Tamura Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 Got let go from my first conventional job in almost twenty years after six weeks for the heinous crime of asking to go home as I had a fever and hadn't slept for three days. Kind of glad it happened as there was no job security there, I was talking to one of the Polish people I worked with and he'd been an agency employee for three years, so subject to dismissal for any reason at any time. Working there did give me an insight into the difficulties I was going to face being in conventional work again, and things I need to keep an eye on in future employment. Speaking of which... My local Tesco was that desperate for seasonal staff they had a piece of paper in the window saying "Looking for work?", so figured I had nothing to lose by applying. I'm now 2/2 for successful interviews since 2004, I got offered the job on the spot thanks to having some previous experience of retail work when doing my A levels giving me knowledge of stock replenishment, rotation and retail jargon. It's night shift which I don't mind since I'm happier not having to deal with constant customers, and I live less than five minutes walk away so don't have to spent ages travelling to and from work. Been working pretty much non-stop since the start of November hoping to make a good impression, and tonight I was told I'm being kept on as a permanent employee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Wretch Posted December 17, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted December 17, 2023 Absolutely loved working nights at Tesco @Tamura Did it for close to ten years, originally Wed to Sun, then Mon to Fri for the last four years or so. No customers, headphones in most of the night so I could listen to all my podcasts. I’m glad I’m off nights as I was on them pretty much permanently from 2006 to 2019 and they’re really not good for you long term, but there’s times when I miss that job. I take it full time contracts are a thing of the past now though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamura Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 6 minutes ago, Wretch said: I take it full time contracts are a thing of the past now though? I'm currently contracted for two nights a week, however I've not worked less than four since I started, and have worked six a couple of times. My boss sounded me out a few weeks ago about how many nights I'd be happy to work if I became permanent, I said I'd be happy with anything between two and five. I wanted to be as flexible as possible to improve my chances of being kept on, didn't want to insist on a figure that didn't work for them. I was that happy at being told I was being kept on I didn't think to ask how many days I'll be contracted for going forward, even two nights a week saves me from a starvation diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Wretch Posted December 18, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted December 18, 2023 2 minutes ago, Tamura said: I'm currently contracted for two nights a week, however I've not worked less than four since I started, and have worked six a couple of times. My boss sounded me out a few weeks ago about how many nights I'd be happy to work if I became permanent, I said I'd be happy with anything between two and five. I wanted to be as flexible as possible to improve my chances of being kept on, didn't want to insist on a figure that didn't work for them. I was that happy at being told I was being kept on I didn't think to ask how many days I'll be contracted for going forward, even two nights a week saves me from a starvation diet. Yeah, there was always overtime going. They were just starting these flexi contracts not long after I started and a few of the flexi’s were doing 6 or 7 in a row, a night off, then another 6 or 7 or even more. Flip side being of course that if an overtime ban came in, then they’d just be doing their two nights a week, but those bans never lasted too long. Seen a lot of flexi’s get rewarded with full time hours due to how well they were doing, so fingers crossed (if you want it that is). Amazed there’s any nights still operating tbh! Got caught in the great redundancy sweep of 2019 when they shut down an absolute shitload of night operations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonworden Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 When I worked at Sainsbury's (daytimes) for a year a decade ago I was only contracted for 12 hours a week (1 eve shift of 4hrs and an 8hr Sat daytime) but rarely did I not get asked to work extra, sometimes with bulk weeks laid out for me to the point something that started as a part time cash flow thing became my fulltime job. Not bad work at all and the people/ customers where I was based were decent. I never ventured into the night shifts although I was offered a few times. On a slight tangent, I only stopped taking more than my 12hrs a week as I also had a job in a Harvester who got me waiting tables as the busy season approached and the tips were tripling my salary so even though the work was far worse than supermarket work the compensation was too good to pass up. I actually miss the ups and downs of not having a fixed salary/ schedule sometimes these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonmist Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 9 hours ago, Tamura said: Got let go from my first conventional job in almost twenty years after six weeks for the heinous crime of asking to go home as I had a fever and hadn't slept for three days. Kind of glad it happened as there was no job security there, I was talking to one of the Polish people I worked with and he'd been an agency employee for three years, so subject to dismissal for any reason at any time. Working there did give me an insight into the difficulties I was going to face being in conventional work again, and things I need to keep an eye on in future employment. Speaking of which... My local Tesco was that desperate for seasonal staff they had a piece of paper in the window saying "Looking for work?", so figured I had nothing to lose by applying. I'm now 2/2 for successful interviews since 2004, I got offered the job on the spot thanks to having some previous experience of retail work when doing my A levels giving me knowledge of stock replenishment, rotation and retail jargon. It's night shift which I don't mind since I'm happier not having to deal with constant customers, and I live less than five minutes walk away so don't have to spent ages travelling to and from work. Been working pretty much non-stop since the start of November hoping to make a good impression, and tonight I was told I'm being kept on as a permanent employee. The first job doesn't sound like you're the problem. If a company doesn't care about wellness and continue to put people on temp contracts for 3 years they are pretty shit to work for. I can imagine that being your first new job in a while may damage your confidence.  I hope a few weeks into a seasonal job and the company want to keep you boosts your confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamura Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 26 minutes ago, westlondonmist said: The first job doesn't sound like you're the problem. If a company doesn't care about wellness and continue to put people on temp contracts for 3 years they are pretty shit to work for. I can imagine that being your first new job in a while may damage your confidence. At the start of each shift they even had the brass neck to have a five minute reminder about a different aspect of health and safety, when it should be pretty obvious that someone who hasn't slept for three days doing heavy lifting is a danger to themselves and other people. Plus in the week I got sacked they'd just prepared for their peak period of the year by transferring everyone onto alternating shifts of 6am to 1:30pm one week then 1:45pm to 9:15pm the next week, which isn't particularly good for anyone's health. So yeah, I'm pretty happy I did get sacked from there (by text message). However if I hadn't worked there I'd never have got the permanent job with Tesco, as by taking the first job I came off Employment and Support Allowance (where the rules around how much work you can do are really strict) then ended up on Universal Credit (where you are encouraged to work as much as possible) when re-applying for benefits, since it was my willingless to work as much as possible even at short notice that was a key factor in securing me permanent employment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted December 21, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted December 21, 2023 Work are currently offering voluntary severance. If I were to go for it, I'd get three months pay out of them. The job has been going downhill, and doesn't really show any signs of getting any better, but a lot of the problems there are problems within the sector - so part of me wants to take it, but I know if I go into another similar job elsewhere there's no guarantee I wouldn't be faced with the same issues I'm dealing with now. So part of me thinks it could be the kick up the arse I need to change careers entirely, but I don't know if that's a smart idea right now either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted December 21, 2023 Share Posted December 21, 2023 5 hours ago, BomberPat said: So part of me thinks it could be the kick up the arse I need to change careers entirely, but I don't know if that's a smart idea right now either. What would you be looking to switch over to, if you don't mind me asking? Is it something you could transition into within the three months you'd get paid for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamura Posted December 23, 2023 Share Posted December 23, 2023 One decent thing about my new job is that they are constantly giving away random stock to staff free of charge, so I've managed to accumulate a decent selection of beverages to see me through the silly season. Been madness at work the last couple of nights due to the amounf of stock needing filling, my boss said I'm not supposed to compare customers to a plague of locusts but it's the most appropriate term I can think of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gmoney Posted December 23, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted December 23, 2023 Bloody hell, they never gave me booze when I worked in a supermarket. If they had have done, maybe I wouldn't have nicked so much of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ReturnOfTheMack Posted January 10 Paid Members Share Posted January 10 My current job (manager of multiple graveyards) is a bit bad for me as I'm having issues after the death of a friend. Now my life is often referred to as me constantly successfully falling upwards. And seemingly to prove it, next week me and the wife are starting a move from the city outskirts to a village 40 minutes away, and the local pub need someone to work as a shift manager. Not only am I qualified, but it's a pay rise, and literally 4 houses from my new home. If I get it I'm well sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBacon Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 48 minutes ago, ReturnOfTheMack said: the local pub need someone to work as a shift manager Great news! As long as its not the *stares at camera and winks* graveyard shift... *tumbleweed everywhere* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted January 11 Paid Members Share Posted January 11 On 12/21/2023 at 4:09 PM, David said: What would you be looking to switch over to, if you don't mind me asking? Is it something you could transition into within the three months you'd get paid for? That's the thing, I don't really know. Most of my admin skills will be transferable, I just don't really know where I'd want to take them to - I can just recognise that higher education is likely to get worse before it gets better, and if I'm to stay in HE I'm probably better sticking with the devil I know. The chances of finding a drastic change of career within those three months is unlikely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westlondonmist Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I've got a job interview next week. It's similar to what I currently do, a bit more responsibility but about 8.5k more money that will increase by 1k each year.  I'm worried about getting it to be honest. I quite like where I work, I get 33 days annual leave (23 at this new place), I'm good at what I do and the last 2 times I jumped ship it went badly. If I get it and turn it down my employer could think fuck him he won't leave so we don't have to improve pay. If they offered me 2.5k (the next step up) I'd definitely stay.  I applied because people in my directorate often turn their noses up and sneer at what I do. My directorate is Environment and I run public toilets and litter bins. It's not particularly sexy like Net Zero team or recycling but it's rewarding. I kind of wanted to say well what I do can get me a better job than you. I don't actually want to leave and wasn't looking for work, a colleague just told me about it.  Wish I hadn't applied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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