New job not going so well

TrickyWicky

I worked at a place once that had a high turnover of staff. I joined with several others ( 4 or 5 of us). One of them was a bloke I had worked with elsewhere (and he was an easy going hard working bloke). Within the week they'd all gone but 3 months later I was still there. Did it end happily? No not really, the company wasn't bad - the top man was actually a pretty decent bloke but the supervisor and his sidekicks were winding up everyone. There were quite literally people leaving and new people starting every 2-3 days. To this date I've never known another company like it. I felt rather proud that I managed 3 months even if it did end with a spat. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the longer you stick it out for, the better you can feel about yourself for giving it your best in tough circumstances. It may be crap but at least you can say you stuck at it and aren't a quitter.

Another place I worked at was a doorstep sales place. I joined with 15 other people. Within one week 3 had gone, 2nd week another 3-4. Eventually there were just 6 of us left and that wittled down to 4 when I left a couple of months later after not being paid. I can honestly say despite being crap at sales, I stayed longer than most, I gave it my best and yes i fell flat on my face trying. At least I can say I tried though - even when the others couldn't be bothered (or were smart enough to see what was happening) I still gave it my all.

In one of my last jobs I was being bullied senseless by the boss. Ex army guy easily influenced by two stirrers (one of which soon realised I was a decent bloke and he'd made a big mistake and started defending me) made my life a living hell. I put up with it too - most of the team couldn't believe how much flack I was taking on a daily basis and still coming back for more. This went on for months but I wasn't going to give in and show my weak side - I kept at it, kept taking the can, kept resisting the bullying boss etc. The tide turned one day when one of the stirrers was also being victimised by the other one and he dropped the other bloke in it about how all his accusations against me were false and out of order. The boss never truly liked me but we did start to co-operate a bit more. I was still the first one who got the yelling at though if anything went wrong. I left eventually for other reasons and weirdly the boss had a massive go at me for leaving - how weird is that?!

Working with a good team of decent people is one of the best things you can have in a job even if the job itself is trash. The support, fun and bond you can have with a good bunch of colleagues is irreplaceable. If you have that, don't be too quick to think about leaving - there are some seriously worse jobs out there.

sweetilemon

Nearly friday anyhoo! Are you not pleased with yourself you made it back when the 2 others didn't? Hope you find something more enjoyable soon. At least the people are nice, makes so much difference!!! A rubbish job can become enjoyable with good people. Nothing worse than working with sour faced people! Is it mon-fri 9-5? Well done for sticking it out!

TrickyWicky

falko89 wrote: »

I never really thought about cameras in that way before, I was just never used to it, the main and only purpose it serves is to monitor us, In a supermarket they have a variety of uses, shop lifters, robberies etc, I don't think there main purpose it to monitor staff? I may be wrong though..

CCTV doesn't have to be put in for any particular purpose - likewise it may be put in for one specific purpose. The point is that it serves several purposes.

In your case, yes it may be there to monitor you. What you don't realise is that it also protects you from being accused of nicking stock, slacking, damaging company property etc. There are many advantages to it being there.

I'm afraid that your arguement of "its here to watch me" is a bit pointless really. If an employer is paying you to work then thats what you have to do. Just get on with it. I've worked with CCTV in most of my jobs and to be honest it's never worried me - I have nothing to hide.

What you need to do is accept that whatever reason its there for, it's not going to go away so you might as well get used to it. Yes supermarkets use theirs to deter theft etc but so do workplaces. Don't forget many companies have problems with internal theft by staff too - not just supermarkets.

Here is the scenario. You arrive at work one day and within minutes of walking in the police walk out of the managers office and confront you. You're accused of theft because you were the last one seen handling X and the location of Y on the works premises. You have no proof that this didn't happen so the police arrest you on suspicion of theft and haul you off down the station for a grilling. You'll be released because they can't really prove much but your employer can now get shot of you because they've "Lost their trust in you" (which you have no hope of at a tribunal - I've known people try after having this thrown at them). You're stumped. Now the other scenario is that the company has the place absolutely littered with CCTV cameras. The police are called in and within minutes you're cleared by the CCTV which clearly shows you had no involvement in it. No stress, no suspicion from the boss, no job insecurity.

People are all too quick to judge CCTV as the big bad evil big brother when it isn't. When it was first invented electricity was a black magic and a work of the devil. How dependant are you on it every day? :cool:

elisebutt65

Line working really sucks anyway! I did a stint about 18 years ago, putting hard drives together. All day long putting 4 screws in the corners. Gahhh! Finally wangled my way onto the night shift which meant I could sort out interviews etc and got a new job after 6 months of boredom!!!

lincroft1710

gibson123 wrote: »

WOW don't you feel this is a tad unfair? ... made redundant, young family to keep, very little going, takes the first job to come along, not great, making the most of it.... Don't you think that this is what these boards are for, so you can get things off your chest, get some support, and not burden your family with the stress!

No, I don't.

I do sympathise with falko89's problems. But he's managed to get a job when most people can't, in an area which seems to be the job desert of the universe. He should be proud of this rather than moan that it's a rubbish job. I'm delighted he's got a job, he seems to have a lot to offer an employer and I obviously hope it all works out well for him.

Long, long gone are the days when a skilled tradesperson or professional could just stroll into their ideal job and it looks like it will get worse before it will ever get better (if it does). It's a situation none of us like, but there is sweet Fanny Adams we can do about it.

Slinky

I had a job with rubbish employers, they ruled with a rod of iron. Those of us that stuck it out were a particularly hardy bunch. We'd train up a new member of staff, they couldn't handle the pressure and would leave, throwing more work back onto the rest of us until we got another one in to train up and the same thing would happen again. I left the country to leave that job! It was the only way I was ever going to get away - they checked up on you if you took time off by ringing your home phone to find out if you answered, then they'd hang up.

I made a great bunch of friends though and 23 years on we still meet up 2-3 times a year.

Any new job is horrible in the first few days Falko - it's the shock of the new. Stick it out and get some driving lessons in. If you've got your own transport it will open up so many more options.

falko89

Slinky wrote: »

I had a job with rubbish employers, they ruled with a rod of iron. Those of us that stuck it out were a particularly hardy bunch. We'd train up a new member of staff, they couldn't handle the pressure and would leave, throwing more work back onto the rest of us until we got another one in to train up and the same thing would happen again. I left the country to leave that job! It was the only way I was ever going to get away - they checked up on you if you took time off by ringing your home phone to find out if you answered, then they'd hang up.

I made a great bunch of friends though and 23 years on we still meet up 2-3 times a year.

Any new job is horrible in the first few days Falko - it's the shock of the new. Stick it out and get some driving lessons in. If you've got your own transport it will open up so many more options.

I am sticking it out, I have a high pain tolerance but even I admit this is getting hard, its a large company and you meet different people everyday and the conversation goes like this.

High, how you getting on?
Its OK
Its sh1te isn't it?
Well yes I didn't want to be rude

I've not met anyone who has a good word to say:( I got hit for overtime today this was also a laughable affair. I got asked to stay to 8pm that was from 8am this morning, 3 extra hours, I don't mind the odd hour here or there when they are desperate but this seems to be a few times per week, when the guy asked I said "What" thinking he was joking but I looked at him and it then registered he was actually serious and all for the princely sum of £6 odd per hour, no time and a half here or even a quarter, I am actually struggling to find the positives, Yes I am out working but am no better of than I would be on benefits, I wouldn't care if it had prospects or was enjoyable but its neither.

dandelionclock30

What I would do in this situation is stick it out for 6 months and take driving lessons and get your test passed. I would also put a little bit of money away, for when I left after the 6 months until I could find something more suitable.
If I could pass my test I would try and do jobs for people with your skills.I know this is hard because a good friend of mine is also an apprentice trained joiner.
If after 6 months I couldnt pick up self employed work I would pack it in ( if I really hated it) and go back to signing on whilst looking for something more suitable. You probably wont get anything for a while but if you save now this will tide you over.
I know what Its like to be stuck in a job you hate.I wished I had left mine before the decision was out of my hands. In my opinion being stuck in dreadfull poorly paid jobs isnt worth it.
Next time you need to properly suss out the job before you take it. I would have asked to be shown round first and to be told exactly what I'd be doing.

falko89

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

What I would do in this situation is stick it out for 6 months and take driving lessons and get your test passed. I would also put a little bit of money away, for when I left after the 6 months until I could find something more suitable.
If I could pass my test I would try and do jobs for people with your skills.I know this is hard because a good friend of mine is also an apprentice trained joiner.
If after 6 months I couldnt pick up self employed work I would pack it in ( if I really hated it) and go back to signing on whilst looking for something more suitable. You probably wont get anything for a while but if you save now this will tide you over.
I know what Its like to be stuck in a job you hate.I wished I had left mine before the decision was out of my hands. In my opinion being stuck in dreadfull poorly paid jobs isnt worth it.
Next time you need to properly suss out the job before you take it. I would have asked to be shown round first and to be told exactly what I'd be doing.

Yeah hindsight is a wonderful thing, I can't do nothing now though, I "think" my redundancy pay out is coming before the end of May so this will give me some funds for driving.

I remember about 10 years ago, poor jobs like this or any other factory type work was well paid for the reason being no one would do it, so they paid well to get people in, these days however with so many unemployed they don't even have that going for them and your treated like carp for the same reason.

So yeah number 1 plan is to get out, I know there are a lot of desperate people out their, I was one as you's know, being on benefits is hard but being desperate and taking any old job is not a wise idea either.

dandelionclock30

Yeah thats why a lot of manufacturing has moved out of the U.K so they can get people to work for virtually nothing.