DirecTV Inc., Mastec, Advanced Technologies DirecTV and HSP affiliate Mastec Advanced Technologies stealing from contractors El Segundo California

Every stated in the previous statement is correct. DirecTV's On Hand Policy changes rapidly. On Hand meaning Equipment in Contractor's Possession. For a Example, I sold an DirecTV Account to a Family Member for one receiver. This equipment was installed and activated 30 minutes after the sale was complete. 120 days later, this equipment was still listed under my possession and MasTec as forced to back charge $75 from payroll for the equipment by equipment policies. When I worked in a remote location that only allowed me to pick up equipment every two weeks, The return policy changed from 21 days to 14 days to 7 days. As i said, I could only return every 2 weeks. This raked up a $3600 back charge. The operations manager forceful demanded for me to ok the charges and shrug it off.

It this time there was acknowledgment by the distribution department of directv that the management system that the equipment "on hand" was not being accurately being updated in a timely manner. Still the company leans upon this system for reliable data. This is one of many issues at hand that makes this line of work produce one of the highest turn over numbers in any position available in the telecommunications field.

Overtime is another major issue. I worked for MasTec in the State of Texas. Per state laws, being paid by piecework and not by the hour or salary. It is required for the company to still log all time sheets accurate. In this line of work, You work by "units" / points as 4 units equals 1 hour of working time by estimated time. My normal workday was around 50 units which is 12.5 hours of work per day. Weekends being normally 60 to 80 considering the area i worked in. 80 units is 20 hours of work. At a 6 day work week, it was unacceptable to turn in anything over 48 hours. If this was turned in beyond 48, you were threaten by getting fired or punished by suspension / back charge of $200. If you actually restricted your work to 48 hours, you were lucky to bring home $700 from a 2 week paycheck. To some this might seem to be ok but when the paycheck is normally around $1800 to $2400 every two weeks. This hurts. As on top if this your working 16 to 18 hours a day. Not including the overtime after for Team Meetings and Prepping Paperwork.

In My opinion technicians working as employees for MasTec installing Direct TV systems. Do not receive nearly enough pay for the work the being produced on a daily basis. My work day starting from the time I left the house 0600 with the company vehicle to report to the main office, and return home after my route was completed. On any given day normally ran 0530 in the morning until 10, 11, 12 in the evening. Overtime had to be justified and a majority of the time was not paid.

Statistics Based the 10 month period I worked for this company.

1. Technicians are expected to be able to complete at least 5 complete installations in a day i.e. (8hr time period)

2. This is including drive time from to and from each customers house

3. Drive times could range anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes maybe even an hour or more depending on location: Drive time within city limits 5 to 20 minutes reasonably, rural and outer county limits 15 minutes up to an hour or more.

4. For the majority I would say 20 to 45 minutes being the average drive time.

5. Average installation time provided to do a complete install
(2 or 4 receivers) and all other necessary components - 2 to 3 hrs. (avg.)

6. Five or more receivers - 4hrs (avg.)

7. These averages are based on my common knowledge and day to day experience.

8. Based on my statistics 5 installs + 2 hrs per install + 20 (avg) minutes drive time location to location = 11 hrs 40 minutes, this would be a good day which rarely happened

10. Also this is not including drive time to the operations office or drive time home after completing the last install.

11. Please keep in mind that DTV Installers are piece work employees and that piece works pay does increase with advancements in level. i.e.

basic installer
installer tech. level 2
installer lead tech.

12. The difference between a DTV contractor and an employee of MasTec is that MasTec provides its employees with a vehicle, telephone, gas card and supplies needed to do the job.

13. MasTec employees must buy their own tools.

14. Basically from what I saw the only installers making what I would call an exceptional pay check were senior installers, who were no doubt very good at the job. With that being said, I can also say that there was some special treatment going on as well. This could make a world of difference between seeing $1000 and or $2000 to $3000 and the end of a two week work period.

Anyway with all this being said I must confess that by the end of my time working for this company I had become a disgruntled employee who loved what I was doing but had to make a decision. After being hurt on the job and not being covered by insurance because I failed to file for the insurance after being told not to turn in the paperwork during the initial hiring process. Then not being reminded when the window opened for personal insurance. I understood that it was to much to ask for a reminder notice since there were at least 30 employees to be reminded at the time, or maybe I was just the only one who forgot when the window opened to submit for insurance.

Finally my belief is that DTV installers need to be unionized which at some point in time to my knowledge had been attempted but never happed.