Business owner slams entitled workers for turning down jobs because and making unrealistic demands

A business owner has slammed entitled workers for turning down well-paying jobs because he can’t meet their list of unrealistic demands.

Marc Neal, who runs the demolition company Demo Pro Australia, has frequently advertised odd jobs for his business on a private Facebook page.

He has offered to pay as much as $35 an hour and promised ongoing work for reliable and trustworthy labourers.

His callouts have drawn a mixed response, with some workers outright refusing to work for him unless he meets their lofty demands.

Some wanted to be paid cash in hand so they wouldn’t be taxed or could continue to receive Centrelink payments, others wanted significantly more money, while one person wanted ‘heated jackets and pants’ for turning up.

His frustration comes as a worker shortage cripples employers, and businesses are forced into a bidding war as they try to draw in recruits with competitive packages.

Mr Neal’s callouts have drawn a mixed response with some workers outright refusing to work for him unless he meets their lofty demands

One mining company is offering a six-figure salary on top of a $10,000 sign-on bonus and a $5,000 bonus for a successful referral, while hospitality venues are paying as much as $42 an hour for waiters.

The Fair Work Commission has increased the minimum wage by 5.2 per cent, a level slightly above inflation, putting more pressure on small businesses, with one cafe owner breaking down in tears, saying they will be forced to close their doors as they struggle to afford workers.

Australia’s unemployment rate in May remained at a 48-year low of 3.9 per cent for the third straight month.

Mr Neal vented his frustration on Facebook, saying he was fed up with the sense of entitlement among labourers.

‘Do any of the people on here ‘looking for work’ ACTUALLY want to work?’ he wrote.

‘If someone is offering a job, you either want to work/want money or you don’t. I’m sick of seeing so many comments or posts (or messages replying to a job post) of people dictating how much they want or how they want to be paid.

‘How about just put your hand up for what’s on offer, turn up, pitch in, make a good impression, and command more money after that?’

Mr Neal listed some of the more outrageous responses from demanding labourers.

‘I prefer cash in hand at the end of the day,’ one person wrote.

Another added, ‘If the job comes with heated jacket and pants I’m interested’.

Other responses to Mr Neal included: ‘$30 per hour isn’t enough for general labour’ and ‘pay me $300 cash per day, at the end of the day, then I’ll turn up’.

The frustrated business owner told Daily Mail Australia some had even accepted the offer and then tried to renegotiate higher pay just hours before starting the job.

‘A few have agreed to work, then the night before the job starts, they message to say the rate isn’t enough, so they’re not going to show up, or don’t even bother to show up at all,’ he said.

Mr Neal said as many as 40 per cent of responses he received from a job listing came from workers demanding cash in hand or more money.

Mr Neal said as many as 40 per cent of responses he received from a job listing came from workers demanding cash in hand or more money

Mr Neal shared one message showing a worker admitting he would only work for cash to avoid taxes

He shared one message showing a worker admitting he would only work for cash to avoid taxes.

‘I’m sorry, Marc I’m dodging tax and child support assessment this year hence why I stopped working for 300k per year, I’ve been raped the last few years, and I’ve had enough,’ the message read.

‘I’m going to have to pass, sorry for wasting your time.’

Mr Neal added: ‘It’s frustrating. Our work can change last minute a lot with guys sick or positive with covid, or needing to mind kids when partners are sick, so when you put posts needing people for the next day, they feel they’ve got the power to command what they want.

‘Or there’s those that don’t actually want anything other than cash, so either cherry pick the ones offering cash, or try their luck with ones that aren’t offering it and that are desperate enough to maybe give in and change to cash.’

His Facebook post prompted other business owners to share their experiences with ridiculous requests.

‘$30 per hour isn’t enough for general labour’ and ‘pay me $300 cash per day, at the end of the day, then I’ll turn up’ were also among the responses sent to Mr Neal (stock image)

‘People don’t want to work anymore or want the best of both worlds (still claim Centrelink and get cash in hand),’ one person wrote.

‘I have had six months of this (since the main part of this problem has started) and I’m done. We suppliers don’t get paid cash and have to pay tax on everything, but employees don’t care about anyone but themselves anymore.’

Another added, ‘I am happy to pay people what they are worth but double dipping on Centrelink (sic) is poor form.’

Other social media users swooped in to defend the labourers.

‘I remember a time when general labouring paid more than 30ph,’ one wrote.

‘Then, when a surplus of backpackers came, offers dropped as low as 20ph. Workers were desperate enough to accept that. And not a peep was heard from employers. Workers just adapted because they needed to work.

‘Now the market is starting to self-correct, workers are being lambasted for going with the flow. Bit of a double standard there.’

Queensland’s mining sector is desperately seeking workers and offering starting salaries over $100,000 and sign-on bonuses of $10,000 for those with the right skills  

The commodity price boom, a long-time skill shortage and  the Covid restrictions keeping out overseas workers, have meant miners are working hard to attract people into the sector

The worker shortage prompted some businesses to offer attractive packages to try and entice employees.

Mining services firm Thiess, to offer a $10,000 sign-on bonus and a $5,000 bonus for a successful referral.

The bonus comes on top of the six-figure salary that is usually offered to engineers with auto-electricians starting at around $140,000 and metallurgists and automation engineers commanding between $100,000 and $130,000.

The Queensland Resources Council noted that of the 2,007 mining jobs advertised on the employment website seek.com.au last week, 85 per cent paid over six figures.

Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association Chief Executive Steve Knott told Daily Mail Australia that the skills shortage in the mining industry is ‘unprecedented’.

Cafe owner breaks down and says he will have to close over wage rise 

A Sydney café owner has broken down in tears during an emotional TV interview fearing his business ‘cannot survive’ amid rising cost pressures and an increase to the minimum wage.

The Fair Work Commission on Wednesday awarded Australia’s 2.7 million minimum wage and low-paid workers wage rises of up to 5.2 per cent to keep up with spiralling inflation – the most generous bump in 16 years.

But while the much-needed pay rise is a windfall for workers, business owners are feeling the pinch and say they ‘can’t afford it’.

Phillip Salhab (pictured) told reporter Peter Stefanovic he’ll ‘save his tears for the pillow’ before eventually becoming overwhelmed and admitting: ‘It would be a lot easier to close’

Phillip Salhab who runs the Appetite eatery in Five Dock (pictured) tried to put on a brave face when speaking about the possibility of going bust on Sky News 

Phillip Salhab who runs the Appetite eatery in Five Dock tried to put on a brave face when speaking about the possibility of going bust on Sky News.

He told reporter Peter Stefanovic he’ll ‘save his tears for the pillow’ before eventually becoming overwhelmed and admitting: ‘It would be a lot easier to close’.

‘While we accept the increase in the minimum wage for our team to keep up with the cost of living pressures, we as a business cannot afford it,’ he said.

‘I appreciate they are going to give us until October 1, but what guarantee is there that everything will be back to normal.’

From July 1, the nation’s lowest paid workers will receive $812.60 a week, an increase of $40, and $21.38 an hour, up $1.05. The awards in the aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors however will not kick in until October 1.

Mr Salhab said he is already paying well above minimum wage to his staff as the hospitality industry faces a massive shortfall of workers.

‘Workers are putting us up against each other from interview to interview telling us what they’ve been offered and getting us to hopefully match or beat it and we just cannot do it,’ he said.

The café owner said his eatery makes the best bacon and egg roll in Sydney’s Five Dock (pictured) 

‘We are looking for a kitchen hand at the moment and other venues are offering… $42 an hour, it would be a lot easier for us to close.’

He added that the rising costs for fresh food including bread and coffee is also making the business unviable and that continuing to jack-up prices is no longer an option.

‘There is only so much people want to pay for a bacon and egg roll,’ he said adding that’s his is the best in Five Dock.

‘I as a consumer myself cannot justify paying more than $13.50 for a bacon and egg roll.’

The café opened under dire circumstances just six weeks before the first lockdown in 2020.

Mr Salhab said if it wasn’t for diehard community support, ‘we probably wouldn’t still be here’.

Now he’s not sure how much longer that support can last as he facing the prospect of shutting down.