Job woes/wins

MoogleViper · September 9, 2014

Had a phone interview with Haribo last week. The interview went well, but the role is quite junior, and the max salary they could offer was £1k lower than what I'm currently on, and I've been promised a promotion by the end of the year, so my salary will be going up by £4k then (which I'm using as my base for moving).

A recruiter emailed me yesterday about a position in Egham. He hasn't said what the salary is, despite me specifically asking for it. Will see how it goes. (I aint moving to fucking Surrey unless it's worth my while.)

Emasher · September 10, 2014

I started my new co-op job (basically a 4 month well paid internship where you actually do real work) about a week ago. It's at a small company that makes software for doing certain types of high end special effects in films (my position is a software developer), and it's located in the city's hipster district (so basically a bunch of really bad shops and really good restaurants within a block). Went out for lunch with a bunch of my new co-workers on Friday and the conversation ended up turning to vintage Nintendo games pretty quickly. This is going to be a fun term.

Happenstance · September 10, 2014

Been trying to work on our new school website this week but its just a nightmare to use. Its like the company designed it with complete morons in mind so there is pretty much no customisation available in articles apart from what they give you. I couldnt even add a divider between articles without going into the HTML code and putting it in manually. Been pulling my hair out today just trying to add a simple image to a page. It appears fine in the editor but then when I publish the page it shifts to the left and shrinks

Josh64 · September 10, 2014

Had my interview for Wickes today, I was all prepared again but.. it was all over quite quickly! I'd been used to these hour long interviews so it was weird when she took me upstairs and it was just me and her having a casual conversation for 10 mins. It was for 12 hours a week, weekends and evenings again though, which is what I hated about my other job. BUT...

Went job centre visit today and whilst they were pleased that I'd been sending out many application forms and taking interviews they said I have to start doing unpaid voluntary work next week which could end up back in a retail environment. Working in retail for free!? Was not overly pleased about that.

Buuut, to cheer up I went to the town centre after it (its literally right next door), saw 'the one that got away' from college and had a great catch up with him, heart all a-flutter and THEN (I don't know why I decided to draw this story out so much but yknow...) I got a call from the place I went to on Friday.

I GOT THE JOB! Care home for Dementia patients, 44 hours a week, roll on rota so I only work 1 out of every two weekends! AWESOME.

I'm genuinely, really surprised. There were loads of applicants for that one, and of the interviews I had this week, I thought that went the worst just by how I presented myself and was my typical awkward self :p But I loved the look of the place and it's for the best as it turns out the place I went to on Monday (they won;t get back in touch till tuesday) was a zero hour contract. So again, I wouldn't have known whether I was coming or going.

So yeah, CRB check on Friday, two training days next week and then when the CRB comes I'm back in work! After so long saving money, I'm gonna buy the fuck out of a Peach Wii Remote now.

**Rummy** · September 10, 2014

After so long saving money, I'm gonna buy the fuck out of a Peach Wii Remote now.

@Aneres11 would no doubt be proud of your priorities!

Have you ever done care work before? 44 hours is a big week imo(tho I'm a lazy fuck so...yeah) but care work can be pretty rewarding.

Speaking of which, my trust has just been named one of the top 10 healthcare employers/best places to work in the country according to the Health Service Journal! It's one of those things that's totally removed from myself but still feels a little bit awesome to know

Aneres11 · September 10, 2014

:laughing: know me so well Rummy!!

And josh that's brilliant!! Well done! Totally buy the fuck out of that Wii remote!

Josh64 · September 10, 2014

@Rummy - I have, but only as work experience, never as a full-time job! (Did it in 3 separate places)

I used to do 39 hours in my old job so it shouldn't be too much more BUT I imagine this will be harder work :p But I guess it throws me into the swing of things, it may be hard for the first few months but hopefully I'll get used to it!

And @Aneres11 I'll tell you when I get it! I'm just looking around for the best deal! I know I have to be quick though because it does seem to be selling out in a lot of places!

**Ashley** · September 10, 2014

Congrats squashua!

Currently hating on IT. A new process is being introduced and during development the team has been told not to include reports as new college-wide reporting software was being introduced. It's already months behind the scheduled go live. As such, I offered to create some reports in this new software and asked for access two weeks ago and was told it would be fine, but then later told that they had to take it down to do some work. So I was then told I'd get it while off last week and didn't. Then I finally got it today, but needed Silverlight and don't have rights to install it myself. So I thought I'd try it at home but can't use the site if you're not on the network. So I logged in remotely and back to the can't install it problem. Going round in circles to try and help IT and being blocked by IT.

jayseven · September 10, 2014

@Josh64 here I was about to say that even 'voluntary'/job experience placements with the job centre will give you dole money plus lunch money and travel money... when you spring the success story :P If the job is enjoyable and rewarding then working those hours will not be a real issue. Good luck!

... My job sitch; worked like a mofo for ages. Been trodden on about 6 times in the last fortnight. Repeatedly kicked ass, yet failed to receive any recognition. Brought to light major issues with the way we operate - these were resolved quickly and severely badly. Essentially it's gotten to the point where I know I can do a better job than our project manager, and he's undermining me and making up bullshit about the work I've done so that the upper management thinks differently of me... had 'powers' rescinded for no real reason, had meetings postponed, have had no response to repeated emails about urgent industry-related changes... had curtails and blockages added to the 'extra-curricular' work that I've been doing that just slow things down.

Basically I've worked my arse off to not only save my company money, but also to save the employees time and make their jobs easier and therefore increasing income. I've also brought changes in legislation to the attention of my bosses, and taken the initiative in contacting banks and companies to make our jobs easier and cheaper - I've built relations with these other companies, I've instigated further changes to our literature... BUT yet I am not praised and the work I do is not recognised, simply because individuals are protecting their own jobs.

Lots of long stories. Best example (and probably boring);

For new clients we send out a 'pack'. The existing pack is about 11 pages long and very confusing to our customers. We get a lot of phone calls about this. Five months ago I bring the suggestion of improving the pack to the table. I am told the immortally god-awful phrase; "LEAVE IT WITH ME." Nothing happens. A few months later I just go ahead and redesign the pack down to 5 pages; I rephrase the terms and conditions, etc, etc. I am told this is good work but we need a meeting with various managers to cement it. This meeting repeatedly gets put back (currently been 6+ weeks) due to a long list of bullshit reasons.

I then discover that the ministry of justice has changed our guidelines. A week after they have changed them. Our project manager did not know about it, and spent 30 mins in MS Word cobbling together a cancellation form. Using clip-art and everything. Looks shit. Confuses customers. Pack gets altered overnight.

Because there was no meeting or thought, this 'new' pack has now created an entire new job in the company due to a load of shitfuckery.

Yet I cannot introduce the shortened, sweetened, pack because we need a meeting first.

I also bring up something I mentioned in my first week, last april, which is just ridiculous. There exists a sentence in our pack which includes the phrase "would of".

...

SERIOUSLY. A multi-million-pound company. Spawning this shit. FOR OVER 20 MONTHS SINCE I BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION. I managed to get a very short meeting with management in which I mentioned this. So they fixed it... and entirely BROKE the rest of the page it appears on. So they have implemented two changes to the pack in the last 3 weeks that have gone out to 3,000 potential clients without any actual meeting or foresight or anything...

MY GOD THIS ALL SOUNDS SO STUPID. But it's just, like, one of six fairly 'major' (in my mind) issues. People in this company are refusing to co-operate with common sense because it'd be quite clear that they do their jobs badly, or that they actually do fuck all.

MY problem is that without any actual promotion I can't just up and waltz into a better job.

I guess my real problem is that I give far too much of a shit.

Beast · September 12, 2014

Yeah, I think I want to leave...

This week has just been one hell of a nightmare. First of all, last week, I got left a note by my regional manager basically blaming me for the shop not being 100% tidy and he's expecting it to be 100% next time he visits. One of the substitute managers (someone temporary while my manager is away on her holidays) had backed me up and said "What do you expect when it's only him and one other person for three hours on one of our busiest days?" and apparently, he said nothing about it. The rota is done abysmally because she hasn't got cover for two of the busiest nights of the shop and yet she has loads in on the day where it's more quieter.

One of the staff members never bothered showing up again. The last we heard from her, her car had broken down and her phone was robbed and she has no money. Funny that because she's been updating her profile pictures of her at parties, updating her statuses and talking to people on WhatsApp every day. Because of her, at the start of the week, I had to work a 14 hour shift so obviously, I wasn't happy about that. I messaged her and asked her if she was coming back and got no reply but had an update of how awesome her party was so...yeah...waiting for some action to be taken to get her sacked because she's useless.

My supervisor (you know, the guy who is supposed to be equal to me) has turned into a bit of a knob to the point we both got into a huge argument today which ended up with me almost hitting him. First of all, in the morning, we were having a joke and a bit of banter and I was like "So are we just going to do nothing all day or what? Let's get stuff done" and then he said something and called me a coon. So I was like "Woah, back the fuck up, what the hell you calling me that for? That's not cool, bitch!" and instantly, he apologised and realised he pushed me too far. I was like "Okay, good, but don't think you can get away with that shit..." and that was the last of it and we got on fine until the afternoon.

He keeps on telling me what to do and ordering me about in front of the staff. He was proper going on as well. Like he was saying "Get on the till, we need to be apart because all we do is joke" and I said "Well, why don't you go on the till? I don't want to go on it" and he says "Because you're better than me at it". I was like "Right, okay, but I'm not on it for long" and he was telling me I was on there for a good while until everything was done. I told him not to tell me what to do. He was saying how he was number 1 and how I shouldn't forget it. Basically, we got into this huge argument where he was telling me how I was slow and didn't pull my weight. At this point, I was livid. I said "How I don't pull MY fucking weight? Who was here when they were tired, ill, throwing up, nauseous and dizzy with migraines? Me. Who works 12 to 14 hour fucking shifts and doesn't get paid for the overtime? Me! Do you stay over? No! You stay over for half a fucking hour while this mug here actually doesn't so don't EVER fucking tell me that shit again!". He said loads of other stuff and I just told him to do one. He also says that the staff listen to him more and not me and I said "Yeah, that's because you spout this shit that you're Head Supervisor when I'm there. It undermines my job so of course, they'll listen to you. If I told you what to do and said that I'm your manager, they'll listen to me more"...I don't know what he's on about anyway, the staff listen to me fine but I just let him think what he wants. He says he does stuff for me but he does it to look good in front of the manager. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong but if you do something for someone genuinely, would you go to the manager and say "I did this for him" or would you just do it and not say a word? Personally, I'd say the latter if he meant it for me but he doesn't. He tells my manager he helps me. It just irritates me because I don't know how to do a lot of things because of it.

Anyways, we had a massive heated argument. We cooled down. He apologised for him saying he's number 1 and he won't undermine me in front of staff again and stuff. He knows he's doing it though, which annoys me more. We're fine right now but I know I have to really watch out for him because I have a feeling he'll throw me under the bus at some point. He almost tried it last week.

He's part of the reason why I want another job but not the main one. The main one is because it's the most disorganised company I've ever known. First of all, I ain't been paid in two months because they 'don't have my Right to Work' when I know they have because they found the passport one but not my driving license or my birth certificate which was sent in the same package...yeah...I only received my first payment two weeks ago. My payslip has just come through today so two weeks after I got paid, my payslip comes through. My two references have had contact from this company a month ago and both had told me they had told them I worked for them and had bigged me up. Both don't know each other and both phoned me on the same day. However, I found out today that they have not heard from them at all. Their rota is a complete mess. I was told I was allowed holiday time and then a month later, two weeks before the holiday, I was refused it.

Don't get me wrong, the job is alright and miles better than my previous one. Most of the people are alright too. It's just the actual company's head office. I mean, fair enough if it was just for a couple of weeks but it's been almost a quarter of a year and they still haven't got their shit together? Bitch please!

EEVILMURRAY · September 12, 2014

Before I even start reading that. I'm going to say - There's just no pleasing you is there when it comes to a job? :heh:

Editing coming after the reading.

EDIT: If you're going to bend over a take it with the unpaid overtime, then don't be surprised about how stressed you'll turn up. It's not showing to those around that shit can't get done in the time they've allowed for but apparently it can if you start working for free. Maybe give them an hour if you're feeling generous but apart from that don't bother.

Also, start making notes on what your co-worker does. Make note of times he says he'll do something, how long it'll take him to do it, how long you see him doing something else. So just in case it does go further you can say something like, "check the CCTV at these times" or just show your findings. I had a similar problem (more slacking than an authority problem) as he kept going to the toilet for ten minutes at a time several times a day, as well as going outside for a cigarette (which I don't have a real problem with, but he feels it's wrong if I sit in the back for a couple of minutes in return). As soon as he knew what I was doing he toned down the messing around.

Edited September 12, 2014 by EEVILMURRAY

**Ashley** · September 12, 2014

Yay it's Friday... oh wait I'm working every day through to next Friday still. It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Plus the first thing I did this morning was check my emails as the server was having problems with system generated ones (which we rely on heavily). They seem to only be going out over night. Got to pester IT about that when I get in.

Beast · September 12, 2014

Before I even start reading that. I'm going to say - There's just no pleasing you is there when it comes to a job?

Editing coming after the reading.

EDIT: If you're going to bend over a take it with the unpaid overtime, then don't be surprised about how stressed you'll turn up. It's not showing to those around that shit can't get done in the time they've allowed for but apparently it can if you start working for free. Maybe give them an hour if you're feeling generous but apart from that don't bother.

Also, start making notes on what your co-worker does. Make note of times he says he'll do something, how long it'll take him to do it, how long you see him doing something else. So just in case it does go further you can say something like, "check the CCTV at these times" or just show your findings. I had a similar problem (more slacking than an authority problem) as he kept going to the toilet for ten minutes at a time several times a day, as well as going outside for a cigarette (which I don't have a real problem with, but he feels it's wrong if I sit in the back for a couple of minutes in return). As soon as he knew what I was doing he toned down the messing around.

LOL! My mate said the same thing when he came in but when he heard about what's happened, even he said to me it's very disorganised. Honestly, I don't have a problem with the job itself. I like doing what I do, it's easy, good pay and great hours. I'm starting to think I'd be more happy with 30 or 35 because I have no time for the gym anymore, which sucks, but this is the real world so it's cool.

My problems lie solely with three things:

-The other supervisor's attitude sometimes (he used to be okay but now he's proper Jekyll and Hyde because he feels he does everything, as do I. I've tried to say let's work as a team but he'd rather be the boss, which is irritating)

-The rotas (They're poorly done. Why have more people in the morning when it's not too busy and less people at night when it's a lot busier and the shop is prone to being a tip i.e. like last night. Not only that but a girl hasn't turned up for two weeks and not got in contact even though she updates her WhatsApp everyday with new pictures of her at parties and nothing has been done about it so that could be used for someone else who's looking for work and could be useful!)

-How disorganised the company is (I didn't get paid for two months because they lost my documents which is personal data, they accepted my holidays but forgot to put them through even though I asked loads of times, they're saying they've not heard from my references when both have told me they got in touch a week ago, etc).

Other than those three problems, I love my job. However, the main problem is how disorganised it is. The previous two problems can be changed and altered so that's not so much a problem and it's something I can handle over a small amount of time. However, the disorganisation is a joke and I don't think it'll ever change. I'm happy in my job, I really am, and it's so much better than the shoe shop but I want to be paid on time and stuff. I'm going to make sure things change and nothing will get in my way of it but I can't change how organised the Human Resources or the Head Office are.

Eenuh · September 12, 2014

Ok I need some advice, as I am not sure if I am being screwed over or if there is just an error going on... Basically I am currently really annoyed about my pay and holiday entitlement. Some background information:

I started my job in May. When I did the interview, it was advertised as a 15k pro rata job, but it would be part-time (2.5 days so £7500). However when I did the interview, I was told by the employers that if I got through the probation of 3 months, the job would become a full-time permanent position at 15k, however only working Monday to Thursday (as they don't work on Fridays). So basically 15k for 4 days work, sounds great!

Now last month I was told I would be made full-time, though they didn't have the contract for me to read or sign yet. This week I asked if they could send it to me (as I was still waiting and nothing was happening) so they emailed it to me (still need to sign it). Apparently I will now be on a pay of £12,480 per year, no mention of 15k at all. I feel like I am being tricked and cheated with this, as they told me during the interview that it would be 15k, and nowhere in the job application did it say that they only work four days (in which case 15k would be impossible pro rata). Do I have any rights here in claiming more pay? I have nothing in writing, I never even got a copy of my temporary contract when I started (which probably only mentioned the £7500), all I found is one of their job applications. =(

Now the other thing I am confused about (and this might just be an error on their part) is my holidays. They say that after my break in October and Christmas, I will have 6 days left (after bank holidays) until August. What? That doesn't make sense does it? It says in my contract that the holiday year runs from 1st of May, so surely that means I have 6 days left until May?

I want to write an email to them about this stuff, but I don't want to appear rude or anything, especially as I like my job and there is only a few of us (basically we all work in the same room etc.)... But I do feel quite annoyed about the pay and everything, because 12,480 is a big difference with my previous crappy job (17k + 1500 bonus). =(

**Rummy** · September 12, 2014

Just to clarify on the timings @Eenuh - what were/are the hours you are working, rather than days? I'm assuming they're 7.5 hour days, and before you were 18.75 hours per week, and will now be going to 30 hours? Or to 37.5 hours? I'm not tip top on the law or rights, but I'd imagine if it's going to 30 hours rather than 37.5, it's sort of still the 15k but pro rata - I understand the frustration as it was never clearly stated though, and talking of an annual salary...well, it makes it sound annual. Without contracts/paperwork I'm not sure where you stand either.

Re:holiday - I've always been in the one public sector really(I worked in GAME for a year but didn't pay much attention to my holiday timings there) so I don't know what it is like for different companies. I know here it's done by business year(so april/may) but I have a feeling I've heard of other people where it is done differently. I believe your base legal holiday entitlement per year is 5.6 weeks(28 days for 'full time' 37.5hr pw workers) so first check you're getting that as a minimum(your hours*5.6). I think you're bound to take 4 weeks at a minimum also.

Again I'm not best placed on it all really - as I'm still zero hours I simply get an extra hours pay for every 12 I work re:holiday(casual/irregular workers are legally pro-rata'd over the previous 12 weeks so it makes sense like that).

EDIT: Re: holiday year - this seems to imply your contract states it, so you're right, it should run til may if that's what the contract defines the holiday year as. It also says it may be done from the point you started work though - could the august be related to that at all? - http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/accruing-and-carrying-over-holiday-entitlement

Eenuh · September 12, 2014

Just to clarify on the timings @Eenuh - what were/are the hours you are working, rather than days? I'm assuming they're 7.5 hour days, and before you were 18.75 hours per week, and will now be going to 30 hours? Or to 37.5 hours? I'm not tip top on the law or rights, but I'd imagine if it's going to 30 hours rather than 37.5, it's sort of still the 15k but pro rata - I understand the frustration as it was never clearly stated though, and talking of an annual salary...well, it makes it sound annual. Without contracts/paperwork I'm not sure where you stand either.

Re:holiday - I've always been in the one public sector really(I worked in GAME for a year but didn't pay much attention to my holiday timings there) so I don't know what it is like for different companies. I know here it's done by business year(so april/may) but I have a feeling I've heard of other people where it is done differently. I believe your base legal holiday entitlement per year is 5.6 weeks(28 days for 'full time' 37.5hr pw workers) so first check you're getting that as a minimum(your hours*5.6). I think you're bound to take 4 weeks at a minimum also.

Again I'm not best placed on it all really - as I'm still zero hours I simply get an extra hours pay for every 12 I work re:holiday(casual/irregular workers are legally pro-rata'd over the previous 12 weeks so it makes sense like that).

EDIT: Re: holiday year - this seems to imply your contract states it, so you're right, it should run til may if that's what the contract defines the holiday year as. It also says it may be done from the point you started work though - could the august be related to that at all? - http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/accruing-and-carrying-over-holiday-entitlement

I started the job on May 12, which is when my holiday entitlement started. At the time my contract was to work from Monday to Wednesday, 9-5 Mo-Tue and 9-1 on Wednesday, though I pretty much worked overtime to Thursday on most weeks, never really did the part-time thing.

I got made full-time in August, working 30 hours (9-5 with half hour lunch, no other breaks) from Monday to Thursday. I understand that 15k pro-rata for 30 hours is not the full 15k, but I was told by them that I would get that for working the four days. I don't know if I should mention this to them or not, but it is very frustrating for me as I took the job in the understanding that it would be 15k. I would rather work the extra day on Friday to get the full pay as I want to be able to pay the bills and everything, but that's not going to work of course. =(

As for the holiday, it must be wrong... I started in May, the contract says the holidays start from May, so having it run until August makes no sense. My holiday entitlement went from 13.6 days to 23 days (this is including bank holidays). I have only taken 6 so far (plus two bank holidays), 6 more planned and then 3 bank holidays until May, so that makes 6 days left. Until May, not August.

MoogleViper · September 12, 2014

I started my job in May. When I did the interview, it was advertised as a 15k pro rata job, but it would be part-time (2.5 days so £7500). However when I did the interview, I was told by the employers that if I got through the probation of 3 months, the job would become a full-time permanent position at 15k, however only working Monday to Thursday (as they don't work on Fridays). So basically 15k for 4 days work, sounds great!

Now last month I was told I would be made full-time, though they didn't have the contract for me to read or sign yet. This week I asked if they could send it to me (as I was still waiting and nothing was happening) so they emailed it to me (still need to sign it). Apparently I will now be on a pay of £12,480 per year, no mention of 15k at all. I feel like I am being tricked and cheated with this, as they told me during the interview that it would be 15k, and nowhere in the job application did it say that they only work four days (in which case 15k would be impossible pro rata). Do I have any rights here in claiming more pay? I have nothing in writing, I never even got a copy of my temporary contract when I started (which probably only mentioned the £7500), all I found is one of their job applications. =(

Sounds like a misunderstanding. Think about it logically, if you got £7.5k for 2.5 days, then £15k would require 5 days. They can't possibly give you £15k for 4 days, as that would mean they're paying you higher than on 2.5 days, and they can't discriminate between part-time and full-time pay.

The only way they can give you £15k for 4 days would be if they gave you some sort of pay-rise or performance related pay, or if they had some other way to justify it (such as increased roles/responsibilities). Just moving from 2.5days to 4 days, and doubling your wage would be illegal (assuming they have other staff at that level).

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