arborist

applicator

assistant spécialiste

fire protection specialist

groundskeeper

Davey Tree

The "Experts" in the tree industry... Ive never been at such an unexperienced company. They pay very low for the industry. They are a good stepping stone company because they will train you. But you will be expected to Top trees, cut corners and they just take advantage of people who are just trying to get experience.

During covid they have made most employees use personal vehicles. Which they pay 25cents a kilometer. The fair rate provided by the Ontario government is 67cents a kilometer. If your vehicle gets damaged on the work site you are on your own. They have been handling covid so poorly shuffling crews around in every which truck. No nightly cleaning on high touch surfaces. Just brutal ok how they handled this pandemic.

Davey Trees saftey record is absolutely garbage because they don't treat people with experience like they are worth a dime so everyone leaves after 2-5 years. Corporate is slimey and will do everything they can to pass the blame onto you while preaching saftey but get it done or we are sending you home and writing you up. 

Ok benefits, good stock plan and rrsp, but you probably won't stay long unless your as slimey as the guys up in corporate. 

Sure go to Davey tree fresh out of school but stand up for yourself and document everything or else you will get burnt by someone just trying to make a buck.

What is the best part of working at the company?
There wasn’t a particular aspect I would highlight as positive

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part of working at the company was the unsafe work environment, including poorly maintained equipment and tasks performed near power lines without proper safeguards. Additionally, management’s frequent shouting and swearing at staff, along with unpaid overtime, made the workplace very stressful

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment was tense due to management’s behavior. Supervisors frequently shouted at staff and used offensive language, creating a stressful atmosphere. Communication was often poor, and employees were made to feel undervalued and disposable. Overall, the culture seemed to prioritize control and authority over collaboration and respect

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day involved long hours of physically demanding work, sometimes six days a week. Employees were expected to complete tasks quickly under pressure, while adhering to strict schedules set by management. Breaks were limited, and overtime was common, sometimes unpaid. Interaction with management often involved being monitored closely and receiving frequent criticism.

I am a former employee of Davey Hamilton and the Utilities West division. I left Davey to start my own company with the thoughts of gaining sales and management experience in order to potentially return to Davey in the future. Despite starting off a low wage I ended up earning $8 more per hour after in 3 years after getting credentials. People don't seem to understand that Davey does pay well but you have to put the effort in and they offer the means to get where you want to be by sponsoring employees for the apprenticeship, assisting with getting a DZ licence, utility courses, 0-8 ton crane material handling etc. The Hamilton yard is run very well considering it having 50-60 guys and management always has work for you year round. There is also options for overtime pretty much all year. There are also some excellent workers at the Hamilton yard and I had the pleasure of being trained my multiple highly skilled foreman. Again, if you can get over the low pay at first and see the bigger picture of investing in yourself  to take what Davey offers you then you will get a good wage after a couple years.

Probably one of the most awful companies I’ve worked for

No training.  Only specific people will teach you to climb.  Most Operators can’t climb or refuse to (a requirement for certain contracts). 

Work for yourself.  Someone at this place WILL rat you out.  No one is your friend.

No health and safety meetings (just get you to sign papers)

Old equipment 

Middle management treats you like garbage

Discrimination at its worst.

Major fraud

Employees complain about work environment and equipment all day everyday and they still don’t give you what u need.
You have to either buy your own or rely on other people.

No raises.  If you do get one it’s based on attendance amongst other factors they deem necessary.

Trucks are junk.  Always something wrong with them. Dents everywhere.  Rust everywhere.  Locks don’t lock.  Fuses broken or missing.  Side mirrors held on with duck tape. They will always try to blame you first, then try to fix it themselves, then send it to I think one of the worst mechanics ever.

Think before you except any position at this place.

My foreman was a person who could not be reasoned with and should not have even been hired.  He also had a mindset of which he thought he was more experienced than myself although he only had about two weeks more experience, the company also would only get one room for two people.  This company was also very disorganized as some of the work they had somehow "got lost".  I worked 70 hour weeks with five days of 12 hours and one day of 10 hours, also when in places like Red Deer we were not allowed to make the drive back to Edmonton for our DAY OFF and we were.  We also worked a couple of 14 HOUR days and ended up with them saying that next time it was on us and we would not be payed.  The days of work consisted of about 8 or 9 hours of driving and 2-3 spraying.  I also ended up with shingles because of the stress, heat and lack of decent food as a result of the foreman I was working with.  the only thing I would possibly have accepted was if I was paid double for this job.   All in all it ruined half of my summer and I hated every single moment working for this JOKE of a company.

I worked as a Billing Clerk at the corporate office in Ancaster, ON and let me say, the job description is not at all what you expect.  The work was sooooo slow!  I had to beg my co-workers for work, otherwise I sat idle at my desk.  I didn't have a computer for two months and had to use someone else's, which was disturbing their work.  I didn't even have a desk chair!  They ordered one and I had to assemble it!  Pathetic!  Everyone just mainly helps with payroll, and not really doing what their job title is.  Management is horrible!!  They constantly watch over your shoulder like they don't trust you.  The payroll supervisor has the biggest attitude on earth!  She speaks so rudely to her staff and gave me attitude (that's one reason I don't work there anymore).  Work culture is a joke.  If you're one minute late, they give you a lecture.  We're humans, we cannot always be perfect.  Also, you're underpaid for you qualifications.  Please save yourself the hassle and not work there.  No one should be treated the way I did.

I worked out of the edmonton office for about 7 years. running various types of crews at times. management openly brags about the "@#$% list" of employees they treat poorly compared to the rest. raises will be dangled in front of you in order to get more production. the professionalism among the supervisors and managers was disappointing,  and although D tree as a company has amazing safety procedures and protocols, production is what matters at the end of the day and if following these procedures and protocols means lower production for your crew, you might get demoted or moved to more undesirable jobs. The only savior for this particular branch of D tree is some of the outstanding UTW/ and UTT's. Many experienced, quality tree workers have opted out of the company to try to find better treatment elsewhere.

Not a great place to work. They pay their employees next to nothing even if you have qualifications and experience. There is not advancement even though they will constantly tell you that there is. All of the equipment is outdated or broken and they wont spend the money to fix it or replace it. Youre pushed to get production done regardless of safety even though they pretend to have safety as a core value. Corporate is an absolute joke, they have no ide what they are doing. Once guys get experience they leave because they will get paid way more at other companies. in the eyes of corporate you are easily replaceable. They will tell you that you can refuse jobs if you dont feel capable of doing it but will then push you to do the job and try to guilt you into it. would not recommend this company to my worst enemy.    

This place was run less like a business and more like a high school clique. Workplaces come with politics but this was like a schoolyard with all the gossiping taking place. 

Terrible workplace where safety seemed like a suggestion, sanitation was neglected and leadership constantly reminds new hires most people don't make it past 1-2 days on the job as if that's a bragging right. They try to cover up the horrible atmosphere by saying it's "hard work" -- no, the work isn't hard (it's repetitive work and easy to pick up) -- what's difficult is trying to remain professional and respectful while senior staff behave like teenagers. 

Pay is on the very low side and definitely not worth what you'll have to put up with.

A day with Davey Tree is exactly what you would expect within a trades job. A good group of guys willing to put in a hard days work and somehow end up sharing a few laughs along the way, The most important part about taking trees down is making sure you're doing it safely. That's the most important part about the job for yourself, and your co-workers. Davey is well managed and what they expect of you is made clear. The hardest part of the job, like any other, is waking up in the morning and make sure you arrive to the shop on time, you're ready to go and nothing changes that. The most enjoyable part of being an arborist, for me at least, was the climbing. Being paid to climb a tree is a pretty unique feeling because though its work, it can be fun.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Arborist 18 salaries reported	$23.50 per hour
Applicator 61 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour
Assistant spécialiste 12 salaries reported	$32.88 per hour
Fire protection specialist 28 salaries reported	$29.00 per hour
Groundskeeper 1 salary reported	$21.47 per hour

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