9 hours . Don't get me wrong it's a good job . However, I work for a shipping company, I drive plant on the weekends to help discharge our ships , but its work till finish .. can be anything upto 11 hours and no set times . Monday to Friday is 9 hours though ... Unless a ship on our quay then ... It's whatever.
Yes and that's exactly what I told my MD .my communication skills arnt the best ... I got to the point quite quickly .
I mean considering part of your week is driving plant I can't see how they don't see 24 days straight won't cause dangerous situations. I think that's why that solicitors site suggested all cases are open to being challenged, technically they can require it but the reality, case by case, is very different.
Agreed. I'm definitely public enemy number 1 ATM ... MD won't talk to me and I feel like I've done something wrong by asking for this in writing . HR woman is lovely but albeit thick as s**t and I have my own spy (don't laugh) in her office ... Who seems to think she needs advice even on wiping her own arse . I'm not about causing grief ... Just tired of working 20 plus day stints and believe I'm being given seriously bad info
So this I think (in my limited experience consisting of a couple of training courses on UK HR law) is actually where the problem is for you or more technically your employer. You are working over the 48 hours per week (averaged over 17 weeks), which requires a written opt out. https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours/weekly-maximum-working-hours-and-opting-out#:~:text=Workers who can't opt,GB Domestic drivers' hours rules) While you work on the dockside, I still think none of the following apply to you: [Snip] You can’t opt-out of the 48 hour week if you’re: airline staff a worker on ships or boats a worker in the road transport industry, eg delivery drivers (except for drivers of vehicles under 3.5 tonnes using GB Domestic drivers’ hours rules) other staff who travel in and operate vehicles covered by EU rules on drivers’ hours, eg bus conductors a security guard on a vehicle carrying high-value goods You can choose to work more than 48 hours a week on average if you’re over 18. This is called ‘opting out’. Your employer can ask you to opt out, but you can’t be sacked or treated unfairly for refusing to do so. You can opt out for a certain period or indefinitely. It must be voluntary and in writing. [/Snip]
Last year I decided to make some serious changes in my career. I was a freelance web dev, working from home and hating working from home. I was bored silly of doing work that really didn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Every day was like Groundhog day. Working from home for almost 7 years was impacting on my health and mood too. So I began looking for something that I thought would be more meaningful. I'd worked in the NHS years ago and loved it. So I looked for local NHS jobs. Ive been in employment with our area ambulance service for over a year now as a call handler. It's hard and stressful work, with rubbish shifts and the pay cut I took was scary. The staff retention rates are bad because of the above but I've stuck it out When I genuinely help someone it feels great. We do have to deal with time wasters but in the year I've been there I've given CPR instructions, kept suicidal people from committing suicide and generally assisted those who needed it as best I can. There is a lot of bad stuff we have to deal with too but we take the rough with the smooth. Much more rewarding than my old job! So yes, my job is worth it to me!
I don't have the constitution to do that. Telling someone to eff-off, you effing timewasting arsehole, wouldn't be appropriate...
That is one of the hardest parts of the job. Keeping quiet when you really want to have your say. We've had people demanding ambulance responses or referrals to an ED or UTC for stuff like common cold symptoms, sore throats and all manner of simple ailments that can be easily managed at home. It's hard not saying just man up and in 24 hours all will be well again in the world. It rankles even more when you've just taken a call from someone seriously ill who has needed a Cat 1 or 2 ambulance response, then you get another call straight after where they are not happy because we give them home management advice and start becoming abusive. We deal with people who know the assessment process well because they are frequent or regular callers. They elevate the response they receive by playing the assessment. We can't call them liars and we have a duty of care so if they tell us their symptoms are bad we have to assume that they are. The amount of times we've sent ambulances out and we are certain an ambulance response isn't required is shocking. It results in wasted resources, frustrated crews and frustrated ED's. The thing is though, the first time we didn't because we didn't believe them, if that person was to die or suffer harm, we can be held legally responsible for that and face prosecution. Then we get the GP roundabout that is incredibly frustrating. So a patient calls their GP, the receptionist tells them to call 111 or 999. We take the call, assess and the outcome is to refer them to their GP. When we give that disposition, the patient becomes frustrated and can often take it out on us. Sometimes we can book a telephone consultation with their GP but more often we have to tell them to call their GP back and let them know they have been assessed and we are recommending they contact their GP. Massively frustrating at times! The angry or abusive callers are what they are, you can deal with them OK. The ones who play the system or are demanding unrealistic outcomes are the worst. Despite all that though, we do help a lot of people who genuinely need assistance. We can signpost or refer them to local urgent and non urgent services if that's what they need, we can arrange ambulance responses and when we can help those that need it, it is very rewarding.
I have a question for UK folks in employment: what provision is there in your contract for sick pay, particularly in the case of long term absence / illness? I'm currently signed off work with depression and I have been told by my employer that I had used my sick pay entitlement already for the past twelve month period, so my current absence is being paid at SSP rate of £99 per week. For some reason I thought that my current absence would count as a "fresh start" given the circumstances, but it turns out the company policy is 14 days of full sick pay per year regardless of circumstances. Obviously this is a particularly low point in my life, all things considered, but needless to say I'm staying as positive as I possibly can at the moment and I'm making moves to get myself a better job, ideally without ever having to return to the current one.
That seems like it could be at or near literally the least they could do - to be fair it was a good while ago now, but my Mrs was on long term sick and her employer had a policy of 6 months full pay, said they would give grace out to 8 months but then then cut her pay to 50% (and she counter-offered voluntary redundancy which they went for). This was her first job where she had been in a junior role for a couple of years.
Suffice to say the only reason I'm not leaving my job is that it serves me better to apply for work while still in work. But damn, the urge to tender resignation is mighty strong.
When my wife left the University for maternity leave, which granted is a different thing to long-term sick, she was paid... then they kept the job open for her for, I think, two years... then they kept a job open, as in she could go back with the guarantee of employment but it might not be the same job she left. I always thought that was pretty generous. As my own employer, my sick-leave policy is "don't get sick."
The people that say "but you're your own boss" also forget that you're your own admin, and HR, and finance, and marketing, and...
Mine was 12 months full then your are pretty much on your own, probably out of a job I'd imagine, I used to also have my own backup policy for it too until Corona happened and costs grew tenfold, that would pay out a further £2.5k a month for 12 months after that, not great but better than nowt and it was only £40/month as the time.
I have a critical illness insurance for these things as a lot of companies do the bare minimum. which reminds me I really should check if it’s a uk or global policy … also looking here reminds me I keep changing job a little too often. On my second perm role this year
