I need a new Job!

Sleepy · 18-06-2008, 12:34 PM

Started about 10 months ago as a window fitters mate and really enjoyed it, i had a great laugh.

The guy i worked with for a couple of months got laid off and they put me with someone else called Dave, who i got on ok with for 6 months but he used to treat me like ****, so had an argument with him and my boss put me with another guy and give Dave a warning as many people have left because of the same reason.

The 3rd guy im with is the worst. Been with him 2 months now and cant take much more, im working 7.30-7.30pm most nights and getting paid £40 a day for it (set hours are 08-05pm) but he gives me an extra £20 a week some times which isn't really worth it for the hours i do. I don't learn anything anymore and the stuff i did learn (glazing up etc) he wont let me do as he likes to do everything him self. We don't say a word to each other all day, all he says is "why are you standing there doing nuffin" when he don't let me do much in the 1st place.

I can't stand the bloke and think i am starting to get depressed. i have been 10mins late the last few weeks as i just cant get out of bed in the mornings and he has now said i will wait 5 mins and if your not there im going with out you which is fair enough.
i got in at 7.45pm last night and was shattered had dinner and went to bed at 9.15. i overslept this morning i knew i wouldn't be ready for 7.30am so thought to my self **** it, i cant bare another day with him so turned my phone off. I will turn it back on tonight and will probably have several missed calls from him and the boss

I need a new job.

Scott3 · 18-06-2008, 12:43 PM

JobCentre?

Monty Burns · 18-06-2008, 12:50 PM

They say there are only two things certain in life, death and taxes. I disagree with this and can add a few more, one of them being that "there shal always be at least one w*&ker at work".

Sadly, these people are a fact of life. Its how you deal with them that helps the day.

The first and most important thing is, remember, its only a job and you can go home and escape these people. As they say, don't let the barstewards grind you down.

Of course, you can try another job but there are no garuntees you'll escape them ...

Miss Chief · 19-06-2008, 1:58 AM

You could always go to the boss and say that you're not learning anything and it sounds as if you're being given work for two people but he's doing it all making you feel left out, in the way etc. and increasing your working hours!

SeanT · 19-06-2008, 7:09 AM

Join a trade union. Then raise a grievance. I assume you have a written contract of employment. Are you an "apprentice" How old are you? (or, if you don't want to give your age, are you 16/17, 18-21, or 22 and over?)

Record your hours somewhere. It looks like you are on £5 an hour for your basic hours. If you don't get paid any extra for these extra hours you are putting in, your wage almost immediately drops below the national minimum wage for 18-21 year olds (who aren't classed as apprentices in their first year of an apprenticeship)

If you haven't signed an opt out agreement to the working time regulations (you'll know if you've done this as there's a requirement for them to explain it to you and get your consent before you sign the form), the 48 hour working week, then it contravenes your rights for your company to allow you (whether they are aware of it yet or not) to work more than an average of 48 hours per week over a 13 week reference period - they have an obligation to make sure you're not breaking this leglislation, which in turn means that they have an obligation to record your working time in some way, so don't worry if you have no timesheets, just start to (a) record your own working hours, including breaks, in some sort of diary - that you keep AT HOME - don't start doing this in front of this bloke (b) pointedly phone home (or someone) every day when you find out that you're going to be late, and then again just before you leave work, and then obtain a copy of your mobile bills after a couple of months...

Plus if this bloke is paying you 20 quid in cash for working extra hours, he's breaking the law - of course he'll just say he's lent you 20 quid and you owe it him back, so not the best thing to bring up there - just deny that he gave you any money for working extra.

My advice though, (although I am not qualified to give it so please take other advice too), is to:
(a) join a trade union now - the trade and general workers union / T&G section of unite for about a tenner a month
(b) make sure you have records of your own payslips and timesheets (without sneaking into any offices, or making it obvious by asking, just see if you can dig them out, and start making copies for your own use) - and write everything down somewhere but not at work!
(c) grin and bear everything for another two months, as (i) this is a terrible time to be looking for a job when you already have one and (ii) your employment rights increase tenfold when you reach one year's continuous service with a company - assuming you haven't taken a month off as unpaid leave or something you'll get your years continuous service soon, make a note of the date, after that date you can start raising hell

When you say that other people have left because of the conditions / abuse from the other guy / company as a whole, can you get in touch with these people? Are there other people still working there in the same boat as you? How long have they been there?

SeanT · 19-06-2008, 7:13 AM

BTW, if you already have blown this job, let us know, there are still things that you can do.... but I assume that you're probably at work right now. If you're going back to the job (or have done today), try to pointedly turn up for work at 7.55 AM - nobody can do anything about this if your start time is 8.00, and it's a way of clawing back a few minutes of your life, as it's easier to turn up "late" than it is to get away once you're there.

Zeromajor · 19-06-2008, 9:02 AM

Sounds like you're getting paid naff all for doing a long & hard days graft mate. That added to the idiots you've been working with, it just doesn't sound worth it at all.

I'd jump ship. Why not start a uni/night course or something to improve your skills and steer yourself in a different direction?

kayzee · 19-06-2008, 1:42 PM

I was in a job where I hated the people (before where I am now)

I started the job with £2k debt and I thought about quitting so many times... however I stuck through it and got outta my debt and then was in a position to start looking around for something better, which I did!

If you're not absolutely desperate for the money... quit it mate! imo

Jono_Doire · 19-06-2008, 2:42 PM

in that type of job the worst thing you can do is join a union and kick up a fuss because you will get the ****** stick ten times over and look to get rid so you'd have to be on your toes.

i had the same problem, i just told him to get ****ed and left as he wa the only guy i could learn from when i done P&D

SeanT · 19-06-2008, 5:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono_Doire

in that type of job the worst thing you can do is join a union and kick up a fuss because you will get the ****** stick ten times over and look to get rid so you'd have to be on your toes

Why not?
1. They might start to take him more seriously, and maybe even be forced into taking some action against the idiot who he has been working with, for fear of getting in serious trouble if they don't - after all the guy has basically been kidnapping him for 2 hours every night....
2. He might get some money paid out if he's been paid less than the minimum wage at some point as a result of this slavery.
3. He might get some compensation, or at least a payout in return for going quietly and not having their name plastered across the newspapers.
4. What has he got to lose? A reference?

Jono_Doire · 19-06-2008, 5:42 PM

5. It would cause bad blood and he will be frowned upon and his relationship with the boss wont be the same, bad atmosphere. Take it you've never worked for any of these trade companies?

They dont give a **** about an apprentice, they will replace him.

SeanT · 19-06-2008, 5:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono_Doire

They dont give a **** about an apprentice

Then that is clearly the problem. Maybe they'll have to start giving a damn after he screws them, or if not, at least he can walk out the door with a grin.

Companies (particularly small ones) that think that they can do what they like often need educating in what happens when they do so....

Sleepy · 19-06-2008, 6:32 PM

See him in the office this morning, Told him the situation and that i wanted to leave. Was very understanding about it and said he would give me a good reference.

Even give me a lift home and full pay till the end of the month.

Now to find another job with more money

neilios · 19-06-2008, 6:32 PM

Lol if he joins a union they will blow him out of the job, fact ,the building trade unfortunatly has its own rules regardless of any employment legislation there maybe .

Disagreements between employers, employee's happen all the time in the different building trades ,usually ending up in loss of job ,wage and bonus deductions and or punch ups ,the building game has its own unwritten way of doing things.

My advice is to leave and get another job ,not everybody in the trade is a complete ******.

Jono_Doire · 19-06-2008, 8:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanT

Then that is clearly the problem. Maybe they'll have to start giving a damn after he screws them, or if not, at least he can walk out the door with a grin.

Companies (particularly small ones) that think that they can do what they like often need educating in what happens when they do so....

unfortunatley thats the reality, because the dont make the company money and are just cheap labour.

but anyways, i wish you all the luck in the future, if its really what you want to do dont give up on the trade! just unlucky you wer paired with a cock but tbh its full of them, just look after number one and try to learn as much as poss as fast as poss, use them as muh as you can

SeanT · 19-06-2008, 9:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilios

the building trade unfortunatly has its own rules regardless of any employment legislation there maybe

No.

It.

Doesn't.

No more so than unfortunately the petrol tanker trade does, as they just found out.

neilios · 20-06-2008, 4:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanT

No.

It.

Doesn't.

No more so than unfortunately the petrol tanker trade does, as they just found out.

Yeah whatever .

SeanT · 20-06-2008, 6:37 PM

How many companies have tried to screw you over chap? How many have succeeded? Two have tried on my part, neither succeeded - first time because I had a lot of help, second time because I was in a union. I ended up leaving both, but was fired from neither, and both still give me a reference....

neilios · 21-06-2008, 6:34 AM

Every single company i have ever worked for has had poor management staff ,leading to money being deducted ,bonus fiddling ,extreme working hrs ,regular breaking of health and safety regs ,poor job planning ,bullying ,intimidation .

One company owed 4500 in wages and bonuses ,rang acas ,spoke to an employment lawyer ,waffle ,waffle ,prospect of a long drawn out case ,couldn't be arsed ,so i got the money back thru other means .

Another dispute occured over corgi regs on a particular installation ,i rung corgi and comfirmed i was correct my manager took umbridge to this insubordination and preceeded to punish me with crap jobs for the next 2 months including loss of bonuses and silly working hrs .

Again this was resolved by other means ,i left both jobs and recieved all monies owed as well as references even though both disputes were resolved in rather different ways than normal legal routes .

I do have a mate who took his employer to court ,he won his case ,but it took such a long time and was in my eyes alot more stressful than my way .

I work for myself now so have no need for unions at the moment all though the county court comes in handy for non payers .