I work as an estimator in a commercial construction company in

>>1551588
I'll also add we tend to have a lot of regulars who are smaller contractors where any couple thousand they earn makes a big difference to them.

An additional $2-3 grand 2 times a month would be a nice bonus for them and myself.

You'll absolutely get fired if you're found out, but it's construction... everybody does it.

The second you make money from it you will be fired. No one cares if you let your mates know because you want them to have the work. If you gain from it financially you are done.

>>1551588
This is pretty common practice in the US.
I once had a purchasing agent on a subcontract ask me for a quote, and when I told him what I wanted he said to double it and he'd start the paperwork.

afaik it's not price fixing under US law because you're not competitors working to set the market price. One is they buyer telling the vendor they can and should charge more.

That said, if you were my estimator I'd absolutely fire you for costing me money. And eventually someone may catch on when they realize your projects consistently pay more than the going rate to vendors. That money isn't yours to give away, it belongs to the owners.

>>1551599
>>1551609
I don't care about being fired. As an estimator I can easily find work elsewhere. It's more of the legal side I am unsure about.

>>1551588
>giving me 50% of the additional profits
ah, I didn't catch that part.

that's a kickback, a felony in the US.

>>1551618
Again, I don't care about being fired. I obviously would not tell anyone about what I am doing and I would do it being aware that I still need to win my tenders in the first place before I could take a cut from quotes.

This is not about me questioning if I am allowed to do it as my position in the company, I know dam well it's my job to get the lowest price in order to win tenders and negotiate with subcontractors, not the opposite.

I just want to not have legal action against me if I get caught in a couple years time.

>>1551620
I am an Ausfag.

Only been in construction for 3 years. Finally got promoted to an estimator last month with a few assistants under me and an senior above me.

>>1551621
well in the US (again) you'll find yourself facing criminal charges and a civil suit.

also we contractors talk to each other. That's the sort of thing that would likely end your career since here at least we're legally allowed to tell your next employer what you did.

>>1551622
>I am an Ausfag
yes, I caught that.
that's why I said "in the US."

I don't know your laws there. I just know what would happen here.

I think it's a bit naïve to think your bosses won't notice. These are real numbers we're talking about, and they can compare their costs before and after you got the job.

it would appear as of 6 years ago this wasn't illegal in Oz.

http://www.justanswer.com/australian-law/2xak8-hi-i-question-kickbacks-searched.html

I could see it going really badly anyways, particularly since your actions would actually harm your employer.

>>1551622
Civil Eng. here, it's illegal in the US. Though, you've already been told that.

It's also highly unethical so it leads me to assume illegal.

>>1551628
>I think it's a bit naïve to think your bosses won't notice. These are real numbers we're talking about, and they can compare their costs before and after you got the job.

They would not notice at all. These are small trades I would be trying to influence.

Such as marking up 10 grand on a single trade on a $2million AUD job.

A drop in the ocean.

They have nothing to compare with as each job is always different which we are tendering for. As long as we win the job it does not matter at all. We still mark up our profits and still win.

Only thing that would cause seniors to notice is if I am causing our department to noticeably lose jobs. Which I would not risk.

I am not talking about telling a concreter to mark up an additional $50,000, just a couple grand here and there on a couple jobs a month which would add up over time.

>>1551637
granted, but we manage percents.

so if my costs went up 1% I'd still fire you and have you investigated.

also a small increase can turn into a huge one easily enough. The job I mentioned before where a purchasing agent told me to double my price is one example.

I was bidding on cleaning 3 construction trailers 3 times per week. In less than six months that turned into 55 trailers cleaned 7 days per week.

so I thought I was jacking my price up by a few thousand dollars for one year, it ended up costing the prime contractor almost a million dollars more over a period of three years. I know they noticed, they commented on it to me personally. The purchasing agent was fired, I never faced anything more than negative comment on my pricing.

>>1551588
It's a breach of fiduciary trust the law grants your employer to have in you. As an employee, you are not entitled to profit like this without your employer's knowledge and acceptance.

>>1551588
Im an electricical apprentice down in Newcastle. Two years time and ill happily work with you

Every biz post ever-

>Hey guys am I retarded for x
Yes
>No someone else prove me right

>>1551620
How did you get into estimating? What were you doing before you got promoted?

>>1551651
I dont get it. He told you to double your price, and what did he get?

Did he imply for you to give him a kickback? did you?

>>1551588
How could you not just guess that this is illegal? Its blatantly obvious that this would be illegal.

>>1553588
I'm a contractor, we know estimating.
>>1553594
>can't fathom someone being nice just to be nice
he got fired is what he got. He was being generous, but with his boss's money.

>>1551619

>i see you have great experience in estimating
>tell me why you got fired from your last job and do you mind if I call them for a reference.