Interview Tuesday, but now not sure.

patman99

I have an interview on Tuesday as a supervisor (arranged through agency), trouble is, having got the details through, it is a company I know very well, and all for the wrong reasons.
Basically their attitude to H&S is that it plays no part in working life. They also have a bad rep for work quality. Now, being that I take H&S extremely seriously, and have a minimum work standard that I would accept as a customer, is it worth me turning-up?.

If I got the job I feel I would be facing an uphill battle as I attempted to enforce H&S regs on the workers.
For instance, their attitude towards using vibrating hand tools is that it is ok to use them for 8 hours a day (regs state 15mins on, then 15 mins off).

Sammyantha

It's really down to whether you need the work or not, and how many other options you have.

You could:

• Go and use it as interview experience
• Cancel and look for something else
• Go, and if you get the job, use it as a stepping stone/ stop gap to something else

Purple_kitten

I would say use the interview as experience.

I to have a role about to start next week that in my heart I don't want, however it's a stepping stone in a wage gap, and I am still looking and have everything crossed for another role that's become available a little closer to home.

Good Luck

Sambucus_Nigra

I'd go and take the job if offered and use it as a good 'challenge' role where you will learn skills around the harder side of business.......

Emmzi

when they say "what questions do you have for us" tell them politely about rumours you have heard about H&S non compliamnce and ask if they would object to someone taking a frim line on keeping it legal in a more visible way to improve the reputation.

they will of course say they already are. If they truly have a management endorsed poor record you'll find you weren't the best candidate somehow.

Go for a practice tho!

skattykatty

Interview experience sounds good. I have to say that my gut reaction would be to walk away (though this may be tough to do if you don't have a job at the moment. Sorry, I don't know your circumstances.) But I say that because I have walked into jobs with a 'hunch' about how bad things were and ended up very sick! Play it by ear. You have nothing to lose by going to the interview OR by asking the questions Emmzi suggests. Why not?

patman99

I fully intend to go. If I get the job, I will use it to try to implement proper H&S procedures.

anewman

patman99 wrote: »

I fully intend to go. If I get the job, I will use it to try to implement proper H&S procedures.

Only way you can do that is to have a serious accident and do a no win no fee claim. They'll only ever change if it hurts them in the bank balance. Bad publicity is also something companies do not like.

jackomdj

Sounds to me as if OP may be in the H&S field?

If this is the case then remember you have the authority to stop people from doing things if they are doing them wrong. Go for it & enjoy the challenge.

patman99

They are experts in the field of 'no win no fee' claims. They are masters in the art of dragging a case on long-enough for it to time-out. I know this as one of the workers lives next door to a friend of my oh, and quite happily told them about the way they shafted a guy who had claimed for industrial injuries after getting trigger finger in both hands after operating vibrating hand tools for 8 hours a day.
.
Apparently, they also like to carry-out risk assesments 'from the comfort of their office chairs after everyone has gone home'.
I fear my work there may be short-lived (if I get the job).

WhiteHorse

I have experience of a company like this. What you will find if you try to implement proper safe working practices is that the managment will frame you and then railroad you into disciplinaries.

You will also find that staff who work for companies like that tend to resent interference - they believe that they will lose money if things change.

If the firm really is that bad, they are best avoided unless absolutely necessary. If you do take the job, do nothing (but do keep a secret record of all the infringements in order to cover yourself). Keep looking for a job somewhere else.