Boise employer offers incentive: 'work or get fired'

BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) — Because of the tight labor market, employers nationwide are offering all kinds of incentives to prospective employees.

But we found one small business owner in Boise who is proposing a unique incentive.

Brandon Spidell owns ABH Siding and Exterior Solutions. He proudly displays his eye-catching employee incentive sign on his trailer: work or get fired.

"It's pretty much an incentive for people to show up and work," Spidell told CBS 2News. "People come to to work these days and they just want a handout and they disappear. So if they see that (sign), they know there's none of that. They need to work and that's what we need."

Spidell says it's a philosophy he's had for years, but it especially rings true in the current tight job market where employees are hard to come by.

"The labor force these days, in the past year or so, has been slim to none," Spidell said. "I don't know where any of the labor's gone. There's no people here that want to work."

Jason Masone has spent several years working for Spidell. We asked if he found the sign offensive or condescending in any way.

"No, not at all," Masone said. "I think it's a life lesson that workers should really abide by. Nobody wants to work, they just want to come in for a few days, get a couple of bucks and see you later."

"I'm losing money, losing jobs (because of the labor market)," Spidell said. "And there's so much work out right now. I don't know what's going on."

Spidell hopes the tight job market will loosen up soon.

But he says in good times or bad, his incentive plan will remain the same: work or get fired.