CLOCKS GO BACK - THIS SUNDAY

[Beate]

Why didn't you book the cab for 8.30pm?

[Sunny Saver]

Why didn't you book the cab for 8.30pm?

Ah sorry, I forgot to say (DOH!), you could only book a cab if you worked till 9pm!

[valda]

I wasn't looking forward to walking home for a couple of hours tonight, so I've taken a half day

[havingascreen]

I wasn't looking forward to walking home for a couple of hours tonight, so I've taken a half day

where are you walking from Valda, sounds strenuous!!

[a_person]

Doesn't your work place have a policy where if you leave work after a certain time they will p*y for you to get a taxi home? If not, can you suggest it? Or ask your boss to sign off on cab receipts if it can't be an official/formal policy?

Those working hours sound dangerous.

I used to work one place where I finished at 8.30pm and it took about 10 minutes to walk to the bus stop and about the same time for the bus to arrive. In the end, I just used to book a cab for 9.00pm and hang around in the office till then, it was quicker than leaving at 8.30pm.

Edit: Ooops forgot to say, the policy was you could get a cab if you worked till 9pm.

I work in the public sector so the answer is: no chance. Especially not the way the climate is.

I once got threatened by a user of my work place that he would wait until I finish work so he could beat me up because I didn't let him have his own way. I told my manager who reported it as Accident & Incident (organisation policy), the team leader informed the management team that he feared my safety and that he'd like to offer to p*y for me to take a cab home for a few days (considering the threat came as a result of my work).

They however decided my life isn't worth a £5 ride home (as it's a 15 minute car ride) and instead forced a security guard to wait at the busstop with me until my bus came even though the user could have been on the bus with me at which point there would be no protection. The even more scary thing was I actually did end up on the bus with him one day after work and I was actually very scared but lucky for me, he didn't see me. Should he have done.....

I know my friends who work in the private sector get a ride home only if they work after 10pm. Even if you leave at 9:45pm, they won't get that ride so sometimes when they've worked til 9pm they just wait until 10pm for their own safety! Well at least they have that opportunity.... When I was a contractor working in the private sector, the fact that I was a contractor and not an employee didn't allow me to have that same right.....

[Sunny Saver]

I work in the public sector so the answer is: no chance. Especially not the way the climate is.

I once got threatened by a user of my work place that he would wait until I finish work so he could beat me up because I didn't let him have his own way. I told my manager who reported it as Accident & Incident (organisation policy), the team leader informed the management team that he feared my safety and that he'd like to offer to p*y for me to take a cab home for a few days (considering the threat came as a result of my work).

They however decided my life isn't worth a £5 ride home (as it's a 15 minute car ride) and instead forced a security guard to wait at the busstop with me until my bus came even though the user could have been on the bus with me at which point there would be no protection. The even more scary thing was I actually did end up on the bus with him one day after work and I was actually very scared but lucky for me, he didn't see me. Should he have done.....

That sounds very scary a_person.

You're right, contractors don't get so many/if any perks. The way the employers look at it is that contractors often get pa*d more than employees and that extra p*y pays for their own sick/holiday/pension etc.

However, only some contractors get pa*d more. I have one friend who was a contractor at the same place for years and got pa*d a crap hourly wage. Every appraisal she asked to be made permanent, they said they couldn't because of 'head count', but continued to employ other permanent staff in the department (doing something different).

Last year I asked her if she wanted a job at my place... they soon made her permanent when they thought she was going to leave.

One other friend is a contractor and I nearly fell off my chair when I found out how much he got pa*d.

The name of the game is don't call yourself a contractor... the term is 'consultant'.

[tilly]

Thats not great a_person! I am glad you are ok though doesn't compensate for the fact that they are useless in protecting staff! I know public sector are stingy and don't think about welfare of staff.

[a_person]

Yeh except when the staff isn't there no more. It's such a shame really as I do love my job in terms of what I do but I hate all the politics that goes with it.

@ sunny_saver, some of the jobs I go for have done background checks where they verify what you say you'd done. If I called myself a consultant, I'd probably fail it! Anyway, I didn't enjoy contracting so I left it and went back to a permanent job! I also think it depends on what field you're contracting in. In the (private) financial sector, we did get pa*d alot more. Not in the public sector. You get pa*d the same as everyone else!

[alythonian]

4.15 and it's pitch black in Aberdeen - aargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[soonforgotten]

4.15 and it's pitch black in Aberdeen - aargh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not much better in London. I've had an awful week for a lot of reasons and the darkness certainly is not helping matters. I hate this time of year.