Working away from home for minimum wage?

[Deleted User]

After some opinions.  I know people work away from home all the time, I have neighbors who head off on a Sunday night maybe not home to Friday, they're all earning big money though that makes it worthwhile.  With things taking a bit of a downturn my boss has decided to expand, and rather than just cover our local area he is covering the entire UK and Ireland with orders already in, we make, sell and fit furniture, this involves refurbishing things like nursing homes, social housing blocks etc, if sent to the other end of the country this would involve working away.  I earn minimum wage, we all do, this saves any fallouts over who's earning what and whether they deserve it or not.  But something about all this just doesn't sit well with me, something is saying why would you spend all this time away from family (married 3 small kids) when you'd earn more stacking shelves in Tesco with no hassle, just go in do your job and go home.  We wouldn't get any extra when away either, just normal working hours 9-5.  What's your thoughts on this?

Grumpy_chap

It doesn't sound good.

What does your contract say about work location?

Irrespective of the legality, is a business that is growing and only viable based on an all-NMW resource model the type of employer of choice?

As you said there are other choices with other employees, what are the reasons for staying with this company?

Are you employed as a fitter with a skilled trade?

[Deleted User]

Grumpy_chap said:

It doesn't sound good.

What does your contract say about work location?

Irrespective of the legality, is a business that is growing and only viable based on an all-NMW resource model the type of employer of choice?

As you said there are other choices with other employees, what are the reasons for staying with this company?

Are you employed as a fitter with a skilled trade?

Contact don’t have one. I’m there 9 years and I’m the last one in, other guys are there 30+ years, I think we stay as you’re not really hounded or treated like crap like in other factory jobs.   I think we’re getting all this work as we’re so cheap probably because our wages are so low.  I’m employed as a jack of all trades, I’m actually a qualified cabinet maker, I make the furniture, it’s one of them trades however that doesn’t pay much any more, it would have before NMW or living wage as Tories call it kicked in, it’s now valued same as unskilled factory work. 

400ixl

What expenses are they offering to cover as part of this working away?

Milage at 45p per mile?
Meal allowance (Breakfast, lunch & evening)?
Accommodation paid and at what standard?

Some companies do offer an additional payment for nights away, are they doing anything like that?

[Deleted User]

400ixl said:

What expenses are they offering to cover as part of this working away?

Milage at 45p per mile?
Meal allowance (Breakfast, lunch & evening)?
Accommodation paid and at what standard?

Some companies do offer an additional payment for nights away, are they doing anything like that?

Everything would be paid for. Standard hotel with breakfast, lunch dinner paid for. No extra payments, well maybe some overtime at standard rate etc, nothing exciting

TELLIT01

Employees at that company presumably enjoy their work or they wouldn't have stuck it out for 30+ years.  That doesn't justify skilled trades being on minimum wage, but does explain how the employer gets away with doing it.  If the choice is minimum wage on a job you enjoy, or on minimum wage doing a job you hate, which option would most people take.

Maybe it's time for the employees to get together and approach the bosses about the overall wage structure.

[Deleted User]

Are you this guy...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/profile/discussions/n1guy

Thrugelmir

TELLIT01 said:

Employees at that company presumably enjoy their work or they wouldn't have stuck it out for 30+ years.  That doesn't justify skilled trades being on minimum wage, but does explain how the employer gets away with doing it.  If the choice is minimum wage on a job you enjoy, or on minimum wage doing a job you hate, which option would most people take.

Maybe it's time for the employees to get together and approach the bosses about the overall wage structure.

Presumably if alternative sources of better paid work were available then employees would have moved on. Living away from home all expenses paid will save money in itself. 

Jillanddy

Deleted_User said:

After some opinions.  I know people work away from home all the time, I have neighbors who head off on a Sunday night maybe not home to Friday, they're all earning big money though that makes it worthwhile.  With things taking a bit of a downturn my boss has decided to expand, and rather than just cover our local area he is covering the entire UK and Ireland with orders already in, we make, sell and fit furniture, this involves refurbishing things like nursing homes, social housing blocks etc, if sent to the other end of the country this would involve working away.  I earn minimum wage, we all do, this saves any fallouts over who's earning what and whether they deserve it or not.  But something about all this just doesn't sit well with me, something is saying why would you spend all this time away from family (married 3 small kids) when you'd earn more stacking shelves in Tesco with no hassle, just go in do your job and go home.  We wouldn't get any extra when away either, just normal working hours 9-5.  What's your thoughts on this?

I agree. But since your employer doesn't need to pay any more, then it would seem that your option is going to stack shelves at Tesco. If he's expanding his range due to a downturn in orders then that's what it takes to keep the business afloat / you in jobs that pay anything. Supermarkets are notorious for limited and variable working hours, so you could earn more - or less - that you currently do, but you'd have no employment protection or redundancy rights for 2 years. So it's really up to you which you choose.

StevenB12

Unfortunately you don't have much choice in the way of either you stay or either you go.

I've worked away for 9 years now on various pay grades. My first and my lowest was 22k a year. I wouldn't dream of working away for that night. Working away for minimum is something you don't want to be doing. The time away from family, constantly staying in hotels, stuck in traffic, hold ups etc. You want to be paid well for this, not basic wage. 

As an example at the moment I work away usually Monday-friday, I get paid 10 hours per day minimum regardless if I'm on site 20 seconds or the full 10 hours. Currently on £15 an hour, £20 per night allowance and 45pence per mile fuel plus travel time door to door. And I still don't think its enough for working away! 

There's good money to be made working away, even in your trade, but if it was me I would be looking elsewhere, regardless if I enjoyed the job or how long I had been there.

Marcon

Deleted_User said:

After some opinions.  I know people work away from home all the time, I have neighbors who head off on a Sunday night maybe not home to Friday, they're all earning big money though that makes it worthwhile.  With things taking a bit of a downturn my boss has decided to expand, and rather than just cover our local area he is covering the entire UK and Ireland with orders already in, we make, sell and fit furniture, this involves refurbishing things like nursing homes, social housing blocks etc, if sent to the other end of the country this would involve working away.  I earn minimum wage, we all do, this saves any fallouts over who's earning what and whether they deserve it or not.  But something about all this just doesn't sit well with me, something is saying why would you spend all this time away from family (married 3 small kids) when you'd earn more stacking shelves in Tesco with no hassle, just go in do your job and go home.  We wouldn't get any extra when away either, just normal working hours 9-5.  What's your thoughts on this?

Why worry about other people's thoughts when you already know your own? You aren't comfortable with it, you have a young family, and if you can get a local hassle free job, why would you stick with this one?