Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about people leaving the construction sites of major general contractors.
When you think of major companies, you think of the super general contractors, right?
The companies around here are incredibly large.
That said, the other mid-sized general contractors are also enormous in scale.
Working on a construction site run by a general contractor like this is tough in many ways.
The phenomenon of general contractors leaving construction sites refers to,
More and more contractors are reluctant to work on general contractor sites.That's the point.
To be honest, I totally get it!
Anyway,There are too many unique rules, so construction isn't moving forward.That's right.
And it's cheap. You're probably thinking, "How can it be cheap if it doesn't work?" lol
There's a reason it's cheap—the portions are huge, which is why it's so affordable.
Well, given the laws of the market, there’s not much we can do about it.
However, saying it isn't moving forward is just a personal rule.
I don't mind unique rules, but there are even some that make me go, “Huh? What’s that??”
Safety for safety's sake, with a strong emphasis on safety.
Safety comes before work. (I'm not saying that's not true, but if that were the case, I wouldn't be able to work lol.)
A competent branch manager’s workplace has a nice balance.
If this happens at a site run by a director who’s strangely biased, something absolutely outrageous will happen.
I just end up thinking, “How can you tell me to move forward when it’s your fault things aren’t moving forward?” lol
So, the problem lies with those subordinates and the supervisors at the first-tier subcontractors.
Generally speaking, it’s at general contractor job sites with directors and supervisors like this that accidents occur frequently and employees go missing.
It's not that those people have bad intentions.
However, I’m just too fixated and biased—I don’t have any leeway. Things won’t move unless there’s a little wiggle room.
In addition, construction management for the client’s outsourced management services will now be included here.
Outsourced construction management. This is another tricky part, lol.
While many employees at general contractors are graduates of prestigious universities, it’s common for construction management to be outsourced.
I don't know if it's an educational background complex or what, but it causes some friction lol.
The outsourced construction manager keeps trying to show off in front of the general contractor's employees. (It's kind of sad to watch.)
If tensions between the client and the general contractor escalate, work on the site will come to a halt.
If the outsourced construction management isn't up to par, even minor issues can bring the site to a standstill.
When you have a skilled construction manager, the project really runs smoothly.
Even though employees at general contractors and construction managers alike share the same desire to build quality projects, factors such as educational background, compensation, and job titles can make a difference.
Would a contractor who’s had this kind of experience want to take on the job?
To be honest, I don't like it because it's such a hassle lol
There's an absurd amount of paperwork. I get called in for things that could be handled over the phone.
On site, they make unreasonable demands as if it were nothing.
Every capable construction manager I know says the same thing: “It’s just a waste of time—it’s nothing but trouble.”
On the other hand, there are quite a few businesses that want to work with major companies.
Contractors who want to work on projects for major companies and are after the prestige that comes with it.
Contractors who want to say, “We do business with that major company over there!”That's right.
Contractors who want to brag about things like, “We built that huge slope over there,” are the ones who are eager to go there.
And it is those companies that have the highest number of accidents.
The other day, a serious accident occurred at a job site where such a contractor had worked in the past, and we had to switch to a different machine because they claimed the one we’d delivered was defective.
I was told that if the spray machine is running, the rotating light has to be on, lol.
It's fine to turn on the flashing light, but nobody mentioned anything like that before we got on board.
On top of that, thanks to some unique rules that make you go, “Huh!?”—we’re always free to pack up whenever we want.
That said, I owe a debt of gratitude to our general contractor, so I’m keeping my mouth shut, lol.
I’d prefer it if they put their specific rules in writing. I’ll decide whether to accept the job at that point.
I guess they don't put it out because there wouldn't be anyone to take it on...
Come to think of it, we haven't worked with any major general contractors lately.
Subcontracting for local general contractors is becoming the norm.
Of course, I also work for a major slope construction company. Even so, I do go to places like supermarkets from time to time.
I think we’re living in an era where people can be selective about the jobs they take.
Of course, I wouldn't take a job with a general contractor if it weren't appealing. And by "appealing," I mean money.
But what’s even stronger than that is a sense of duty and human compassion.
Even though we feel indebted to the general contractor and the site supervisor, we still can't beat them, lol.
That’s exactly why it really hurts when people say things like that about what it’s like on the job…
My weakness is that when that person says something, I start thinking, “Maybe I should try to do something about it.”
At general contractor sites, since there’s a lot of work, it’s not enough to just tell people to lower their rates—we need to create an atmosphere where they feel motivated to do their best because “Mr./Ms. ○○” says so, or else I feel like they’ll keep leaving one after another.
I'll write about the good things about working on a general contractor's construction site another time lol
By the way, the phrases I hate the most are “I’ll make it up to you on the next job” and “I’ll keep giving you work from now on.”
It really gets on my nerves when people say that. I think it’s totally underhanded to bring up something that isn’t even happening right now lol.
Just some Sunday ramblings lol
See you later.
