Are all low paid jobs like this??

pelirocco

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm not trying to blow my own trumpet but I am a shy individual, I go in do my work and go home, I don't flood around the boss like a dung fly when he makes an appearance, I don't mess about. It may just be a coincidence but our supervisor and line manager have the gift of the gab but both has no previous experience in the industry. I don't want any form of managerial role, I just want things to be fair, to be paid a fair wage for what I do.

But anyway, what about my other points.

Only get statutory sick pay (IE don't get paid for the first 3 days sickness)
No pension
No annual pay rise
Little chance of an actual pay rise
Minimum holidays allowed by law
No Christmas bonus/party
Overtime paid at regular rate

I have to admit, I've been with 3 previous employers and all the above has applied, So I am assuming its an industry thing

These dont just apply to 'low' paid employees , most of the apply to higher paid employees too ! if you hadnt noticed we are in a recession :rolleyes:

bundly

My close friend went to a vocational college for two years to get the necessary diplomas to work in his career and has worked 10 years for the same (small) employer without having a single pay rise. I asked on here a coupla years back and was advised that this amounted to a 22% pay cut (because of inflation). He gets the barest legal minimum of anything and gets no pay for overtime because he is salaried per year divided by 12 rather than hourly paid.

There is no chance for him to get any promotion as he is the shop manager already with one staff under him. For this all he gets is £22k.

His boss enjoys a fantastic standard of living, big house, big car, loads of foreign holidays, and I feel bitter than it's all got off the backs of people like my friend, who are too "nice" to push hard for more recognition and better reward.

totallybonkers

My current Workplace hasn't had a payrise in about 5 years, not even to keep in rise with inflation etc, never mind as an actual increase in pay. We have no pension, are made to work with about 5 less staff than we can physically do most of the time (meaning salaried managers are forced to stay behind and work 12-15 hour shifts with no extra pay). During June/July/August we had a hugely busy period at work, people working literally 26 hour shifts, come pay day, no overtime pay on the wage slip, which for me personally amounted up to an extra £700 (which when on £6.25 is a lot of hours), for some it was an extra £1700. Apparently they'd forgot to tell us that the company was struggling and they couldn't afford to pay us until January. But luckily for me I'm out of this hell hole come January 4th, off to a new job that offers everything this one doesn't. So there is a way out, keep applying for jobs, taking up every offer of extra training and responsibility and get out of there!

olly300

bundly wrote: »

My close friend went to a vocational college for two years to get the necessary diplomas to work in his career and has worked 10 years for the same (small) employer without having a single pay rise. I asked on here a coupla years back and was advised that this amounted to a 22% pay cut (because of inflation). He gets the barest legal minimum of anything and gets no pay for overtime because he is salaried per year divided by 12 rather than hourly paid.

There is no chance for him to get any promotion as he is the shop manager already with one staff under him. For this all he gets is £22k.

His boss enjoys a fantastic standard of living, big house, big car, loads of foreign holidays, and I feel bitter than it's all got off the backs of people like my friend, who are too "nice" to push hard for more recognition and better reward.

Why do you feel bitter?

Many businesses fold and in their early years rely on the owner of the business putting their house at risk, hence when they get successful the owner lives it up.

In addition one way of getting rid of staff and making them move on is not to give them a pay rise.

If your friend was a better job/standard of living he should ask for a pay rise and if he doesn't get it then he should either:
1. take the risk and start up his own business OR
2. get a better paying job

Edited to say:
I had to keep explaining this to a mate of mine who couldn't understand why people moved jobs every few years. He finally left his job when he was pushed out and is in a much higher paying one with better hours. There is no point being loyal to a company unless it's your own.

bendix

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm not trying to blow my own trumpet but I am a shy individual, I go in do my work and go home, I don't flood around the boss like a dung fly when he makes an appearance, I don't mess about. It may just be a coincidence but our supervisor and line manager have the gift of the gab but both has no previous experience in the industry. I don't want any form of managerial role, I just want things to be fair, to be paid a fair wage for what I do.

But anyway, what about my other points.

Only get statutory sick pay (IE don't get paid for the first 3 days sickness)
No pension
No annual pay rise
Little chance of an actual pay rise
Minimum holidays allowed by law
No Christmas bonus/party
Overtime paid at regular rate

I have to admit, I've been with 3 previous employers and all the above has applied, So I am assuming its an industry thing

I dont know what you're whining about.

You get statutory sick pay. Your employer is complying with the law.
A pension doesnt have to be legally provided - it's your responsibility
A pay rise is not a right.
You get the minimum holidays - why should you get more?
A Xmas party is not a right, neither is a bonus.
Yuo get paid for overtime - stop complaining.

So where is your boss behaving wrongly?

If you want all those things, find a job that gives them. It's not bloody rocket science, is it?

adg1

bendix wrote: »

Seriously - fourteen years at the same level? That speaks volumes to me.

It demonstrates either that you have found your natural level, or you don't have the nous to market yourself to other employers to better effect.

An older chap who used to work part time for me always said that people in the company reached 'the level of their own incompetence'.

Basically, the best would go onwards and upwards and the 'jobs for the boys' brigade would reach a level that they are capable of dealing with and not progress any further.

Witnessing it I was inclined to agree - idiots got promoted but would always seem to get stuck at a certain level - the level of their incompetence.

bendix

adg1 wrote: »

An older chap who used to work part time for me always said that people in the company reached 'the level of their own incompetence'.

Basically, the best would go onwards and upwards and the 'jobs for the boys' brigade would reach a level that they are capable of dealing with and not progress any further.

Witnessing it I was inclined to agree - idiots got promoted but would always seem to get stuck at a certain level - the level of their incompetence.

So what does this mean for the OP?

Pete111

olly300 wrote: »

Why do you feel bitter?

Many businesses fold and in their early years rely on the owner of the business putting their house at risk, hence when they get successful the owner lives it up.

In addition one way of getting rid of staff and making them move on is not to give them a pay rise.

If your friend was a better job/standard of living he should ask for a pay rise and if he doesn't get it then he should either:
1. take the risk and start up his own business OR
2. get a better paying job

Edited to say:
I had to keep explaining this to a mate of mine who couldn't understand why people moved jobs every few years. He finally left his job when he was pushed out and is in a much higher paying one with better hours. There is no point being loyal to a company unless it's your own.

+1

Especially re point 2. If you don't like something and are unwilling/unable to alter it then move on. Simples.

olly300

bendix wrote: »

So what does this mean for the OP?

Go and get another job. Either straight away or after gaining some qualifications/skills.

Apparently, and I've seen one, lots of people have given him advise about getting better qualifications.

bendix

Having read dozens of these posts recently, I think half the UK population still has a schoolchild mentality. When we are at school, we have no control - our environment, our working practices are imposed on us. We're rule-bound.

I can't help but think this is taken into the work environment by most of us. All these threads are imbued with an attitude of 'them and us', 'it's not fair' etc etc - our environment is something that happens to us.

Nonsense. As an adult you are completely free to shape your own destiny.

Got a crap job? Simple. Change it. Get better. Make yourself more employable.

What's stopping you?

I suspect for many it's easier to sit back and whine about how tough life is and how it's not our fault, it's someone else's.