Why do most brothers work in the cleaning business? (page 2)

SheilaM

I actually thought it was to prepare for the cleaning up at Armegeddon.

There were a ton of people who cleaned for a living in the hall I grew up in. Nothing at all wrong with it as a profession, since as it has been pointed out, it is often possible to make quite a decent living at it, but the reasons that they chose it were primarily driven by meeting and service schedules. You were looked upon as greedy if you took a job that would give you any "extra" income.

Primary reasons for cleaning that I heard: They could set the days that they wanted to work and evening hours were possible with office cleaning, the pay was higher enabling one to make the same amount of money as a more time consuming job in much less time, and it enabled them to work without having the pesky tangle of possibly developing relationships of any kind with co-workers.

willy_think

I think the long and short of it is, the same reason we all do what we do, they can't get a better job.

Prisca

Australian perspective for Stephanus:

In the various congregations I was in, many pioneers (and pioneer-wannabes) were in the cleaning business. It allowed them to work on their own terms. Some claimed it was good money, but when you take in to consideration non-payment for holidays, sickness, etc, it's not really a well-paid occupation.

Computing was another career that some used to enable them to pioneer. It pays much better than cleaning, and you can work from home.

DFWnonJW

As previously mentioned, I always heard that the cleaning business, building trades etc. were the type of jobs that would prepare jw's for the after party cleanup when god cleaned house (yes, any day now...wolf!, wolf!). Pretty sad really. Nothing wrong with any of those businesses but to feel almost obligated to do that work isn't a good thing.

La Capra

I was going to hire this dub pioneering couple to clean my house regularly. I had them do a trial run, but had to go back to work after let them in my house. I had had them come and paid them for four hours total person hours (at $20 per hour). My next door neighbor told me the wife left a half hour after I did and came back to get the husband an hour later (yes, I had asked her to keep an eye out for when they left). I had left a list of things to be done if they had time. They only cleaned the surfaces that showed, and not well either. When they called later that week to schedule the next job, I told them that it just didn't look that my house had been getting cleaned for four hours. The point? Oh, well, I think many do it because they generally are unsupervised and can fudge their hours (like on their service reports...)-and no one questions it because "witnesses are such honest people" (TM).

shamus

Hee Hee!

I had a window cleaning business too, and made $45 per hour, on average.....

It was easy to do, and you need no brains to do it, eh?

confuzcious

Guys,

All the above are accurate, but it's also because the lower the prestige of the job, the higher the JW prestige.

In other words, it's that "Look how humble I am. I have a cleaning business," mentality.

The lower your "worldly" status in life, the higher you are viewed upon as a Dub.

Floors, Cleaning, Windows = Elder

Paintless Dent Repair, Painting, Car Tinting = MS

Any other job = Publisher

Any management level job = Bad Association.

You know it bro...

Shakita

I have a office/home cleaning business. I really get offended with the posts that put down people who are trying to pay the bills and support a family the best they can. It is really a low blow.

I get paid approximately $50.00 an hour for office cleaning. I do my own taxes, make my own schedule, and because I can choose my own hours, I am able to work hours that let me be here for my kids when it is necessary.

I plan on going back to a desk job later this year and giving up my $50.00/60.00 an hour business for a much lower paying job because I just don't see myself being able to physically do this when I am 50 or 60 years old. The pay is very good when you are established in a cleaning business, but it still is a very draining business to be in.

Mrs. Shakita

TresHappy

That was very common in our area. Lots of physical labor jobs, things like window washing, construction, etc. Actually there was a guy in our congregation who wallpapered. You should have seen the work he did. Absolutely splendid. He did my whole house and only charged $10.00 a roll.

Why do most brothers work in the cleaning business?