Back Wages

A temporary worker brought in to cover a single shift vacancy without joining the regular crew rotation. Common in oil sands and remote site operations when a crewmember is absent unexpectedly. Subcontractors often use slip fills to maintain headcount without committing to long-term hires.

The process of assigning and deploying field crews or equipment to a job site. For subcontractors, dispatch timing affects mobilisation costs, crew scheduling, and billable hours. Clear dispatch records also support accurate invoicing and dispute resolution.

A roster of pre-vetted tradespeople a subcontractor can mobilise quickly for upcoming projects. It includes workers at various certification levels, from apprentices to journeypersons. Maintaining a strong pipeline reduces downtime between contracts and supports rapid crew scaling.

Extra pay rates added on top of base wages for working in hazardous conditions, remote locations, or off-hours shifts. Subcontractors must account for differentials when pricing bids and building crew budgets. Common examples include night shift, H2S zone, and fly-in/fly-out premiums.

The percentage of unfilled positions relative to total jobs in a sector at a given time. For subcontractors, a high rate signals strong demand for field crews and leverage in rate negotiations. It helps forecast labour shortages before mobilising for large campaigns.

The number of field workers supported by each administrative/office employee. A ratio of 10:1 is common for paper-based operations; digitized operations often achieve 30:1 to 40:1.

When Your Crew's Behaviour Becomes a Business Problem: Managing Field Conduct on Active Subcontracts

What subcontractors are liable for when field personnel create conflict on a GC-managed site, and how to protect your contracts before it becomes a termination issue.

How to Get Your First Oilfield Job: A Practical Guide for Tradespeople and CDL Holders

No oilfield experience? No problem. Learn which certifications, service lines, and job boards actually get tradespeople and CDL holders hired.

From the Field to the Office: What Oilfield Workers Should Know Before Making the Switch

Thinking about moving from field work to an office role? This guide covers how your field experience translates into technical and operations positions, what the transition actually looks like, and the trade-offs most people do not talk about until it is too late.