A millionaire property developer who bluntly told millennials they could not afford to buy a house because they ordered too much smashed avocado in cafes has warned Aussie tradies they are being paid too much to do too little.
And he’s delivered some brutal advice for younger workers — the economy needs more “pain” to remind upstart employees who is boss.
Gurner Group chief executive Tim Gurner, 40, has blamed the Covid pandemic for a big part of the problem and urged Australians to “kill” the work-less-for-more-pay-ethos.
“You know, tradies have definitely pulled back on productivity,” he warned.
“They have been paid a lot to do not too much in the last few years. And we need to see that change. I think the problem that we’ve had is that we have people who decided they didn’t really want to work so much anymore through Covid.”
Mr Gurner made the remarks at The Australian Financial Review’s Property Summit on Tuesday.
The property mogul and luxury build developer said an attitude shift was required.
“We need to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around,” he said.
“We need to see unemployment rise, unemployment has to jump 40-50 per cent. In my view, we need to see pain in the economy. I mean, there’s been a systematic change where employees feel the employer is extremely lucky to have them as opposed to the other way around.
“So it’s a dynamic that has to change. We’ve got to kill that attitude and that has to come through hurting the economy which is what the whole global world is trying to do. The governments around the world are trying to increase unemployment, to get that to some sort of normality, and we’re seeing it. I think every employer now is seeing it.
“I mean, there are definitely massive lay-offs going off and people might not be talking about it, but people are definitely laying people off and we’re starting to see less arrogance in the employment market and that has to continue, because that will cascade across the cost balance.”
But it’s not the first time the young property tycoon has unloaded on millennials.
In 2017 he appeared on Channel 9’s 60 Minutes program where he accused the younger generation of spending too much money on avocado toast.
“When I was trying to buy my first home, I wasn’t buying smashed avocado for $19 and four coffees at $4 each,” he said.
“This generation is watching the Kardashians and thinking that’s normal — thinking owning a Bentley is normal. I spent every night on my hands and knees sanding back the floors, painting, renovating and working on the house. When we sold it, I used the small profits of $12,000 to purchase my next property and it all grew from there.”
Mr Gurner has also previously told Forbes Australia in an exclusive report that he’s “tried everything” in his own life to boost productivity and wellness including IV drips, infra-red saunas and psychedelic mushrooms.
“Anything that is out there that’s a biohacking/testing thing I’ve done,” he said.
“From micro-dosing mushrooms to infra-red saunas, to steam, to Oura, lymphatic drainage. Everything. I want to try everything and see what works for me.”
Microdosing typically refers to the practice of taking tiny portions of psychedelic substances. It is designed to unlock the positive results of the substance (more focus, energy, and emotional balance) without the negative (hallucinations, sensory shifts).
In the Forbes interview, Mr Gurner offered the following “hacks” that he believed contribute to top performance, longevity and wellness including a special blanket that lies flat beneath your fitted sheet and keeps your bed at a set temperature all night.
“I never sleep well in hotels anymore because I don’t have this,” he said.
He also endorsed the Joovv Red Light, a special light designed to reduce inflammation and stimulate mitochondria to improve athletic performance.
He’s also a fan of the “Oura ring” that comes in silver, gold or black monitors how your body feels and what it needs. His personal trainer and life coach Nam Baldwin sees his Oura Ring results every week.
“He knows exactly where my body’s at,” Mr Gurner told Forbes.
“He knows where my head’s at because we talk every week. He knows when I’m in a bad place and need help and he knows when I’m firing. He’s like a psychologist.”