Thai company for a Thai boss? Correct me if I a wrong.

On of our competitors with Thai boss from Isaan. He loves karaoke. He put in the staff office a big flat screen which shows in the loop him singing and women give him flowers....in the loop all the day.

On sales guy from Europe had to sit there some short time and went almost crazy

[whistleblower]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

I take it you have never worked in a Thai company for a Thai boss? Correct me if I a wrong.

You are wrong, the lazy ones get fired but, the GOOD looking ones are still lazy but keep their jobs because they give "benefits" to their boss

[h90]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

I take it you have never worked in a Thai company for a Thai boss? Correct me if I a wrong.

You are wrong, the lazy ones get fired but, the GOOD looking ones are still lazy but keep their jobs because they give "benefits" to their boss

Lazy is also a problem but the smaller problem. The bigger problem is to optimize your work on your own to be faster, or improve the quality.

[Chonburiram]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

That is not true....I take your old Thai had a Vietnamese heritage?

there are also massive differences between, North, East, South, and if they are Chinese ethnic and most important what kind of work.

And strange is that 22 year old staff in the office are still considered as children who help

He is from Petchaburi,

the comparison between Thai and Chinese sounds about right; he is from that generation who could still be shocked about Thailands almighty ally lost his offensive war against Vietnam...

[chiangmaikelly]

An old Thai once told me this formula: 100 Thais have the working capacity of 10 Chinese or 1 Vietnamese...

That is not true....I take your old Thai had a Vietnamese heritage?

there are also massive differences between, North, East, South, and if they are Chinese ethnic and most important what kind of work.

And strange is that 22 year old staff in the office are still considered as children who help

He is from Petchaburi,

the comparison between Thai and Chinese sounds about right; he is from that generation who could still be shocked about Thailands almighty ally lost his offensive war against Vietnam...

I take it you have never worked in a Thai company for a Thai boss? Correct me if I a wrong.