Which two types of compensation would be appropriate for lawn care employees with variable hours?

• A. Salary and Commission
• B. Salary and Hourly
• C. Hourly and Piece work
• D. Equity and Commission

Answer: (B)

When hours vary, pay should balance stability with pay for time actually worked. A base salary gives a predictable, steady income, which helps crews plan and stay motivated. Adding hourly pay ensures employees are compensated for the extra time they put in when jobs take longer or workloads spike, such as during busy seasons or after bad weather. This combination is flexible enough to handle fluctuating schedules while still rewarding the time spent on lawn care tasks.

The other options don’t align as well with variable hours. Commission focuses on sales results rather than time and can be unstable for service work. Piece work rewards output per unit, which can be hard to measure consistently for lawn care and also doesn’t guarantee a steady base. Equity plus commission isn’t practical for frontline staff and still doesn’t address fluctuating hours directly.