Risks of Hiring off the Street
Consider the classic day laborer scenario of a group of men standing outside of a strip mall or home improvement store, waiting for a potential employer to drive by. It is usually illegal for day laborers to congregate in these areas. As a homeowner and would-be employer, you run the risk of hiring a day laborer who is, at best, an unskilled or unenthusiastic worker; at worst, this laborer may pilfer from you or cause personal harm or property damage (though risks are low). For the day laborer, there is no agreed-upon pay scale or working conditions. Equally, day laborers face safety risks when strangers pick them up off the street.
Solution: Day Laborer Centers
However, there is a solution that greatly helps with the process of hiring (and hopefully rehiring) day laborers for your home remodeling jobs, all the while providing greater security for the laborers themselves. It is a day laborer center. Day laborer centers typically are 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that act as matchmaking services for employers (that’s you!) and day laborers. These centers are usually not affiliated with local government, though they may receive some approval from municipalities. You pay the day laborer directly, and the laborer keeps 100 percent of the money. You pay fair wages for the work–the same wages that a contractor would pay a subcontractor. Wages begin around $23 an hour. A day laborer center benefits you because you can hire through an established (rather than ad hoc) system that matches needs with skills. Also, besides employment opportunities, these centers tend to provide a banquet of helpful services to the laborers and their families: ESL teaching, skills training, legal help, and social services.
Day Laborer Home Remodeling Skills
Day laborers can help with entry-level home remodeling or construction jobs like:
Drywall hanging, taping, and sanding Exterior house painting Landscaping Tile-setting Brick and other masonry work Building fences Constructing retaining walls
While you should assume entry-level skills, the chances are good that the pool of day laborers will include those who have more specialized skills, such as hardwood floor installation, fine carpentry, or carpet installation. The day labor center will do their best to try to find workers who have those specialized skills.
Day Labor Hiring Details
The best thing about hiring a day laborer or two for your remodeling projects is that you cut out the contractor, who can charge 15 to 20 percent commission. In essence, you are becoming a contractor. Also, you can get started right away. With a call to the day labor center, you will have workers at your house the next day. While cutting out the contractor’s commission is great, cutting out the contractor’s services is not so great. Contractors perform valuable services for their commissions, one of which is handling workers. It is a private arrangement between you and the laborer; the day labor center merely connects the two of you and steps out of the picture. Some controls are in place, though. For example, if you have a day laborer who is not performing well, you can easily switch out that worker for another one, no questions asked. While day laborers can handle dirty and unpleasant tasks, such as moving dirt, sanding drywall, or demolishing walls, this arrangement is no excuse for hiring them to do dangerous tasks like removing asbestos or stripping lead-based paint. Just as with any other employer, you are subject to labor laws concerning health and safety.
Legalities
You are liable for workplace injuries suffered by day laborers. Check with your homeowners’ insurance to see if you are covered and how much coverage you have. Day laborer centers are legal in the sense that they are vetted by municipalities. It is up to you to check on the documentation of the workers. The centers do not do this.
Where to Find a Center
Hire a Day Laborer plugs you into local resources. This site is owned and operated by The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), a reputable political action group based in Los Angeles. Find your local day laborer center by searching for “day laborer center [your town]” or “day worker center [your town].” Not every community will have one. Populous areas with large Hispanic populations stand a better chance of having one.
