Sub Custodian & the warm bodies.

[@BasicLui]

Hey, Jeff. Currently a substitute custodian. Always feels like there’s some disconnect or confusion on what the tasks for the run is even among the other custodian present. I don’t like to leave things unfinished but a few times it ended that way because lack of clarity on whether it’s a task assigned to the run I am on or meant for a different day. Really want to do well as a sub to eventually transition to a full time position. It’s just been a little jarring when I’m only covering a shift every other week or so due to other job’s weird scheduling and tasks not consistent among other sites despite it being same day of week (e.g. fridays being refill days). Much appreciated for your content and knowledge!

[@ryanparmley5605]

I was a Sub-custodian for over 20yea Minimum 10hr days.(my best was a 27.5hr shift . pne day.) .Multiple buildings in a day. Boss was a total jack wagon. But I learned a ton about cleaning and floor care. Working for the schools set me up for working Custodial in a local hospital for 13yrs. I literally walked into the hospital interview. and said" i've survived Jr. high school kids. Nothing here's gonna phase me.". Oh and did I mention it made a whopping 8.50/hr. No benefits or pay raises . Cuz i wasnt part of the union. I was fortunate to have building custodians the knew me and taught me how to do the shift properly. The best part of being a Sub was the fact that i was exposed to all(At the time.) 9 school buildings in my district. So as i learned each building. i could take bits and pieces from each building and mold it into my own workflow

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

Love that you walk in there and said that. Lol

[@fordgalaxie395]

Hey Jeff always enjoy your content started doing custodial work at the school in 1991 did it for multiple years laughing came back been back for about 10 years now so I've certainly had a lot of things going on with subs I can appreciate what you said about the older teachers when I started I was in my early thirties and most of the teachers were in there you know 50s and 60s and it certainly a different culture but I appreciate your encouragement I won't bore you with all the 30 years of some stories that I have but I really like the one about the guy and the faucet I think we've all had that guy at one time or another LOL

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

I started when I was 30. Have a Merry Christmas!

[@garycody9698]

Our system for subs is you call the operations supervisor, and they find you a sub if we have one. Our subs go through training at every building before they are thrown to the wolf packs. Most of our subs do a better job then some of the full-time workers and we often get asked if they can keep them by the administrators. I think the training has a lot to do with it. The sub can then see what the expectations are and also know how the routine is done correctly.

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

That’s amazing that they do that. Never heard or seen that type of thing before. Very good system to do so!

[@Mario-dp5hj]

Hi Mr. Jeff.. Hope you are having a wonderful winter break away from the hustle & bustle of a school facility up keeping... Just one thing to say here... I haven't been able to find your Facebook page or subscribing link anywhere..? 👷 Can you spare...? Thank you so much...

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

facebook.com/share/g/1A11fhbr7Z/?mibextid=wwXIfr

[@davidsearl3566]

Good morning, Mr. Jeff I'm Mr. Dave a head custodian at a Central Cali High School. Here, we have Frontline that subs sign up on, and I can log on and select one. They might sign up to work at my high school, but if an elementary job comes open, they remove their name and take the elementary job because they get off at 8 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. If I don't get a sub, I bank the hours of the absent custodian to use another day, which is handy during breaks. We have a custodian clinic where we train people who want to sub have to take to be placed on the sub list. Saves a lot of time when they show up to work. I really like your page. Thank you.

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

Sounds like y’all have a good sub plan in place.

[@bobcarty1433]

I can always tell when the afternoon guy called in by how the school looks in the morning. Lights are left on and mop bucket isn't rinsed out. Equipment not put back where it's supposed to go.

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

Got love mop bucket not Rinsed out. That’s a pet peeve for me.

[@queenkeesh8660]

I got hired as a sub but I was there longer time until I left on my own I got hired in one job n they had so many coworkers come n go

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

I started out as a sub.

[@GabrielLoran03]

Once, a sub took the dustmop off the handle and completely soaked it in his mop bucket, and that's how he mopped the floors. He didn't last more than a week. 🤦‍♂

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

Not that’s what I call a genius.

[@JonathanAmmons-y6v]

Where I work as a custodian they do not have a sudstue custodian

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

We don’t have them at the collage I work at.

[@Nomadicheadspace]

In my experience its bad they don’t listen and could careless smh

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

True.

[@jaxcoop1511]

I might be in the minority, but I'm really lucky to work for a large school corporation where the head custodians only need to call the facility coordinator to inform them they won't be at school that day. I am one of three Floating Head Custodians. We will get a call or text usually around 5:00 am letting us know what school we need to cover that day. If we don't get a call or text, we have a designated Home school we are always assigned to work where we just become an extra person for that school for the day. We have 23 buildings, so on any given day I can be just about anywhere. We all three know enough about each building to keep it running efficiently. Our school sub contracts their custodians, so if any of them are going to be absent, it's up to that company to replace that person.

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

I know folks that love moving around like that. I like having my own everyday day buildings. Knowing more what to expect.

[@waya5893]

We lost all our sub custodians. They decided to contract the sub department. It was worse, they had no training, no consistent staff in buildings, items coming up missing, no proper background checks. There are jobs that pay more of a competitive wage.

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

Where I came from they did that fora few years. It was terrible. They have now went back to hiring full time people again.

[@carrahful]

i do think subs get a lot of hate i was a sub before I got a more permanent position. I try not to miss work so I don't deal with this specific issue but what I notice is Mondays r the best day to miss Fridays r the worst. Tuesday thru Thursday r a hit and a miss if they even have a sub available. So for future fyi my choice day to be gone is Monday. If ur gone in the middle of the week u hear from teachers about what didn't get done if u miss on a Monday they r too busy to say much back from weekend etc...I mean they will let u know if something didn't get done I have one or two who will but if u don't miss very often u won't hear these complaints.

[@mrjeffthecustodian]

I subbed for a year before I got hired.