utility line locator

administrative assistant

telecommunications technician

regional director

driller

Canadian Locators

This job has provided me with great learning opportunities in a fast-paced environment filled with multiple challenges to face and overcome. I can only speak from my experience as part of the office staff, as I have never been in the field, but I interact with field staff often and have tremendous respect for them. They are exposed to uncontrollable variables that can lead to either an easy or harsh day, so I will stick to what I know.

I appreciate that management does not micromanage us; we work independently and are trusted to do our jobs. However, this independence can sometimes be excessive, especially with the lack of training and the 'figure it out' teaching style. Some things cannot be learned without asking questions, and I've learned to be resourceful and seek help when needed. Despite this, I like the balance. They do need to be more organized and plan better; the current lack of planning, combined with the uncertainty of operational needs, creates a recipe for chaotic times.

The compensation, including salary and benefits, could be significantly better for both office and field staff. The company needs to realize that if they don't update their practices, they will lose competent employees. Other companies are offering work-life balance initiatives and higher salaries. If they don't keep up with market trends, they will be stuck with less experienced and less satisfied staff because they failed to retain their talent in time.

The team is not too big, so you get to learn everyone's names and even their pets' names. At least in the office, there is a sense of familiarity with people you share lunches, celebrations, and activities with. You see people who truly care and are interested in getting to know you, which is nice and something big companies sometimes struggle to foster. There are potlucks, lunches, health and safety meetings, open door policies, and other practices that incentivize engagement within the company.

It is an enjoyable experience, but it has many challenges to overcome.

Very poor management, 
Hired me and fired me a week later because they said they didn’t need me in said area anymore and there is no work available, 
Wasted my time and training. 
I could’ve been working for a different company investing my time and energy where it counts. 
Instead I was training for this company and given false hope and promises. 
Very disappointed. 
Poor wage, chaotic work environment that’s always changing. 
Being trained by someone who isn’t a qualified trainer. 
No communication. 
I was under the impression I’d be finishing training and then relocating to start what was gonna be my “area” , they sent me all of the gear, I did all of the online stuff. 
Then he called and had some poor excuse why I was being fired because there’s suddenly no work and they decided to go with a contractor. 
Then I see the job posting online for the same position with a slightly higher wage. 
I don’t appreciate it, apparently it’s common with this company. 
Save your time and energy and resources and go elsewhere. 
Everything is done on the phone and laptops, never know what to expect day to day. 
No stability or balance. As I said just false hope and promises. 
He preached to me about relocating and how much work there is and the list goes on.  
Wish this company the best but there’s a lot of loose ends, it’s messy and chaotic. 

There was a brief training period that had nothing planned or documented it was just a ride along, there are no tailgates or weekly meetings, no communication between management and staff, constant confusion and unclear or unsafe directions, no thought or consideration for working safely on roads just run into traffic and hope for the best. Supplied with broken and malfunctioning equipment and vehicle. Constantly pushed to work faster and faster while having ticket volume compared to locators who sat at home and faked locates using local utility maps despite the risk of getting a line hit. Company refused to provide a way to properly dispose of aerosol cans of marking paint, just advised employees to throw them into random dumpsters on jobsites despite risk of explosion/fire. Several times I did not receive my pay and was left to chase after the office to find out what happened.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Freedom...sometimes...and the people...just not anyone manager or above.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The managers, the endless workflow, the fact that you will never feel like your job is secured. Worked there for 7 years and got "laid off" with 3 hours notice. So yeah, management is the MOST stressful part.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It feels like you're constantly being fed crayons from the upper management. No one knows how to make decisions or care to retain good staff. Turn over rate was so bad at one point, I didn't bother learning names anymore until you passed probation.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Wake up, download work queue, drive to job, do job, go to next job, repeat, go home, upload queue, sleep.

Work here if all you need is a pay cheque at day's end.  Most managers and area supervisors were good, but there's a couple rotten eggs in there as well as cheap overall management that makes you want to get out of there quick.  No job security, minimum advancement, and toxic work culture.  Everyone is there to take care of themselves, not the workers.  Between the implied 'we will fire you if you don't play ball' to the poor hires because some people want their friends to work with them... it's all shady.  Make your money and leave to a company where you can advance.  Office staff changes so frequently because they realize how bad it is too.  You'll probably start out $1 higher than minimum wage.

If you're ok with working long hours for an alright wage and fairly independent, you'll do well here. If you don't want any pay increase or advancement in life, this is the job for you.  Ok with no job security and management that gives you more and more work with again... no pay increase, you'll love this job.  And when they ask you to do something dangerous and quite possibly illegal in some cases, you'll do it to keep your job...

They had me working crazy hours cause they wouldn't get me traffic control. Your on call 24/7 so good luck doing anything. Even though your on call you cant drive anywhere too far from your company vehicle. And you cant really drive the company vehicle anywhere cause they don't like that. You can get a better wage starting at any private location company.  And even if you put the time and effort into working your hardest you'll never get recognized for it. This job isnt worth the stress at all.

They are actually a decent enough company to work for if your just looking for a job. Keep your head down, make no waves & suggest no improvements & they'll treat you fine. However, there is a fair bit of nepotisim there, favouritism is rampant and gossip is huge. Nothing you say to anyone no matter the circumstances around that utterance will remain confidential. There is no way to build a career here through advancement or lateral movements unless you are related to someone high up. But if you are just looking for a job & a paycheck for a year or so you could do well here.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Overall it comes down to the money.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Overall the entire job was stressful.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Overall working environment was working outside no matter the conditions.

Overall culture was quality over quantity to quickly quantity over quality.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Overall day is stress when you wake-up, be on the job, and return home.

write your own paycheque. Do bare minimum and earn base pay... or work a bit more and cash in on bonuses for extra work. If your fast enough you can really make a lot. All employees work as a team and you will notice their support. If you have problems call a supervisor and they'll deal with it. Take home vehicle supplied, and your paid traveling from job site to job site.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Utility line locator 19 salaries reported	$25.53 per hour
Administrative assistant 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour
Telecommunications technician 11 salaries reported	$29.18 per hour
Regional director 1 salary reported	$36.00 per hour
Driller 1 salary reported	$35.00 per hour

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