advice please

mrgooboo

I have started a new job and after having a days induction at the beginning of the first week we were told that we wouldnt be starting work until the following week, meaning that we would not get paid. I checked this up with the dole and was told that they couldnt do anything about this as technically we were employed.
The following week we were told we had to travel 40 odd mile to another store for training, no transport was laid on and one of the people with us had to drive us there and back each day. They did say they would pay them so much money per mile but this has also been in dispute.
Each day we have just sat in the office doing nothing. There is no training from what I can see. Where do we stand. I am so upset that I left the job I had to come to this thinking it would be better.
Any advice would be greatly received.

getmore4less

Make sure the person doing the driving is insured for business travel.
refuse to go with them if they can't prove it.

If they gave you a start date(first training day) and there are no lay off clauses they should pay you.

Material_Girl_2

What is the start date on your contract?

SarEl

Setting aside any possible legal standing (at best, it might net you a few days pay - and probably the sack since you have no employment protection) I'd have to say that my suggestions would be "non-legal". Find out if your old job is still available. If it isn't, start seriously looking for another. If the employer has been this bad within a week or two, do you seriously want to find out what they are like at three months? How things start out are generally a good indication of how they will continue.

mrgooboo

thankyou for your replies. The start date on the contract is the 8th but they are disputing this saying it was the 14th. This is not so worrying as the fact that we arent being trained at all and being left to stand around for hours at a time looking stupid. Even the staff who are working are looking at us as if we are stupid. I do think it is time to look for another job as my old one is no longer there. I just feel so stupid thinking it would be better than where I was as it is an upcoming place of work.

getmore4less

Be more proactive

Stop standing around looking stupid,

Ask for things to do, how things are done, where are the procedure docs, training materials, if none offer to produce some, become a self learner. Keep asking the bosses what is going on, what training you should be getting when does training end and the job start for real.

SarEl

mrgooboo wrote: »

thankyou for your replies. The start date on the contract is the 8th but they are disputing this saying it was the 14th. This is not so worrying as the fact that we arent being trained at all and being left to stand around for hours at a time looking stupid. Even the staff who are working are looking at us as if we are stupid. I do think it is time to look for another job as my old one is no longer there. I just feel so stupid thinking it would be better than where I was as it is an upcoming place of work.

There is nothing stupid about trying to get yourself into a better job. It just doesn't always work out, although more often than not it does. This isn't your fault.

Whilst I have to agree with the previous poster about being proactive to an extent, I can't entirely agree. Any sensible employer wants "self-starters" and people who show initiative. But a sensible employer also understands the value of training and support, especially for new staff. This isn't for the benefit of the staff - it's in your own self-interest if you want capable employees. If the employer wasn't particularly good at this aspect, then they would be shortsighted - but there are other issues here. If you expect staff to relocate to another location for something, you need to consider the implications of that and make appropriate arrangements - not just wing it in the hope that one of them drives and has their car available. There are, with any good employer, set mileage allowances - and you pay them when people use their own transport for your business. And whilst enforcing the contract over pay may be more of a liability in terms of the risk to the employee, you cannot simply say "we don't have anything to do with you so go home and we won't pay you". If there is this degree of poor, inappropriate and downright unlawful activity by an employer in the first few weeks, what on earth would make someone imagine that this would change later. Getting better at your job, and being able to do the job well without direction does not turn a bad employer into a good one. The warning flags are up - this is the sort of employer who may well decide to dismiss people before the get employment protection, having got 11 months hard work out of them. If the lesson that someone learns in the first few weeks is that the employer is not to be trusted, it's generally best to go with the flow and use your energy to get the hell out before things go belly up for you. Not nice, not fair, but true.

Premier_2

mrgooboo wrote: »

...The start date on the contract is the 8th but they are disputing this saying it was the 14th. ...

How can they dispute it? If it's in the contract, it's in the contract.

mrgooboo wrote: »

...Each day we have just sat in the office doing nothing. ....

I suggest you start looking for another job asap. Times are tough out there and employers, especially retailers, can't afford to pay employees to sit around doing nothing for long. Think on...

mrgooboo

I have asked if there are things to do and have asked other staff members to show me what to do and I have been told to leave them alone and go stand back with the others in the corner. I have asked staff members on the floor if they would like help only to be told that they and I would be in great trouble if I dared to help them.
This great place happens to be Morrisons supermarkets and to think I thought Tesco was bad but, at least they were bothered.


Where do I stand if I leave now and dont go back though or do I have to wait for them to finish me?

Premier_2

You can leave when you like, subject to having provided the contractual notice (the terms of such contract appear to be in dispute anyway)

I suggest you don't leave until you get another job, but use the time they are paying you to spend doing nothing in the office wisely by seeking another job.

DCFC79

Sorry OP but i honestly cant believe that its morrisons, speak to a manager, sureloy you have to see someoen each day eg a manager, a training manager,