General Laborer Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

By | August 15, 2023
General Laborer Job Description
General Laborers may also perform assisting duties in construction sites.

General Laborer Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides complete information on the job description of a general laborer, to help you learn the work they do.

It highlights the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities that commonly define the general laborer work description in most organizations.

It also presents the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill if you are seeking the general laborer role.

Please, continue reading to increase your knowledge of the general laborer career:

What Does a General Laborer Do?

A general laborer is responsible for taking up a variety of supporting tasks in warehouses, construction sites, factories, and several other settings.

A general laborer plays an assisting role in the construction of highways, buildings, and other structures, he/she may also be responsible for transporting materials and equipment.

The duties that are carried out by a general laborer vary depending on the setting in which he/she works and his/her level of specialization.

A general laborer usually works in construction sites where he/she is responsible for helping to erect scaffolding, cleaning up sites, and assisting specialized workers such as painters and electricians.

The general laborer job description may also include occasionally carry out dangerous tasks such as removing lead, asbestos, and chemicals from buildings.

In the process of discharging his/her duties, a general laborer is saddled with the responsibility of executing various tasks.

A general laborer is responsible for cleaning up worksites from debris and machinery, helping to erect and scaffold ladders, and handling transporting materials such as work tools, and cement.

He/she may also be responsible for preparing job sites, ensuring that materials are loaded and delivered, working with various tools and machines such as blowtorches, forklifts, levels, lifts, power drills, grinders, saws, water spraying equipment, and pressure washers.

The general laborer work description also include overseeing the transportation of materials between receiving stations, warehouses, and production areas, keeping an accurate record of the amount of materials that are received and circulated.

It also involves taking charge of the maintenance of industry vehicles and other materials, ensuring that equipment is safe and in good working condition, and properly disseminating all daily work instructions received from the supervisor on time and within deadline.

The job role of a general laborer requires that an individual interested in the career showcases certain skills, attributes, and qualifications that guarantee efficiency and effectiveness in the job.

Some of the required skills include physical strength and stamina, the ability to concentrate on carrying out tasks, and strictly abiding by safety rules and regulations, good time management skills, teamwork, strong communication skills, endurance skills, and the ability to work in highly stressful environments with extreme weather fluctuations.

In terms of academic qualifications, the job role or position of a general laborer does not require any formal educational background.

However, a High School diploma or GED may be preferred by some employers.

Several years of proven work experience or apprenticeship is also considered a necessity by some employers.

General Laborer Salary: The average annual salary for a general laborer is $40,350.

General Laborer Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The primary responsibilities, duties, and tasks that commonly make up the general laborer job description are shown below:

  • Collecting and disposing garbage and operating trash compactor
  • Overseeing and managing housekeeping activities when they are required of him/her
  • Loading and offloading merchandise to and from trailers or warehouses
  • Ensuring that merchandise is properly inspected upon delivery and reporting any damages identified
  • Ensuring that the work area is clean, safe, organized, and well maintained
  • Maintaining high-quality standards by working effectively and efficiently to meet productivity goals
  • Tracking and recording the number of materials received and circulated
  • Taking charge of the transportation of merchandise between receiving stations, warehouse, and production areas
  • Putting up precaution or warning signs such as signposts and cones for vehicles and passersby
  • Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions.

General Laborer Job Description for Resume

If you have worked before as a general laborer or are currently working in that position and are making a resume for a new job, you will need to include the professional experience section in your resume.

This section enables you to highlight the general laborer duties and responsibilities you have performed or are presently performing, which can make the recruiter to favor your application, especially if the new job requires work experience as a general laborer.

You can create a captivating professional experience section for your resume by applying the sample general laborer job description above.

General Laborer Requirements – Skills, Abilities, Knowledge for Career Success

If you are seeking to work as a general laborer, below are major requirements you may be expected to fulfill by recruiters:

  • Physical strength and stamina, which enables the general laborer to move swiftly, lift and move objects, efficiently handle equipment, and perform efficiently, since the job role is a strenuous one
  • Good communication and teamwork skills, as he/she is expected to liaise with co-workers and passersby, and also report any arising issues, faults, or damages to the supervisor
  • The ability to endure harsh working conditions, since he/she will work on different sites or locations with varying weather conditions
  • Excellent time management skills that enable a general laborer to complete daily tasks that are assigned to him/her on time
  • Several years of industry-related experience or apprenticeship
  • At least a High School diploma or GED preferred.

Conclusion

If you are a recruiter or employer looking to hire for the general laborer role, you will need to provide detailed description of the vacant job to interested individuals for them to know the duties they will be expected to perform if hired.

This will enable them to decide if they can effectively perform the functions of the general laborer role in your organization before sending their applications.

This will also help you to find the right candidates for the general laborer position as only individuals who believe they are qualified for the position based on the description of the job that you published will apply.

You can make a comprehensive description of the general laborer role in your organization by applying the above job description sample.

This post is also useful to individuals interested in the general laborer career, to increase their knowledge of what the role does.