manual assessment at Jag/Land Rover

RichardD1970

boozer1 wrote: »

Hello all
ive been working at jag for around 18 months now.
Been following the forum but its my first post.
thought id give you all an insight into the reality

Yes the pay is good at around 13/14 p/hr. but thats the only good thing. All the stuff about pride of working for brand etc...at end of day its money that pays bills.
Most of the people ive spoke to are not that happy and are there solely because the money is good. Let me explain
1) the work is very hard..you littery work from buzzer to buzzer and its non stop for 2.5hrs in between the breaks. you get a takt time but because every car is a different spec / engine etc...the harder cars are usually over the takt time you end up falling behind then spend 2/3 cars catching up only to be faced with a harder or fully loaded car...so its up and down the hole all day every day. (the takt time often doesnt take into accound the fully loaded cars.
2) as far as staff welfare goes...the group leader/supervisors dont give a crap. At end of the day your a robot on the line putting parts on cars. End of. All they care about is getting cars built and hitting the build targets. So things like trying to go to toilet...you can forget about it!..usual answer is 'no cover should have gone on your break or wait till break'! youve got 2 cover men per line which has around 35 people on it...the odds are slim .
3) If your a family man or have commitments and need time of for unexpected emergencies...dont count on it. Again time off the line is the worst sin in world. Yes they have cover men or floaters but because the floaters only cover jobs on absenses or holidays they arent usually up to speed or havent had the chance to refresh themselves on jobs...that means if/when they cover they tend to either fall behind due to pace of job or miss stuff. ..Which affects the quality...which means more rectification off track. This all affects build figures ...which in turn goes again the line supervisors and makes them look bad....maybe bonus related aswell. So in short...they dont want you taking time off.
4) theres something called a floating week...1 week of holiday outside of shut downs you can book when you want....but again if you dont book it around 12 month in advance...chances are you wont get it at all or wont get week you want. (52 weeks in a year (minus shutdowns). 1 person per line allowed off at any one time and around 300 people in your block trying to book a day off!..if you snooze you loose.! .

Ill give you an example...recently a lad on my line wasnt feeling well...looked like he was going to collapse...asked if he could go to onsite doc...was told no..ended up going on his break and was signed of. but supervisor refused point blank.

Thats what its like in trim and final but i doubt its any different in other blocks.

So have a long hard think...if your one and only reason is MONEY then its place to be. Otherwise think before you leave your current job

Think I disagree with nearly everything you have said here. I have been at JLR for 15 months and previously spent 17 years working for Rover, ending up at Longbridge before it went bump, so have spent my entire working life in a production environment.

The job I had between Rover and JLR was much harder than anything I have come across working in the motor manufacturing industry and for a lot less pay.

Yes, some jobs are intense and you have to work bell to bell, and maybe you have a management team who are a bit crap, but like you say, at the end of the day, we are only there for the money which, for the type of work, is good.

MrEMan2014

Has anyone had any response to the online test that was needed to be completed for the new set of jobs for JLR?

Aquamania

boozer1 wrote: »

Hello all
Ive been working at jag CB for around 18 months now.
Been following the forum but its my first post.
thought id give you all an insight into the reality.

Yes the pay is good at around 13/14 p/hr. But that's the only good thing. All the stuff about pride of working for brand etc is good but...at end of day its money that pays bills.
Most of the people I've spoke to are not that happy and are there solely because the money is good. Let me explain
1) The work is very hard.. You literally work from buzzer to buzzer and its non stop for 2.5hrs in between the breaks. You get a takt time but because every car is a different spec / engine etc...the harder cars are usually over the takt time you end up falling behind Then spend 2/3 cars catching up only to be faced with a hard or fully loaded car...so its up and down the 'hole' all day ,every day. (the takt time often doesnt take into account the fully loaded cars. If you pull cord for help they dont like it because group leaders want to sit on their !!!! and it doesnt look good on their figures. (Even though the senior managers repeatedly say in meetings if in doubt pull Andon cord!)
2) As far as staff welfare goes...the group leaders/supervisors don't give a crap. At end of the day your a robot on the line putting parts on cars. End of. All they care about is getting cars built and hitting the build targets. So things like trying to go to toilet...you can forget about it!..usual answer is 'no cover should have gone on your break or wait till break'! you've got 2 cover men per line which has around 35 people on it...the odds are slim . (the law is a person is entitled to a toilet break with reasonable notice) but they male rules up as it suits them!
3) If you're a family man/woman or have commitments and need time of for unexpected emergencies...dont count on it. Again time off the line is the worst sin in world. Yes they have cover men or floaters but because the floaters only cover jobs on absences or holidays they aren't usually up to speed or haven't had the chance to refresh themselves on jobs...that means if/when they cover they tend to either fall behind due to pace of job or miss stuff. ..Which affects the quality...which means more rectification off track. This all affects build figures ...which in turn goes against the line supervisors and makes them look bad....maybe bonus related aswell. So in short...they dont want you taking time off, and get very arsy when you do ask.
4) Theres something called a floating week...1 week of holiday outside of shut downs you can book when you want....But again if you dont book it around 12 months in advance (as soon as the new rotor comes out)...chances are you wont get it at all or wont get the week you want. (52 weeks in a year (minus shutdowns). 1 person per line allowed off at any one time and around 300 people in your block trying to book a day off!..if you snooze you loose.!

They spend 100's n 1000s on things like signs and refurbs but cant invest in additional covermen for the lines (at cost of a persons salary) ...which would actually improve quality and also allow people to book their holidays making them hapier!

Ill give you an example...recently a lad on my line wasn't feeling well...looked like he was going to collapse...asked if he could go to onsite doc...was told no..ended up going on his break and was signed of. but supervisor refused point blank.

Thats what its like in trim and final but i doubt its any different in other blocks.

So have a long hard think...if your one and only reason is MONEY then its place to be. Otherwise think before you leave your current job. Its phycically very straining, mentally draining and upsetting at times becuase they how they treat you usually makes you angry and upset. So money is the only incentive . no job satisfaction what so ever.

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Think I disagree with nearly everything you have said here..

I think I do as well

To address the points in turn using the same numbering pattern

1. Yes, that is the nature of any production line employment.
The line is balanced so as to average out the cycle times. i.e they do not send all top of the range cars down in one batches but a high spec car often follows and/or is followed by a low spec car. Every single process operation has an allocated time.

2. I would urge you to raise your complaints with HR as a formal grievance if you have any evidence that "the group leader/supervisors dont give a crap" about your personal welfare. I can assure you JLR takes the wellbeing of all its employees very seriously.
As regards toilet breaks, then that is not encouraged. Remember when you were at school, you were taught to go during your break times? Well that was training for when you work on a factory production line.
But just as in school, emergencies do arise and there is a floating relief operator. Even if we accept your numbers of 2 reliefs for every 35 operators, that would still allow every operator to take a 3.4 minute break every hour. Of course, no where near every employee has an emergency during their working shift, let alone every hour. Over a 2.5 hour production run, that could give every single operator a 8.5 minute toilet break!

3. Again, if you have a special need to be off work then the company will allow this, which may be with or without pay depending on the circumstances. It helps if you can give advance notice of such intended absence so that suitable alternative arrangements can be put in place. If you are experiencing trouble with your group leaders/supervisor over this, again escalate the matter to HR.

But you are indeed part of a team, and if a key teamplayer is unavailable, of course the team will suffer, hence why such absence is not encouraged. But as in any good teamwork, the team should rally round to make up the shortfalls of any other teamplayer. An operator seconded to an alternative line to make up the numbers is often very expeienced, although admittedly may not be as proficient as the usualy opeartor on that line. However they are probably more efficient, even on a foreign line, compared to a newcomer who has only just finished their introduction period.

4. With regards to the floating holiday, you are fully entitled to that and provision is made accordingly. Again if your group leaders/supervisor prevents you from taking it, then you should raise this with HR. (If you don't take it, you will usually lose it. i.e. you do not usually get paid any more if you work through
your holiday entitlement)
However, I'm sure you will understand there are restrictions on the number of operators that can be absent at any one time from one particular line for the reasons you allude to in (3) above. Procedures may vary, but a very typical one used is that of first come, first served. This is essentially no different to employment anywhere else, even perhaps where the employer does not have ennual shutdown periods.
Of course, the majority of employees would like to take the first 2 weeks of August off, but that just isn't possible with most employers. At least with JLR (in line with most employers who work an annual shutdown period), as an operator you are guaranteed holiday in the middle of summer.
That can't be said for some JLR employees though, e.g. those responsible for the significant amount of maintenance and/or changes required to ensure you have work after the shutdown - for them that is their busiest period of the year where any application for leave will probably be laughed at.

As regards to the lad who was unwell and asked to leave the line to seek medical assistance, and was allegedly refused by the group leader/supervisor, did the lad report this matter to the doctor/HR/union official during that break?
If what is claimed was true, and the lad had reported it, I think the group leaders/supervisor would have needed medical attention after the shafting he would have received!

Andy.ingy

I've been at JLR Solihull for six months now. I started during the summer shutdown.
I have to say, I've not heard of anything like this happening. If you need the toilet they let you go. Admittedly, I work in BIW so it's not as full on as Trim & Final (where I've spent a couple of days and am not keen on that place!)
All the group leaders I've come across are great people and are just 'one of the lads' They're the first to help if you have any problems.

neil3011

Hi all,
have been following this thread from the start and it has been very informative. some people like punk and others have been such a great help.

my story...i was late to register for the wolves jobs but have passed my online assesments/tests for the upcoming soli hull roles.
I was told that they are recruiting 500 by this summer, 500 by end of year and some number i cant remember during next year. Thats not including the additional staff being taken on at wolves over the next year or so.

manpower have told me that they will be emailing people between march with the next steps which will be an invite to the assesment day which im assuming maybe the magnet test and possibly brake box/clutch assembly unless they change it again.

i was told the assesment days prob wont start for 6-8 weeks.

anyone else applied for either the wolves/soli hull roles and how are you getting on?

mo82_2

I passed my interview in april last year and was told to wait for future opportunities. Last Tuesday 11th February I had an interview to update my application, I told them that since its been a long time due to a change In my circumstances I cant do 3 shift rotation. On the following Friday I got a phone call informing me that I was unsuccessful because I couldn't do 3 shift. I found that very inconsiderate that I waited for almost a year just to be told that they don't care about my circumstances and they want someone who could do 3 shifts pattern.


I am glad in a way I saw their true face before I left my current job and worked for them. Had I needed time off they most likely would have told me to not back. This is my personal experience with the recruitment process.

Bufger

Mo82 there are no exceptions I'm afraid. The company is growing fast and chucking cars out left right and centre so they probably wouldn't have time to think of people's individual circumstances when it comes to setting shifts.

When they recruited 1000 for Halewood 2 years ago 30,000+ applied. You can either be a part of it, earn a good wage and have a secure job for 5+ years or step aside as there will certainly be someone else willing to except the terms.

Bigden

Message to all if you have a compliant speak to your union rep ie toilet cover they have 15 mins to provide you with cover otherwise leave the line and do your business if you feel you are being treated bad speak to the UNION they are there to protect us from such things

Graham4325

Has anyone been offered a job at Wolverhampton EMC?
I have had manual assessment and interview, 2 weeks ago, but still waiting.

DMP2

Hi Graham4325


I applied on line and done the tests in early January but haven't heard anything since apart from an email saying we will be touch in due course.


When did you make your initial application?