Overheard in Poundworld today.

SHIPSHAPE

cgk1 wrote: »

What percentage of management positions do you think there are to sucker positions?

I run my own business so everything I do goes straight in my own pocket rather than filling someone else's, when I employ people and they offer to work for free, I mark them down as a sucker. People who fight their corner and demand to be paid for their efforts are more manager material in my eyes. If they can't fight their corner internally, why would I think they would do a good job with customers?

What an excellent post.

SHIPSHAPE

Pete111 wrote: »

I know, all those 'suckers' working for free and ending up being promoted to management when their hard work and efforts are recognised - utter idiots!

What a rubbish post.

dickydonkin

cassieB57 wrote: »

"Maybe we should send children down the pits and chimneys again!"

Cracking idea!! (though it's "up" chimney's surely?)

But if they go up the chimney, then surely they have to come down.

cassieB57

dpassmore wrote: »

But if they go up the chimney, then surely they have to come down.

...hmmmm not necessarily...

dickydonkin

cassieB57 wrote: »

...hmmmm not necessarily...

How do you work that out then? Please elaborate.

Sir Isaac Newton - laws of gravity and all that?? What goes up - must come down!

telboyo

BackOnTrack wrote: »

Lol I must be one of these "suckers" then, although I don't tend to talk about how much over time I work and I don't even keep record of it. The upside of being a sucker is I have a good salary, great working conditions, career prospects, an interesting job and I don't have someone counting the minutes I take for breaks. Also if I need to leave a couple of hours early on occasion thats no problem, I don't even need to ask. If I miss my train in the morning and am late into work thats not an issue either. If my washing machine breaks down it's no problem for me to work from home so I don't need to take a days leave.

If I was working for minimum wage I would take a very different view about working for free but for a lot of roles out there unpaid over time is part of the package and overall I'm mroe than happy with it.

Seriously though if you have a decent salary and good conditions
as described above you should be able to get your work done in standard hours.
But for a person working for NMW the manager should be told where to get off. The Manager was probably on no more than £7 per hour supplemented by a bonus on working hrs savedby cheaper staff.

If I do an hourly paid job I expect to be paid for the hours worked, if those hrs are at NMW I expect to be told what to do, if it tales 10 hrs I should be paid 10hrs or get reprimanded.

Sharon87

telboyo wrote: »

Seriously though if you have a decent salary and good conditions
as described above you should be able to get your work done in standard hours.
But for a person working for NMW the manager should be told where to get off. The Manager was probably on no more than £7 per hour supplemented by a bonus on working hrs savedby cheaper staff.

If I do an hourly paid job I expect to be paid for the hours worked, if those hrs are at NMW I expect to be told what to do, if it tales 10 hrs I should be paid 10hrs or get reprimanded.

Good point. Unpaid overtime is more of a salaried job, as oppose to an hourly rate. People on a salaried job tend to have more flexible working hours (not in retail though). I've done unpaid overtime in a salaried position, but never an hourly one, well actually a shop wanted me and the other to come in 10 minutes earlier than our official start time, which I think we should have been paid for!

Most retail places don't care about their staff, they care about making as much money as possible and if that includes exploiting their staff's ignorance/naivety then so be it!

popadom

custardy wrote: »

you have obviously never worked somewhere where its a face fits environment.
folks who do little seem to get on and the grafters are left to carry the burden.

I got told off in one job for asking for more work and told"if you keep asking we may have to let you go as there isnt enough work and it makes us look bad"

cgk1 wrote: »

What percentage of management positions do you think there are to sucker positions?

I run my own business so everything I do goes straight in my own pocket rather than filling someone else's, when I employ people and they offer to work for free, I mark them down as a sucker. People who fight their corner and demand to be paid for their efforts are more manager material in my eyes. If they can't fight their corner internally, why would I think they would do a good job with customers?

Harlan Ellison sums up my feelings on this matter perfectly (NOT SAFE FOR WORK):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE

But what if the "Non-sucker" isnt doing his job in the space of time provided and playing you for a fool. when i voulenteered, i know not the same, but i stayed extra hours and did extra days. I did this for two reasons 1-i liked the job,which can make people stay longer 2-they were looking to employ people and i wanted them to think it better the employ me as i was relaible and happy to work over time . I think if the work cant be done in a resonable time and the employer is saying theyll pay for 40 hours when infact the work actually takes 50, they should pay more.
Some mangers dont like the suck ups for the reason being-makes them look bad! Most mangers also dont mind the free workers.

ceridwen

melb wrote: »

and I repeat if your childcare provider closes its doors at 5.45 pm you cannot leave your child outside to wait for you. If however one is asked to work through one's lunch, one might do so to be flexible as it is within one's gift to do so.

Well...and any other fixed commitment as well. Lots of us have fixed arrangements that cant be broken - childcare, evening classes, public transport times that have to be fitted in with, someone who is expecting us to meet them for a specific social arrangement we made with them (and therefore that means another person - who is nothing to do with the employer concerned - would be mucked-about as well), etc.

Many people have a Life - and cant just alter it about to suit an employers wishes. The deal is they pay for your worktime - and you then make whatever arrangements you decide for your own time.

I think that it is probably good policy for all employees in NMW jobs like this to have worked out "fixed transport arrangements" back from work of an evening - ie a specific bus they MUST catch or lift from someone else (uncontactable....) or something similar. This way - if such a "request" is made of them the response is "Sorry...boss...would if I could...but I cant...because I will miss my ride home and have to walk x miles. No can do." <winks>

thelawnet

dmg24 wrote: »

Do you have a point? Many people work over their allocated hours every single day!

Depends on the job you're doing. If you're getting paid a quarter of a million (and the rest) working for Goldman Sachs then 'unpaid' overtime is expected - you work till the job is done and that's reflected in the wages, the company is buying not just your labour but also your initiative, and you are not being paid by the hour but for the work; if you have kids you'll likely have (expensive) flexible childcare, or a spouse or partner who can help.

But if you are working in retail, the pay is at or around minimum wage, you are subject to direction, and your pay is for each hour worked, and you don't have the ability to stay late because your salary won't support it - your job finishes at 3 on the dot (for example) because the kids need to be picked up from school at 3:15pm. Emergency in the shop? Not the minimum wage flunky's responsibility, he's not being paid enough for that.

Just like if you hire a car, and you bring it back an hour late, you'll have to pay.