Unemployment: Dole to go up £60 a month in budget

Dr_DiNg_DoNg

Hey, we cant all be on the dole, we need a bit of give and take, you guys are the work people, pay the tax, us dole people, we do the other stuff, provide an audience for jezza etc.

At the end of the day, you dont want to watch rubbish on TV, and I dont want a job, so can we have an end to all this "shall I go on the dole" stuff!

PasturesNew

Cleaver wrote: »

No offense PN, but do you not see work as one of the factors to get you out of that situation? You work, you meet people, you earn more cash, you meet even more people, you socialise with people through work, you meet people via people at work, you end up going on holiday with people from work...

I dunno. I might be biased as I met Mrs C and a number of good friends through a variety of jobs from when I was a waiter ten years ago to now.

My work experiences have been that you're there to work, not socialise. Any social events outside of work are mostly confined to the Xmas Do - at which partners are invited and it's pricey and I'd have needed an outfit I couldn't afford. Other nights out tend to be meals, where some idiot wants to split the bill (after they've had 3 bottles of wine with them/their wife and the king prawn dishes)... other people have always had more money to splash about than me for socialising, so it's out of the question as it's expensive. Also, people go to work and they have their own lives/partners and go home to them, people don't socialise with people they work with much.

I am not a people person, I've worked mainly in IT, among quiet geeks who just get on with the job - and then their idea of socialising is to get w4nkered down town before ending up in a nighclub.

SingleSue

PasturesNew wrote: »

If I got the same for working as not I'd rather not. When you're at work all you have is your nose rubbed in it as you're surrounded by people doing things that you can't afford, buying things you can't afford. I've been working the last few weeks and surrounded by people with all manner of things going on. They've all got partners, all having holidays, all buying stuff ...

Can you imagine how isolating it is to sit at work with nothing to say because you've not been anywhere, not going anywhere, can't join in ... ?

For the same money, I'd rather sit at home. Especially for those people whose role/position are unlikely to improve. Not everybody's in a job/company wehre there is promotion/progression.

Ah yes, I remember that well.

The constant "We are having a new kitchen put in, it's only 10k" or "Booked our holiday, bargain at 6k...where are you going?"

They used to look at me as if I was an alien as our kitchen cost £50 from the local paper (still perfectly ok after 11 years, goodness knows how old it is!) and our annual holiday in Great Yarmouth for a couple of hundred and at that point, had never had a brand new sofa suite, only second hand.

I just couldn't see the point in paying out all that money for frivolous items even though, we could actually afford it.

They just thought I was strange as I talked about rock music, motor sports and computers and had no interest in the latest designer handbag or shoes and was in no way a girlie girl.

PasturesNew

I've been temping and they were all going out on a night out when I'd been there about 2 weeks. They were talking/organising it over and around me, nobody asked if I wanted to go.

Then the bosses bought them all an easter egg... I didn't get one.

Being a temp sucks really because you're not seen as human, you're seen as somebodyy who flies in, covers/does a job and is gone.

SingleSue

Now that is not very nice at all PN, what beggers they are!

No wonder you feel isolated.

PasturesNew

One of them had a party at her house over easter weekend too ... a drinking/smoking party, she stood up and said to 2-3 people behind me "it's open house" and directly asked them if they wanted to go. But it wasn't the sort of "offer" that one could have picked up on and said "Hey - yeah - open house ... I'd LOVE to come and get w4nkered at your !!!!! booze/drugs chav-fest ... what's the address?"

Jennifer_Jane

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've been temping and they were all going out on a night out when I'd been there about 2 weeks. They were talking/organising it over and around me, nobody asked if I wanted to go.

Then the bosses bought them all an easter egg... I didn't get one.

Being a temp sucks really because you're not seen as human, you're seen as somebodyy who flies in, covers/does a job and is gone.

Hi PN - one of the things we are told at work is that contractors should be treated at arm's length from the permanent staff. It's not the culture of our Company to do that, not a lack of friendliness, it's apparently so that contractors cannot consider themselves to be employees. I'm unsure if I'm explaining it properly - but one of the things is that there must not be continuous employment over a period of time. For instance, no-one can work longer than 11 months before they leave the Company (they can come back, I think, a month later).

So they may just be treating you in a rigid way, but nothing personal.

Of course, the problem is that the Agencies that temps work for have been treating their employees so badly.

I started as a contractor 11 years ago and contracted for 2 years before being made permanent. The new rules came in just after I was made permanent, but I certainly heard of the temp/contractor organising the Christmas party for instance, but not being allowed to go.

Actually one of the things I'm looking forward to when I retire and possibly temp again, is the lack of responsibility - fly in, job done, fly out, and no waking up in the middle of the night worrying about things. But I guess if someone is a worrier, they worry anyway!

Jen
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Graham_Devon

PN, come on, sound a bit more upbeat or you'll never get an invite!

I agree, some of thw work stuff is dire, but you don't want to seperate yourself too much

Jennifer_Jane

Just a view on working vs Dr Ding Dong. Clearly old Dr Ding Dong is articulate and educated (although I think the title Dr is self-designated LOL). Anyway, the point about working for money is not the basic salary but all the other financial benefits. Pension contributions matched by the Company, share options, health insurance, bonusses, the travelling in Europe I've done (I'm a secretary), life assurance, and so on. It's amazing how much extra you do get, especially in big Companies. Rather have things under your own control rather than hoping that the Government will continue to look after you - like a stupid child.

Jen
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Jennifer_Jane

PasturesNew wrote: »

One of them had a party at her house over easter weekend too ... a drinking/smoking party, she stood up and said to 2-3 people behind me "it's open house" and directly asked them if they wanted to go. But it wasn't the sort of "offer" that one could have picked up on and said "Hey - yeah - open house ... I'd LOVE to come and get w4nkered at your !!!!! booze/drugs chav-fest ... what's the address?"

PN - they don't sound like a great bunch, and it also sounds like she was a bit desperate to get people there. Did you really want to go or are just peeved that they thought you were above all that.

By the way, being older than the others, I never got invited either! Hence being on this forum - I don't even get invited to 'Team outings' because they forget about me!

Or perhaps they don't!!


How long will you be there? Perhaps it will be over soon, and you'll be with a great bunch.

Jen
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