Employer looking overtime?

n1guy

ThemeOne wrote: »

I suppose you'll have to do some overtime, to show willing, but perfectly understandable in the circumstances you describe you don't want to do too much.

It always seems ridiculous to me that we have an economy in which businesses like this can only survive by paying minimum wage propped up by the state in the form of extra benefits.

This was my thinking exactly, I mean I am not going to benefit one bit by doing overtime.

The problem with minimum wage is it has become the maximum amount some employers will pay, don't get me wrong some will struggle to survive but others just use this as an excuse and won't pay any more.

n1guy

MacMickster wrote: »

This is why minimum wage needs to keep increasing above inflation each year.

If businesses can't survive by paying a decent wage to their staff enabling them to live without top-up benefits then the business shouldn't exist. It could be, of course, that the business is doing very nicely and making a lot of money for the owner, heavily subsidised by the taxpayer so could, if forced, easily pay higher wages.

Exactly, you put that better than I did, I know my employer is doing very nicely while paying peanuts.

I personally feel in work benefits should be done away with as it traps folks like myself. I can't do overtime, for example, well I could but it would be pointless as mentioned above, also the rise in minimum wage doesn't benefit me either as my tax credits / housing benefits are reduced.

maninthestreet

n1guy wrote: »

I had never thought of that, it might work but then again might not as we run a skeleton crew, there is no one to cover anyone. Failing that do the overtime, get paid and take a sick day or 2 somewhere which would be unpaid to balance things out.

So what happens when you want to take some holiday??

IAmWales

n1guy wrote: »

Exactly, you put that better than I did, I know my employer is doing very nicely while paying peanuts.

I personally feel in work benefits should be done away with as it traps folks like myself. I can't do overtime, for example, well I could but it would be pointless as mentioned above, also the rise in minimum wage doesn't benefit me either as my tax credits / housing benefits are reduced.

You can't be bothered to do overtime. You make no effort to progress, be that with your current employer or elsewhere. Your "dead end" is all of your own making.

You're not trapped, you're making an active choice to remain on benefits!

n1guy

maninthestreet wrote: »

So what happens when you want to take some holiday??

We all get holidays at the same time, they are set. 2 weeks Summer, 2 weeks Christmas and few bank holidays etc throughout the year.

bugslet

MacMickster wrote: »

This is why minimum wage needs to keep increasing above inflation each year.

If businesses can't survive by paying a decent wage to their staff enabling them to live without top-up benefits then the business shouldn't exist. It could be, of course, that the business is doing very nicely and making a lot of money for the owner, heavily subsidised by the taxpayer so could, if forced, easily pay higher wages.

I personally dislike the whole culture of insufficient pay so benefits have go take over. Then businesses would stand or fall. The rider on that is that the business may find it can't compete with a place in Romania or China and then no one is employed.

And it could be of course, that the owner is working for less than his employees. Small business owners often subsidise employees when they are starting. Whilst I pay a lot more than min wage, I only draw level with my top paid employees.

n1guy

IAmWales wrote: »

You can't be bothered to do overtime. You make no effort to progress, be that with your current employer or elsewhere. Your "dead end" is all of your own making.

You're not trapped, you're making an active choice to remain on benefits!

It must be nice up on the high horse of yours, very useful thanks.

IAmWales

n1guy wrote: »

It must be nice up on the high horse of yours, very useful thanks.

No problem.

Do you disagree? Are you unable to do overtime, to improve yourself, or are you choosing not to?

n1guy

IAmWales wrote: »

No problem.

Do you disagree? Are you unable to do overtime, to improve yourself, or are you choosing not to?

And how will doing overtime improve me?

elsien

Meanwhile back in the real world, if I was already doing a full time job, doing an extra day a week plus evenings on top instead of the 9-5 I am contracted for, for no benefit whatsoever to myself then I'd be looking for toil or similar rather than being paid and effectively gaining nothing.
As, I suspect, would most people if they were actually being honest with themselves.
This is not someone being workshy trying to avoid getting a job. It's a full time worker who sees no benefit from the extra hours being requested other than being knackered and seeing less of their family.
In his/her place, I'd feel the same.

ETA - Although I wouldn't do the going off sick route, as that's just messing the employer round - you'd do better saying no to the overtime so they can ask someone else and plan things a little better.