Your worst job / best job?

MalMonroe

MikeJXE said:

An easy question for me, I'm 82 years old and though-out my life from age 15 I couldn't wait to get up in the morning to go to work, I'm retired now and hate it. I cant tell you my worst job as I never experienced any. Find a job you love 

Oh I think this is sad. I really love being retired, have been for 12 years now. I started my own online business recently but I can fit it around my own lifestyle and I do appreciate the freedom I have, and have had, since I retired. Instead of finding a job you love, I'd say find a way of life you love. There's so much out there, there are people to contact (I've been doing it via technology since covid struck) - there are free courses to do, there's the University of the third age to join (I'm not quite ready for that yet). It's not a university at all but a way of meeting others and doing interesting things for we elders. 

I won't say my life so far has been a bed of roses because it hasn't. There are regrets and I've suffered too. But now I'm really trying to make the most of things. I do hope that you can find some enjoyment again. I think it's really sad when people just live for a job. That's really just meant to be a sideline so you can earn a bob or two. I could not wait to retire and although I was asked by my boss to stay on (looking back maybe I should have done so I could have had an enhanced pension) I couldn't bear to stay a day longer than I had to.

All the best to you, I hope you can find something to give you pleasure. 

Ditzy_Mitzy

Working in a factory!  Food production, well bottling, really wasn't bad:

Drive in at quarter to the starting hour and park by the entrance.  Have a fag with whoever was standing near the building at that point.  Go in and put on factory clothes and hairnet (chic).  Do something to do with bottling line for a couple of hours.  Have a break: tea, fag and chat.  Do either the same thing or something else with the bottling line for another couple hours.  Have another break.  More bottling line.  Finish, put factory clothes in linen basket and put own clothes back on.  Drive home.  

No paperwork, no targets, no personal mission statements or business speak or even any management to speak of beyond being told 'go over there and do that'.  Bliss.  You were even allowed to have free bottles of the stuff we made for home!  Typically, however, I didn't like it thus never bothered.  

It's probably not like that any more, sadly.  

TELLIT01

lincroft1710 said:

Before I joined the CS, one of the "perks" which apparently was exploited by older members of staff concerned sick leave. I cannot remember how it worked exactly, but if a person hadn't taken their "allowed" 2 weeks sick leave, they would go off "sick" when in actuality they were fit for work and using the time for undeclared annual leave

That practice is not dead.  Somebody I know works for a large organisation which is currently suffering an extended set of strike days.  He has been questioned by union reps in the past about why he isn't using all his sick days.  In the days before attendance controls (for want of a better description) it was commonplace for unionised workers to class 'sick days' as part of their normal holiday allowance.

TELLIT01

The Civil Service job which I described earlier was undoubtedly the worst job overalll that I've had, but my first job was the one which had the best as well as the worst elements.

I started work as a trainee Quantity Surveyor with promises of day release for college to obtain the required qualifications.  I've always loved maths so working on plans, taking measurements and doing calculations to create Bills of Quantity was a dream job, along with the fact that no two jobs were the same and we did site visits quite regularly.

The worst aspects were all around the owner of the company.  A few months into the job I'd heard nothing about college so raised the question.  He claimed he had never said anything about college and if I wanted to do that I'd have to do it in my own time, at my own expense.

Fast forward about a year, and the young girl who did his secretarial work phoned to say that her father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was only given days to live.  Late 1960s so treatment was limited.  He wasn't happy about her not coming in but let it ride.  I was in his office when she phoned to say her father had died.  No commiseration from him, his question was "When are you coming back", I didn't hear her response but his next words were "He's bl**dy dead, there's nothing you can do".  She never returned.

Another year or so on and my brother was in a car crash, and when we got to hospital we were told he probably wouldn't last more than a few hours.  I called in to say what had happened and that I wouldn't be in.  A few hours later he called to say he would get somebody to bring my work my house.  When I said I was in no state to work and we expected a call from the hospital at any time his response was "What's the problem, he's only your bl**dy brother".

A few months later I had the great satisfaction of handing in my notice to which he said "I suppose you want a bl**dy pay rise" (The only way anybody got one was by handing in their notice.  My reply was "No I don't want a payrise, I want to work for someone human".

Sadly those are only a couple of instances of what a total piece of work that man was.  I did hear that the lost everything a few years later as he'd been fiddling his tax for years and they finally caught up with him.

The real regret is that I loved the work, but to continue I would have had to start from scratch again and at age about 20 it's not something you think you want to do.  I've kicked myself many times since.

Brie

large multi international.  absolute nightmare.

I had an interview and was told things like, parking available, good team, nice restaurant.  Turned out that parking was nearly £40 a month (20 years back) (& done monthly so not based on actual use), no restaurant after 4 pm (we worked until 4 am) and that nice 12 noon to 8 pm shift?  No. It was a NY time shift starting between 12 & 4 and going until the work was done - which might be 4 am.  And at one point it was noted that I needed to work an extra 30 hours a week.  When I pointed out that this was in contravention of EU working regs at that time they said they were exempt as I'd signed up for that.  I then pointed out that I had not signed that bit of paperwork at which point everything kicked off and I was told how many errors I'd made in the previous quarter.  They were not pleased when I asked for info on what I had done and when I had been told as it was all news to me.  Net result was for me to be presented with a disciplinary review which I had to sign off to say I agreed.  I refused.  And then they moved me to another team.

fyi - this was after I had had a disagreement with my TL as I hadn't submitted required docs which I then pointed out had been on his desk for a week.  He subsequently when on to sexually harass a colleague who submitted solid proof to HR and he was given a week off with pay, a promotion and payrise and she was given a sidewise/downwards move.  This was just after we'd all been documented as taking a diversity/HR type training seminar.  

Charlotte_Ca

TELLIT01 said:

The Civil Service job which I described earlier was undoubtedly the worst job overalll that I've had, but my first job was the one which had the best as well as the worst elements.

I started work as a trainee Quantity Surveyor with promises of day release for college to obtain the required qualifications.  I've always loved maths so working on plans, taking measurements and doing calculations to create Bills of Quantity was a dream job, along with the fact that no two jobs were the same and we did site visits quite regularly.

The worst aspects were all around the owner of the company.  A few months into the job I'd heard nothing about college so raised the question.  He claimed he had never said anything about college and if I wanted to do that I'd have to do it in my own time, at my own expense.

Fast forward about a year, and the young girl who did his secretarial work phoned to say that her father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was only given days to live.  Late 1960s so treatment was limited.  He wasn't happy about her not coming in but let it ride.  I was in his office when she phoned to say her father had died.  No commiseration from him, his question was "When are you coming back", I didn't hear her response but his next words were "He's bl**dy dead, there's nothing you can do".  She never returned.

Another year or so on and my brother was in a car crash, and when we got to hospital we were told he probably wouldn't last more than a few hours.  I called in to say what had happened and that I wouldn't be in.  A few hours later he called to say he would get somebody to bring my work my house.  When I said I was in no state to work and we expected a call from the hospital at any time his response was "What's the problem, he's only your bl**dy brother".

A few months later I had the great satisfaction of handing in my notice to which he said "I suppose you want a bl**dy pay rise" (The only way anybody got one was by handing in their notice.  My reply was "No I don't want a payrise, I want to work for someone human".

Sadly those are only a couple of instances of what a total piece of work that man was.  I did hear that the lost everything a few years later as he'd been fiddling his tax for years and they finally caught up with him.

The real regret is that I loved the work, but to continue I would have had to start from scratch again and at age about 20 it's not something you think you want to do.  I've kicked myself many times since.

OMG I cannot believe his attitude. Honestly what an apathetic person he was. Not surprised his business went downhill.

It happens even today and I still cannot understand with all the research on employee wellbeing and HR departments how companies don't have proper policies in place for people who happen to have such difficult moments in life.

I said it before and I will always keep saying this. We are humans and not robots. How come can they not understand this?

Brie

Near miss - being called about a job interview and having the surprised hiring manager say "but you're female!" 
granted it was a few years back and in a long way away but still!!!

grandadgolfer

Best job was as an air frieght courier which i did for 3 years until company we did all the work for went bust, flying all over the world in fully flexible business class (which was nessacerry in case flights had to be changed last minute) overnight hotel then back following morning.
May sound boring to some people just sitting on a plane / in & out of airports all the time but the amount of air miles / frequent flyer miles I built up was unreal, gold / platinum staus for most airlines plus free lounge access. These in turn paid for quite a few family holidays when there was only a very small charge / nothing to pay for airport charges on free flights.

TELLIT01

Charlotte_Ca said:

TELLIT01 said:

The Civil Service job which I described earlier was undoubtedly the worst job overalll that I've had, but my first job was the one which had the best as well as the worst elements.

I started work as a trainee Quantity Surveyor with promises of day release for college to obtain the required qualifications.  I've always loved maths so working on plans, taking measurements and doing calculations to create Bills of Quantity was a dream job, along with the fact that no two jobs were the same and we did site visits quite regularly.

The worst aspects were all around the owner of the company.  A few months into the job I'd heard nothing about college so raised the question.  He claimed he had never said anything about college and if I wanted to do that I'd have to do it in my own time, at my own expense.

Fast forward about a year, and the young girl who did his secretarial work phoned to say that her father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was only given days to live.  Late 1960s so treatment was limited.  He wasn't happy about her not coming in but let it ride.  I was in his office when she phoned to say her father had died.  No commiseration from him, his question was "When are you coming back", I didn't hear her response but his next words were "He's bl**dy dead, there's nothing you can do".  She never returned.

Another year or so on and my brother was in a car crash, and when we got to hospital we were told he probably wouldn't last more than a few hours.  I called in to say what had happened and that I wouldn't be in.  A few hours later he called to say he would get somebody to bring my work my house.  When I said I was in no state to work and we expected a call from the hospital at any time his response was "What's the problem, he's only your bl**dy brother".

A few months later I had the great satisfaction of handing in my notice to which he said "I suppose you want a bl**dy pay rise" (The only way anybody got one was by handing in their notice.  My reply was "No I don't want a payrise, I want to work for someone human".

Sadly those are only a couple of instances of what a total piece of work that man was.  I did hear that the lost everything a few years later as he'd been fiddling his tax for years and they finally caught up with him.

The real regret is that I loved the work, but to continue I would have had to start from scratch again and at age about 20 it's not something you think you want to do.  I've kicked myself many times since.

OMG I cannot believe his attitude. Honestly what an apathetic person he was. Not surprised his business went downhill.

It happens even today and I still cannot understand with all the research on employee wellbeing and HR departments how companies don't have proper policies in place for people who happen to have such difficult moments in life.

I said it before and I will always keep saying this. We are humans and not robots. How come can they not understand this?

He didn't confine his attitude to those working for him.  He came back from holiday in France and happily told us about his son, aged 5, going missing on the beach.  His wife was going frantic and was searching along with the older childred.  He said he told his wife "He got himself lost, he can get himself found".  As I said, a total piece of work.

Brie

TELLIT01 said:

Charlotte_Ca said:

TELLIT01 said:

 I was in his office when she phoned to say her father had died.  No commiseration from him, his question was "When are you coming back", I 

OMG I cannot believe his attitude. Honestly what an apathetic person he was. Not surprised his business went downhill.

It happens even today and I still cannot understand with all the research on employee wellbeing and HR departments how companies don't have proper policies in place for people who happen to have such difficult moments in life.

I said it before and I will always keep saying this. We are humans and not robots. How come can they not understand this?

He didn't confine his attitude to those working for him.  He came back from holiday in France and happily told us about his son, aged 5, going missing on the beach.  His wife was going frantic and was searching along with the older childred.  He said he told his wife "He got himself lost, he can get himself found".  As I said, a total piece of work.

Reminds me of a large insurance company I worked for.  A young colleague's 12 yo step brother died after struggling with cancer for a couple of years.  Her manager said that as he was not actually related to her by blood she wasn't entitled to any bereavement leave.  This was the same company which I had a travel insurance policy with and when I was checking the T&Cs I queried how they defined "family member" with regards to cancelling a holiday as my dad had become very ill.  I was told that as my dad didn't live in the UK I obviously wasn't very close to him so if he died he wouldn't be considered a valid family member.  I asked them to put that in writing and got a letter apologising for the error instead.