Should I Become a Wage-Slave or Not?

krisskross

Martynb_ wrote: »

I don't dislike being on benefits. I have loads of free time, and stress is minimised so I am enjoying better health. I do wish to come off benefits but there has to be an incentive. I'm not a robot.

LOL and there's the rub isn't it? You are far too comfortable on benefits and therefore have no incentive to take a job. I think we all know what your decision will be.

Martynb_

krisskross wrote: »

LOL and there's the rub isn't it? You are far too comfortable on benefits and therefore have no incentive to take a job. I think we all know what your decision will be.

Therefore? I think you are wrong. I'm comfortable (only just) on benefits but that is not a "therefore have no incentive to take a job". The incentive would be the money. And my decision would be based, for the most part, on whether I will be fincially better off. Since I will be by £50 I may take the job, but I will not take the job if my hours are stipulated under 30 which means I will be worse off.

corbyboy

Martynb_ wrote: »

The standard break time is 45 minutes to an hour on an 8 hour shift. In my work experience this has been a constant. 20 minutes every six hours doesn't sound right. How can you possibly sit down and eat a meal in 20 minutes?

I worked in a BP garage for 2 years after I finished university and for an 8 hour shift you get a single 20 minute break and nothing else. So the "standard time" you are talking about is meaningless.

I have read through your posts and I really don't know what advice you are looking for. My personal opinion is that turning down this job would be crazy. You say the job is optional at the end of the placement, but I doubt you will be able to come up with a reason for not taking the job that doesn't end up getting you sanctioned.

Do you want to work or not? What are your skills and qualifications? What sort of job would be your ideal?

mum2one

I may well get shot down into pieces, but this is my personal experience. Worked from 17 to 26 in a fast food restaurant, working my way from staff member to assistant manager, - job got worse, I wanted to go to college 1 day a week, which would have been one of my days off, but there was problems, I left and took a drop in hours but a raise in pay to work just as a general assistant in a Supermarket, then when I was 28, I went back for 3 months as a manager, but as a second job, still same working conditions, - basically they needed a cover manager as it was going from a franchisee back to company, who generally like their own managers in, I wanted a holiday - mutual agreement suited everyone. Then when it went to company - the new managers weren't trained - me again - initially for 6 weeks, a year into the job I realsied why I had left before, and i hated it, going to work was like being dragged out of bed......... figures to balance, staff who phone in sick, others who are there as there is no other jobs, staffs getting their breaks, managers a break was a miracle, if I had £1 for every meal that was half eat i wouldn't be a debt free wanabee. I had a blessing in dsiguise, fell pregnant, got signed off the company played up, and did a few things, enough for me to resign, and sue them for unfair constructive dismissal. I'm not saying all companies are as bad or as good, but I would really think things through x

Martynb_

corbyboy wrote: »

I worked in a BP garage for 2 years after I finished university and for an 8 hour shift you get a single 20 minute break and nothing else. So the "standard time" you are talking about is meaningless.

I have read through your posts and I really don't know what advice you are looking for. My personal opinion is that turning down this job would be crazy. You say the job is optional at the end of the placement, but I doubt you will be able to come up with a reason for not taking the job that doesn't end up getting you sanctioned.

Do you want to work or not? What are your skills and qualifications? What sort of job would be your ideal?

I meant that was the standard in my experience. I'd say almost every job I've had I and my work colleagues have had an hour to 45 minutes break each 7-8 hour shift. I had a bar job working 8 hours and didn't get a break at all. But in my experience and those of my friends it's usually an hours break every shift.

Martynb_

mum2one wrote: »

I may well get shot down into pieces, but this is my personal experience. Worked from 17 to 26 in a fast food restaurant, working my way from staff member to assistant manager, - job got worse, I wanted to go to college 1 day a week, which would have been one of my days off, but there was problems, I left and took a drop in hours but a raise in pay to work just as a general assistant in a Supermarket, then when I was 28, I went back for 3 months as a manager, but as a second job, still same working conditions, - basically they needed a cover manager as it was going from a franchisee back to company, who generally like their own managers in, I wanted a holiday - mutual agreement suited everyone. Then when it went to company - the new managers weren't trained - me again - initially for 6 weeks, a year into the job I realsied why I had left before, and i hated it, going to work was like being dragged out of bed......... figures to balance, staff who phone in sick, others who are there as there is no other jobs, staffs getting their breaks, managers a break was a miracle, if I had £1 for every meal that was half eat i wouldn't be a debt free wanabee. I had a blessing in dsiguise, fell pregnant, got signed off the company played up, and did a few things, enough for me to resign, and sue them for unfair constructive dismissal. I'm not saying all companies are as bad or as good, but I would really think things through x

Thanks. I think that's the best constructive advice I've had on this issue. Now If I was 21 again I would just take the job. Not now. It sounds bad but if I get exploited in any job now I'll stand up for myself. I did that in a kitchen when the head chef started bullying the kitchen porters (I was a kitchen porter) and got sacked. I was in that job for a month. The head chef was a grade-A !!!!!.

chris1973

All due respect, I've heard the "there's no such thing as a dream job" pitch before.

Cool, that adds more weight to the fact that there is some truth in it

I have found out for myself because I used to work for the coporation before. I don't really want to work my way up; the pyramid system of hierarchy states more often than not (and this is also in nature) that the further up you go the pyramid the less easier it gets. I don't want to be a McDonalds manager anyway. I didn't then and I don't now. I hated the managers; detested them - apart from one who was a nice guy. The rest were sycophants.

To be fair, I doubt you've met EVERY manager in the Macdonalds chain, so this is a bit of a sweeping statement. How many chains have you worked in previously?

Interesting, does your opinion of managers extend to everybody who holds that position, or just those in fast food based establishments.

MrsE_2

Martynb_ wrote: »

I don't dislike being on benefits. I have loads of free time, and stress is minimised so I am enjoying better health. I do wish to come off benefits but there has to be an incentive. I'm not a robot.

The term brass neck springs to mind:mad:

Are you a troll?

SingleSue

Simple answer?

Yes, I would take it....a job is a job and £50 a week extras is £50 a week extra.

Martynb_

chris1973 wrote: »

Cool, that adds more weight to the fact that it must be true then.



To be fair, I doubt you've met EVERY manager in the Macdonalds chain, so this is a bit of a sweeping statement.

Interesting, does your opinion of managers extend to everybody who is holds the position, or just those in fast food based establishments.

To be honest, I've worked in two McDonalds stores in the past plus I've worked in kitchens and various restaurants. The store which I will be working at on the trial is one of those stores I used to work at. My friend Kerry works there part-time. She says that the lads find it hard because the managers are women.

Out of all the managers I've worked under I can only think of two that I've got on with, and everyone else has got on with those two as well. The worst manager I worked for was at a distribution company for Tesco. He used to punch me in the stomach and then pretend he was joking. He would also tweak the rota so that I would be working till 4am and then back on at 9am. 10 hour shifts.