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Work Related Question

Madman in the ruins.

12:25 / 08.11.05

OK so heres the story.
For the past 4 months I've been doing minimum wage shift work as a Security Guard, I'm bringing home just over 1000 a month whic is just enough to live on. And to be honest the work isn't hard its just long hours.

For the last month i've been messed around tremendouslty-changes of site at a few hours notice, I spent a week working in a envirment which could only be described as hell (imagine working on a gate in the pouring rain where the bosses drive out the gate drown the road 1/4 of a mile and then turn around back into the gate-in a effort to wind me up). I'm off that site now and working on a regular site.

I got fed up with this treatment so I've applied for other jobs-basically min wage factory work and one chance of doing someting I'd like but the pays rubbish. But I'd made up my mind to leave.

Then this moring I recive a very apologetic phone call from my Ops Manager, apologising for all the messing around and i'm on the permanat site whic I was prominsed.

So in the words of the song "Should I stay or should I go?"

Another point is, even though I've wprked for them for over 4 months now I dotn have a contract with them, which I think gives them the right to mess me around. But I think i can also walk out of the job without giving any notice?
Its 7 weeks off Xmas, and the job market is allways unreialable at this time of year.
Opinions anyone?

Tryphena Absent

12:34 / 08.11.05

I'd wait until January unless you're certain of another job because being out of work at Christmas time is very difficult. It just costs too much money.

12:57 / 08.11.05

You should have absolutely no loyalty to such employers and no hesitation of taking something better if it comes up.

I'd also suggest getting some free employment law advice from a CAB or Law Centre and seeing if there are any angles to sue the bastards as it sounds like they could be using illegal employment practices. Even without a contract you still have certain minimum statutory rights.

toughest, fastest, fatest

13:24 / 08.11.05

I agree with the others - you owe them no loyalty at all, but maybe hang on until the new year unless you've got a definate job offer...
Feel free to PM me if you've got any specific questions on your rights, I was a shop steward for 5 years, and my housemate works for CAB.

ONLY NICE THINGS

15:17 / 08.11.05

Hmmm. You have statutory employment rights, but so do they. As far as I know, you can still walk out of a job without a contract after 4 months without giving notice - I've done it after 7 weeks - but I wouldn't swear to it.

Personally, I'd say it isn't about loyalty but convenience. If they value you as an employee - that is, they think you're worth what they're paying you - it makes sense for them to try to keep you, and that might well include being apologetic for messing you around and trying to put you in a position where you'll stay (like a permanent pitch). Likewise, if you're ready to trust them not to mess you around any more and find the terms you're being offered attractive, it makes sense for you to stay. There's nothing disloyal, however, about seeing if you have a higher value in the market than they're offering - it's not like they've put themselves out for you. At best, they've stopped dicking you around...

19:46 / 08.11.05

Start looking for a job, but don't quit till you find one.

07:03 / 09.11.05

It's threadrot, but after reading the summary, I can't help but think of you as a really small bet. Perhaps 1p on a horse to place.
As for your decision, given the time of year I'd give this company another chance - if they've stopped messing you around, maybe it's worth staying. Otherwise start looking for a new job, but don't quit till you've got at least an idea of how easy it will be to get that new job.

Madman in the ruins.

10:40 / 10.11.05

I'm not going to jump till i've got another job lined up. What also happned was I fell into a trap of thinking that my current job which was only a stop gap became a "JOB" (Probably as my employers stated asking more from me mentally I started to become more commited to the job). Its a easy mental trap to fall into if you'r me, sometimes I need the bleeding obvious pointing out to me.

I'm looking for another position, the first better paid one that comes up and i'm off.