I’m working for a contractor as an hourly carpenter. I’m his only guy, and I just started working for him a couple of weeks ago. He pays on Monday, rather than Friday, and that’s OK with me. He paid me Monday morning, and during break I went over to his bank, which is just a few blocks away from the job, to cash the check. I never deposit contractor’s checks in my account, I always cash them. The lady at the bank says he doesn’t have money in his account to cover it. I called him on his cell phone, pissed off, and told him I’d be at the job loading up my tools. He said he’d be right over with the cash, and he was. He’s been apologizing all week, and I’m cool with it.
So today I’m cutting stringers for the stairs, and I misfigured the risers. It’s a remodeling job, and the actual floor height at the bttom is hidden behind existing drywall, but I know you can’t figure from the subfloor, when there’s particle board and carpet on the existing floor. This isn’t a stair question. I know how to figure stairs, and I just screwed up. I had all three stringers in and was ready to put temporary treads on when I realized what I’d done. I called the boss, told him the problem, and told him I’d fix it on my own time. I won’t charge him for the four hours it took to put them in, then tear them back out. He’s paying me good money to know what I’m doing.
Now I actually think the check deal and the stair deal were probably good things, because we both know where we stand with each other. We both make mistakes, and admitting it and fixing the problem is something we’re both about, I now realize. So I think it all happened for a reason, and I’m OK with all of it. I’ve really enjoyed all the discussion here, and I’m curious to hear what some of you think about this. Would you not charge your boss for fixing your own mistake? Or does that come with the territory of being a contractor? I’ve already made up my mind, and I’m not looking to be patted on the back or shot down for being an idiot, just looking forward to seeing an interesting discussion.
Replies
as an employee ... I'd say it's all just part of the day.
You can keep screwing up and if it happens enough/too much .. he decides to fire ya.
Till then ... you're an employee .. and accidents happen.
As a boss ... if an employee did what you did ... I'd accept the offer for the free fix ...
but I'd be ready to repay in one way or another as soon as I could.
same with the money ... might be a trend ... might be a one time deal.
I had a bank screw up and put a hold on my line of credit ... right after I paid my electrician! Luckily he's known me for a coupla years ... and luckily he didn't bounce any checks on my "bad check".
Just keep your eyes open. I'm sure he's doing the same.
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I have kind of the same feelings that Jeff has, the check incedent if it doesnt happen on a regular bases, or ever again is just a unfortunate incedent.
I think that you offering to fix your screw up is ok, dont know that I would do it if I made the mistake though, I'm an hourly employee, sh!t happens and that goes with the teritory. I think it's nice that you are doing it and maybe the reason you are is just cause you made a bone-headed mistake, we all do, and you just want to fix it and move on. Almost like it never happened.
Since it is such a new relationship I think that you should to do as Jeff said, keep your eye on things and If the money thing happens in the near futher than that might be a sign!
Doug
Here's a start.
I'm not a contractor.
I think you started off on the wrong foot getting angry and threatening to walk off the job so quickly. Anger can lead to all sorts of problems, one of them being clouded judgement and rash actions. Of course the owner's check shouldn't bounce, and if he is a man of integrity he would make good on it immediately. Apparently he did, and I think you lost face by reacting so harshly so soon. I detect a similar state of mind on the screwed up stairs. Perhaps impulsive drive of another sort resulted in you acting without thinking enough to work out the dimensions properly.
Don't get me wrong. When I was younger I got angry and indignant a lot. Bad service at stores and restaurants and rude treatment really set me off. Being much older now, I realize how much extra pain I caused myself by building up in my own mind my "right" to be mad. Then when I screwed up it only increased my embarrassment and my anger at myself.
I think it's good you are asking. It shows you detect something amiss. Lighten up. Be humble. Nurture an attitude of submission and service. Be quick to forgive and slow to anger. You'll appreciate life much better.
Just the fact you admitted responsibilty for your mistake shows me a lot. We could use a heck of a lot more people with that attitude in this world. That's square dealin'.
No way I'd let you bear the expense of fixing that mistake, though. If he does, I'd be looking around for another employer.
"If you don't lay down, no one can step on you" - a farm hand I met in my youth.
Ditto to Jim.....as an employer, I'd appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't make you pay for it. If possible, what I would have tried to do is come over and help get it done, maybe work a little late that day, something like that.
I don't like the precedent. And with some guys I've worked with, it would virtually paralyse them....they'd be so afraid of doing it wrong they wouldn't want to do anything. I blkeieve you shoot for zero defects, but accept that sometimes stuff happens.cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
everything I do from the time i hop out of thr truck in morning till the time I hope into the truck to go home get charge to employer even lunch (he alway got me running here or they at lunch)
Wage and Hour laws make it illegal to make them pay for mistakes like this. Class case is a cash register that comes up short. They can't take it out of the employees wages, altough many try.
It might even be illegal to do it voluntarily.
But there are mostly state laws and there is some variation in the details.
Correct. FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) prohibits any work being done "off the clock". FLSA is federal, and applies to most employers... so state law is trumped.
Not to mention it probably violates the work comp contract (in NCCI states and most monopolistic states), and probably the GL insurance contract (most charge based on labor $$).
Allen,
About calling the employer and threatening to quit.
I know it is maddening... but just a suggestion. You may want to call and ask if there is a problem first ... before threatening to quit. Mistakes happen.. not that it an excuse. Paychecks should be good no matter what. However, I have seen situations where a deposit is not properly credited, wire transfer gets held up, etc.
FWIW, many employers are trained to accept an employee's resignation when it is offered... no matter what the circumstances. This is because many employees who threaten to quit.. will quit within a short period of time from the threat anyway; even if a reasonable resolution is achieved at the time. General employer theory is that it is better to avoid hassles with the employee and accept the resignation... rather than to reject the resignation and have to deal with issues later.
My gut tells me that you were just spouting off at the time. And I understand that. I am just suggesting that the next time you offer... the guy might just say "OK"... when all you really wanted to do was get your paycheck made right. It doesn't take a threat-to-quit to get your paycheck made right... it takes a phone call to your employer; and if it is not rectified, a call to DOL.
I also admire you for your offer to fix the mess-up. However, it would be improper for your employer to accept that offer (as outlined above).
I agree that you should keep an eye on things for $$ issues. As I stated; crap happens. But if it is a continuing situation, you may want to seek other employment.
I sincerely want to thank all of you who have taken the time to give these thoughtful, helpful suggestions. I sure wish I'd had a forum like this when I was a youngster, as I'm sure many of you older guys would, too. Most of us learned about working in the trades from the guys we worked with along the way, and that was pretty much it.
If any of you had worked with me along the way (and some of you may have) you'd have heard me give the same counsel to younger guys, especially as I've gotten near "old fart" status, that many of you have given me about not letting whatever it might be inside of you that has the ability to incite anger in you control you that way.
So it's almost funny to me to see myself get pissed off about a paycheck and popping off at my boss like that. If a woman I'd just met (I'm single, so I can talk like this) and I really like did anything at all that might normally incite anger in some people, I would immediately think I need to give her the benefit of the doubt and not even think about what might be the reason for this until I've given her the opportunity to tell me what she thinks happened. Probably most of us here would be the same way. And I would give most anyone the same benefit of the doubt. I just used an example where getting pissed off wouldn't even enter my mind, at least until I heard what she had to say :)
So there's always more to the story, and the truth is some things have happened in just the 2 weeks I've been here that kind of made me think this guy is a hack. So I've already been a little uncomfortable already, wondering how long I want to keep working for a hack, even one who really likes me and my work, and really wants to keep me working. So the paycheck on Monday morning just kinda set me off. For all those who mentioned "threatening to quit," I didn't threaten to quit. I said, "I'll be at the job loading my tools," which is exactly what I would have done. His immediate reply was I'll be right over with some cash. I wanted to get his attention, and I did.
I won't bullsh*t around a minute about my money. I've had men I was working for in the past come to me and say something like, "I've got to get this roof decked before I can get another draw, so can I give you part of your check and the rest of it on Monday when we get finished, or, here's your check, but I don't have a check from the homeowner yet, and they won't be here until after lunch, so please don't take this to the bank til after 3:00, and of course I said "No problem. Thanks for being up front about it."
But when I took this check to the bank, and they wouldn't cash it because there wasn't enough money in the account, my first thought is this guy is not only a hack, but he's also going under. And who knows when this check will be good? I was already in a pissy mood, which I always get in when I'm working for a hack, (which is why I don't usually stay long) and I took the opportunity to blow off some steam and let him know we aren't going to bullsh*t around about my paycheck.
As I said in my earlier post, he paid me right way and has been very apologetic, assuring me it will never happen again and I can see he's really embarrassed about it. I don't think he's that kind of guy, and I feel pretty certain it will never happen again. I've let him know it's no big deal, don't worry about it, I totally understand, etc.
As for being a hack, well, I'm the one doing the work, and I won't do anything less than good work, or I won't do it. He seems more than happy to let me do my thing, as well he should be. I'm the only person he has working for him right now, and I'm finishing up a remodeling job while he's out getting us work. He's an older guy who has some health problems, so there's no reason at all for him to put his bags on, and I don't think he was until he lost all his help. So since I'm the only one there, and he's letting me do things the way I want to, the hack problem is gone.
I've submitted my paperwork to the state of California to get a testing date for my contractors license, and plan to start up my own business at some point, when I feel like I'm ready. That's the reason I came here, to learn all I can before I start another business. Like many of you, my first time around I thought being a good craftsman was all you needed to have your own business, with no thought to the fact that I didn't know a thing about business. I wish I'd had this forum then!
For the time being, I'll keep working for this guy, and I'm sure after we know each other better and longer, we'll laugh about the week my check wouldn't clear, and I had to cut up three perfectly good stringers and burn them in a beach fire on Saturday night. I'm smart enough to see a good opportunity, and so is he, so we can make some money together. He's been a contractor in this town for 35 years, and at least for awhile he's got a good carpenter he can leave alone and bring materials to who's making hims some money every day if he bid things right.
And I have a place to roost for awhile and make a steady paycheck (not always a given, as we all know) while I get things set up for myself. As I said before, I'm sure all this happened for a reason, and rather than me doing something really stupid over the check, or him doing something really stupid over the stringers, we've worked it out and I think we both have a little more respect for each other now. And I don't see that as a bad thing. There's lots for me to learn about myself here, and that's what it's really all about anyway.
Now as for me not charging him for the time I worked screwing up the stringers, y'all have convinced me I need to charge him for that time. I think that was an emotional reaction on my part as well, as Wayne pointed out, to counteract my bad behavior on Monday. But I don't want to be in violation of federal law, for heaven's sakes, so I'm going to charge him for the time. I'll explain the reasons to him, and I'll be surprised if he isn't agreeable. All of the reasons y'all gave are perfectly resonable, and all things I'd thought of myself, except the legal aspects. Thanks again for all who've responded.
I've made the same offer a few times when I felt that I had really done something STUPID. Never had anyone take me up on it, though.
Sometimes checks don't clear because they are out of state (can take up to 10-15 business days). Tell your boss to look into overdraft protection for his payroll account.
I think there may be a little of what you're suggesting, Wayne. I should mention that I'm 49 years old, and I've been in the trades for 31 years. This man is extremely happy with my work. He's lost some workers recently due to his own temper (from what I've heard from some subs) and he's bending over backward to keep me happy.
I'm one who very seldom gets angry. And when I do, I look for the reason behind it, and I've learned enough to know that anger is usually the way we demonstrate our real emotions, which are usually fear or hurt. I have a degree in human services, with lots of psychology classes. I'm also a very spiritual person. Quick to forgive and slow to anger are characteristics I'd like to think I have. That's good advice for anyone. A man I worked with many years ago gave me some advice I've repeated to myself many times: "I cannot control other people's actions, I can only control my reaction."
I'm known for being a calm, stable person, one who others know can be counted on to keep a cool head. But I did get pissed off about the check, and I think this may be my way of letting him know that I know we're all human and subject to make mistakes. Thanks for your input, all of you.
Edited 8/26/2004 11:33 pm ET by Allen
BRAVO.
THE CHEQUE DEAL COULD VERY WELL BE JUST A LITTLE TIMING ERROR. I ADMIRE YOUR ATTITUDE IN REGARDS TO YOUR OWN MISTAKE. THIS BUSINESS IS NOT MEANT TO BE A RACE TO GET EVERYTHING DONE QUICKLY TO MAKE A LOAD OF MONEY FASTER THAN LAST TIME. IT SHOULD BE ABOUT MAKING THINGS RIGHT, TREATING PEOPLE THE WAY WE LIKE TO BE TREATED. IF YOU WERE A NEW EMPLOYEE OF MINE I WOULD BE IMPRESSED BY YOUR CHARACTER BUT I WOULD PAY YOU THE EXTRA TIME. I WOULD KNOW YOUR 31 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE IS GOING TO MAKE ME MONEY IN SPADES BACK. HAVE A GOOD DAY
VIVADRIVER
Vivadriver--please don't take this wrong, but please turn off your cap lock. When you type in all caps, people think you're yelling at them! ;-) Plus it makes it easier to read if you use small letters except for starting sentences and so on.
I hear you! You sound just like a teacher I had in high school who did not think it was appropriate for me to be writing with a 2h drafting pencil all in capital letters.
Have a good day
Vivadriver
Something wrong with that ? ? I still do that. The only thing I don't block print, upper case, is my signature ! Old habits die hard !
Greg
I went to college to be a teacher, so maybe that's coming out in me! Anyway, thanks, makes it easier to read. If I didn't ask, I think someone else would have.
My take on the check is if it's an isolated incident and he takes care of any NSF fees you have, it's water under the bridge. A regular occurrence OTOH...
As to the mistake, I was in the same situation once and the guy I was working for asked me to fix on my own dime (4 hours worth). Our relationship was both professional and personal, so I decided to give in but I also made up my mind that next time I will walk if necessary. Employees screw up because they're human. Unless we're talking gross negligence, employees should not be responsible.
Every time an employee comes up with an idea or works extra hard, the boss usually reaps all of the benefits. So why should it be a one way street?
Jon Blakemore
Your lucky it only happened once! After I stopped framing because my knees were killing me, I worked a year as a jeweler's apprentice. (Talk about "Now for something completely different--my trainer would say, "See the eight inclusions in this emerald?!" and I'd say, "I see the emerald....") Anyway, boss would pay us and say, "Go to the bank right away and cash it." Or, "Don't cash your check till 4 because I won't have money in to cover it till then." First time I went to cash my check and the bank said there wasn't enough money in the acct. to cover it, I told the people I worked with and they said, "When x pays you, go right then and get the money; don't wait." Incidentally, by signing the back of a check (endorsing it) you are certifying that the check is good and YOU are responsible for it if it doesn't clear! I was surprised to learn this. ANyway, I got tired of the bosses distinct lack of ethics. I worked ahead, then took a week off for hernia surgery, when I came back he "laid me off" permanently. I didn't argue. It was right after I had heard that he was planning a deal to defraud an insurance company. I loudly told everyone that if he did, I would report it. Just before I left, he announced to everyone that he had briefly considered doing this thing, but then realized, hey, that would be fraud! and so no way would he do it! I'm sure this was for my benefit. So now I'm back in construction.
I've been on both sides of the fence.........and I'd say you did good by fixing up your own mistake. As a pro you should.....as a flunky, well, they get a little slack. Why should a builder be paying you good money and then fixing things for you at his expense?
Sounds like the guy (check) made an honest mistake. Money runs like water through a builders hands........sometimes we come up short, it's the nature of the beast. Bounced checks never bothered me, but then there was the guy who paid me and after I left called the bank and cancelled the check.................GRRR
I think everyone did the right thing in the cases you described. As an hourly, you're not expected to fix minor screwups on your own time -- a certain percent of those is normal. And your boss should pick up, eg, the cost of the lumber for the stringer rework. But redoing the stringers on your own time reflects a reasonable degree of professionalism -- acknowledging that you're paid not just to be a warm body but to think and be self-directing.
It's not something you HAD to do, but it's something you OUGHT to do, both out of respect for your boss and out of respect for yourself.
Re the check incident, I think guys in your position have to be pretty hard-nosed about money. You were maybe a little harsh with the guy, but you do need to be very careful about making sure that you get paid on time and that the checks don't bounce. Lots of guys will string you along if they can, and making it plain that you're not going to put up with that is a good thing.
I don't blame you for getting upset about the pay thing. You might like what you do, but you basically work for someone because they pay you.
As several others have mentioned, I would be very wary if this happens more than once. He may be O.K., or may be about to go under.
As for the freebie work - I wouldn't have done it. As Jon said - If you did something that saved time or money, he's not gonna pay you extra. So if you make a mistake you shouldn't eat it.
I'd suggest owning up to the mistake, correcting it as soon as possible, and teling your employer you'll make it up to him somehow. But not on your own time.
Q: Why do men die before their wives?
A: They want to.
I worked for a fella once who was always short of money come payday.
When he came round and handed out the checks there was a mad scramble to get to the bank to cash them.
I got pretty sick of the uncertainty after a while and started looking for another job.
I worked for another guy one time and made a mistake on a board. I just went down to the timber yard and got another on my account and finished the job. Told the boss what I had done after. He said i didnt need to do that, but i figgured I wasnt being paid to wreck materials. Some mistakes happen, stuff gets broken. It happens, other things I feel responsible for so will put right on my own time/expense.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
You should have been able to cut the new stringers much faster and the tearout was probably insignificant as opposed to the layout and cutting, if I am on the right track here. My point is that you could do an hour's work of reinstallation for free instead of giving up four hours. Who is paying for the material? If it is coming out of your boss's pocket, then you have an equitable deal and you both end up paying a little - you in labor and he in materials. If, however, the customer pays for the additional materials, then your boss should not be accepting your offer. If the customer pays for the mistake and you pay for the mistake, your boss takes it to the bank, where it will hopefully be for the next check.
As for the check: It is more than just a mistake. Your credit depends on the ability to get paid ON TIME. If you have a bill due, or several bills for that matter, and you cannot pay because the check bounced, your boss has affected something very important. I have worked hard to keep an excellent credit score all my adult life. I have never made a late payment in 38 years. This has saved me a many thousands of dollars over the years in terms of lower home interest rates, waiving of deposits for new phone service, and so on. When somebody puts me in a position that jeopardizes my credit, I get mad and react just like you did.
In both issues, I think you are maybe being a little TOO spiritual. Your first loyalty is to your own life and to anyone who depends on your income. If you are really that good at your job, stand up for it!
It seems like you and the contractor have arrived at a nice balance but the relationship is not supposed to be one where you are equals.
You're a trusted, skilled worker who made a mistake and reacted honorably but at the same time as an employee you aren't expected to take risks, nor do you share the rewards. Risk/reward is a burden of the contractor, not employee.
Now if this contractor is someone who gives bonuses for profitable jobs or even has some kind of profit sharing then the dynamic kinda changes, maybe charge your hours back against the profit.
Your integrity is what any contractor would like to see in an employee and it's probably the way they behaved when they were working for someone else.
Allen:
In my experience (totaling 40 years in the trades) guys like you are few and far between.
Your employer made a mistake and you were correct to call him on it. You made a bonehead mistake and you paid for it.
I am an Architect (now) with many years of experience running jobs as both a super and as a PM. I recently spent 4 days a week on a job keeping it on track rather than allowing it to fail. The super was very weak and no one on the project respected him because of his work habits and ethics.
I asked his PM to replace him, but he refused. They will get no more work from my client, because they lost sight of who their client was ... ME.
Oh, it was an 8 million dollar project. Their loss.
>>Actually the laws is, at least in Ohio, that you CAN dock a worker's pay for an error as long as the total pay does not average less than minimum wage for the week's hours.
ie. A guy works a 10 hr week at 20 per hr. He screws up and you dock him.... the maximum you could dock him if minimum wage is 5.35 per hour is 146.50. This way, he still earned 5.35 per hour or the legal minimum wage.<<
While you can make deductions, to do so without a prior written agreement is not wise. Many an employer has been hauled into court to dispute wage deductions without agreement. Most have been found to have withheld the money incorrectly if there is no prior agreement.
This also should not be confused with "off the clock" work, or for work considered to be "rework". See link below:
http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/hoursworked/screen1d.asp
Edited 8/28/2004 3:25 pm ET by Rich from Columbus
Edited 8/28/2004 3:26 pm ET by Rich from Columbus
What I see in all this is the guy did right to fix his mistake being that he considers himself a pro.........he took the high ground and is now gonna take another route and bill the contractor cause of some obscure law.......... A person is almost ALWAYS better off in the long run if he follows his gut instinct.
Another thing is that in this business we carpenters wear many hats. Some times we work hourly......sometimes piece work.......sometimes sub........sometimes we own the show. I have always fixed my f-ups, but never required my help to do so. I think it's a personal thing between the guy and his conscience.
Obscure law?
The FLSA is far from obscure. Ever been audited by Wage and Hour? FLSA. Ever wondered about minimum wage? FLSA. Under-age Labor? FLSA Overtime? FLSA Record-keeping for employees and wages? FLSA
Wanna see how fast you can ruin a business? Fail an audit by the Wage and Hour division by knowingly allowing work off the clock. They will be in your office 10 times a year and twice on Christmas. They will interview every worker that they can find that does work, or ever worked, for you. Not to mention that there are civil penalties... and in cases of willful disregard... criminal prosecution and fine up to 10K... a second conviction may result in imprisonment. These guys are not nice and take their job real seriously.
That said... I understand what you are saying... and in fact, I agree with you that it would be great for the guy to make up for his mistake. However, the reality is that the law says that he is not allowed to work off the clock. If it were not for that law, everyone who makes a mistake would be expected to correct that error... not out of the goodness of their hearts... but because the boss would require it.
I'm a little late to this thread, but...
I agree with Rich from Columbus. It is nice of you to offer to fix the problem on your own time, but it is foolish of the boss to accept the offer.
I would never allow anyone to work "off the clock". Too big a kettle of fish, as Rich points.
A bit of a tangent...
I once worked for a Domino's Pizza franchisee as a Manager Trainee. The work week was 55 hours (five eleven hour days). 40 hours straight pay and then 15 hours overtime. So when they told you the job payed $400 a week (or whatever it was), the 15 hours O.T. was required to get there.
But if you were sick and missed a day, they were nice about it. Rather than have you lose all O.T., they would pay you the $400 minus one fifth, or $320.
For whatever reason, Wage and Hour was looking at the books and noticed this. Their response was that a given employee was paid that week $320 for forty four hours work which works out to $6.96 per hour. The other weeks the employee was paid $400 for 55 hours work, which comes out to $6.40 per hour.
THEREFORE, the employee was UNDERPAID for the 55 hour weeks. A lot of us got checks.
It is never a good thing for Wage and Hour to be looking at your books. Keep in mind that once they have a reason to look for anything (all it takes is a complaint), they are allowed to look at everything and for anything.
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
Checks and Balances, for lack of a better term. You messed something up, we've all been there. I'm not going to tell you top learn from it, because you obviously know what's what. In time, you will have saved this guy plenty of cash or time, this little incedent will be history. Sure you feel bad, mostly because you knew better. I think you feel guilty about blowin at the guy. Charge him, (probably already taken care of by now) and move on.
I know this has already been said, just sayin it again!
Obscure law?
I'm not really proud to say it, but I know nothing about any of these laws...FLSA?.....was dat? I had some employees about fifteen years ago and couldn't even deal with the workers comp stuff.........sold my half of the partnership and went back to doing my own thing. Big job, I sub mechanicals to friends......and get my kids to help me frame etc.
Geeeeeeesh am I a dinasour or what?
Allen.. i've been an employer since 1975... seen many a damned mistake.. some mine.. some my employees.... some of the employees have a=offered to work off the mistake..
i always thank them but tell them we can't do that... just try not to make the same mistake twice
as for the payroll.. it's my job to see the money is there.. if it's not going to be there then i have to lay off my guys while i still can cover payroll... here's the deal..
i pay my employees first. Uncle Sam 2d... me last....
did it that way until about 10 years ago when i finally wised up and incorporated.... now i'm just another employee and i finally get paid every week... and the money had better be there or i'll walk too !Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
"now i'm just another employee "
But what about that mean SOB that you have for a boss. How do you put up with him <G>.
that absentee owner ?....he's usually off playing golf .....just a money man..
him and the corporate VP... driving around in her company car.... what a pairMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I've heard tell they throw a mean party though!
oh, sure... as long as they can write it offMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I know where you're coming from with the offer to work free to fix the mistake.
BUT... I have two prices. One is an hourly rate if you want to buy all 40 of the hours I'm going to work this week. The other is a much higher rate if you want to buy the hours this week during which I am highly productive and make no mistakes. If you want to buy only my best hours, let me know up front.
A four hour mistake is nothing. You could ask the experts what they expect in terms of time for re-work and repair of screw-ups... and I'm guessing it's in the 3-5% range. So, you can make a four hour mistake every 2-3 weeks.