The Work Thread 2 - Get back to work!

[pjbetman]

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[pjbetman]

Standard contractor abuse really. The trouble is you don't offer a unique proposition. All you can do is look for better pay for the same job. Have you looked at other couriers like DPD. I've been told they pay a lot better.

You should start tracking your own performance so you can pitch for better contracts. Or negotiate down the amount you will do for Amazon, get your own van, and put those extra hours to work for some other company that will pay for them.

This should be illegal.

It actually is now. If you're only working for one client it's legally employment not independent contracting, and comes with the same benefits, even if they don't say it is they wouldn't win against HMRC if a case was made against them... Although Amazon aren't a UK company.

Trouble is the drivers have Amazon get away with it by essentially ignoring the law.

Last time I left work as a contactor was because I "would work better as part of a team" even though they had admitted in the same email to my agent I had demonstrated I had all the skills they needed. All I asked was if I could know what days I would be needed on in advance as per the terms of my contract. What a load of gooseberry fool.

Yes, thanks GG, I was explaining this to the missus and she said I was wrong. Yeah, i'll be looking at other firms now. I don't mind doing the work, but no way am I doing it for free! Are they strawberry floatin insane?!

[Lagamorph]

Job at Amazon as delivery driver is, er, basically gooseberry fool! 8am start, get loaded up at about 830...been averaging about 180-200 parcels per day. Supposed to be a 9 hour day (so, 8-5 with 1 hour of breaks), but regularly been working until 8pm, and still bringing 10-20 parcels back! It's insane. Not only that they expect you to work for free, but that people actually do it. Told them I want to reduce my hours...still gonna be working for nothing for about 2-4 hours per day. Obviously people need money for xmas and stuff, and maybe the workload is increased due to xmas, even though there's probably extra drivers to cover. Pity, coz the job is actually ok to do...it's just the 11-12 hour days and only 9 hours pay that's the problem.

He's one greedy banana split that Jeff Bezos. He earns $98 MILLION dollars per day.

I'm confused about the working for free part? How are you paid? On salary or by the hour?

I don't know if this is the case for pjbetman but I think Amazon Logistics follow the Uber model of using self-employed 'contractors' so they don't have to pay for standard employee benefits or comply with employment law. Drivers are paid a set fee for a route with a number of parcels that's impossible to complete in a standard day and in reality end up earning below minimum wage, with no rights.

Yes that's exactly right, although, I've been given a contract of 100-140 parcels per day for £137...I've been averaging probably around 180-190 per day...so I should be getting more like £200 per day.

Does anything happen to couriers when a package isn't delivered or isn't delivered correctly? Looks like my monitor from yesterday got nabbed, or a neighbour rescued it from the rain (need to check that...) but regardless of that does the courier get fined? Sacked even?

The delivery driver is only allowed to put the parcel either in the letterbox, in the persons hands, in a neighbours hands, or in a customer specified safe place. If you haven't specified a safe place and the driver decides to leave it in a 'safe place' of his choosing, and it goes missing, then the delivery driver is responsible. I think Amazon would make the driver pay for it, as he could've actually stolen it. Not sure on the full script on that, but that's the jist. If the delivery driver puts it in your specified safe place and it goes missing, then that's your responsibility.

That's why I don't specify a safe place

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Interview get

Supposed to be Tuesday next week but the email says I'll be notified when it's confirmed. It bloody better be Tuesday or earlier otherwise I'll be on the other side of the planet.

[Rocsteady]

When you're discussing someone, press send then realise they're cc'd into the email chain


See you all in dat unemployment line

[Errkal]

When you're discussing someone, press send then realise they're cc'd into the email chain


See you all in dat unemployment line

Good thing exchange has a recall message feature aye

[Drumstick]

When you're discussing someone, press send then realise they're cc'd into the email chain


See you all in dat unemployment line

This happened to a friend of mine a few years ago. She meant to send an email to her friend, bitching about a colleague, only to send it directly to the colleague in question instead.

[Green Gecko]

I accidentally sent a message to a therapist about my dad to my dad, not a CC, I just straight up sent it to the wrong email address. Oh well I guess that's one way of talking things out.

[Rocsteady]

When you're discussing someone, press send then realise they're cc'd into the email chain


See you all in dat unemployment line

Good thing exchange has a recall message feature aye

It went to a whole host of people though and I feel like trying to recall it would just bring more attention

It's not explicitly terrible just totally speaking out of turn, hoping that the person in question's in a very good mood and doesn't read too deeply into it......

[Qikz]

So turns out another newer person who's actually good is leaving and someone else who's good who joined recently is thinking about going as well. I spoke to one of the higher level engineers and his solution appears to be ignore the problems and just pretend everything is fine.

This place is an utter parody of itself. We're going to lose all our clients eventually until we get to a manageable level

[Moggy]

So turns out another newer person who's actually good is leaving and someone else who's good who joined recently is thinking about going as well. I spoke to one of the higher level engineers and his solution appears to be ignore the problems and just pretend everything is fine.

This place is an utter parody of itself. We're going to lose all our clients eventually until we get to a manageable level

Sounds like every company I’ve ever worked for.

[Tomous]

When I did my summer internship during my degree there were 5 other interns in the office. Of the 6 of us, there was 1 girl, and she had been emailing me one day about how creepy 1 of the other guys was being to her. The conversation moved on, eventually to discussing lunch. Someone else was invited, and they cc'd in the other interns without looking at the email chain. The creepy guy read down however and blew up on her. I'm glad that happened in week 1 of a 10 week internship, really enjoyable, awkward, 10 weeks.

[Green Gecko]

They will always tell you it's fine for morale even if it's not.

[Qikz]

They will always tell you it's fine for morale even if it's not.

Fix the strawberry floating problems though. They have the power they just don't do anything. They actually think its fine. They're delusional.

[Errkal]

So turns out another newer person who's actually good is leaving and someone else who's good who joined recently is thinking about going as well. I spoke to one of the higher level engineers and his solution appears to be ignore the problems and just pretend everything is fine.

This place is an utter parody of itself. We're going to lose all our clients eventually until we get to a manageable level

It's been said before but you need to leave too.

[mcjihge2]

Ive got 6 weeks off work

[That's not a growth]

Ive got 6 weeks off work

I hope the hearing goes well.

[Qikz]

So turns out another newer person who's actually good is leaving and someone else who's good who joined recently is thinking about going as well. I spoke to one of the higher level engineers and his solution appears to be ignore the problems and just pretend everything is fine.

This place is an utter parody of itself. We're going to lose all our clients eventually until we get to a manageable level

It's been said before but you need to leave too.

I've looked around and so has my friend (we're in exactly the same position both experience and skill wise) and we can't get anything that pays the same we get where we are.

Right now I'm looking at transitioning to making my casting/tournament organising a career so I'm focused mainly on that. I just go into work to pay the bills now.

[andretmzt]

Just focus on your goal of making the casting a career and try to ignore the gooseberry fool at work. I strawberry floating hate work, I'm currently sat here on a night shift getting paid the same as someone who never works weekends, let alone full night shifts, and getting paid less than someone is only on call to do the night shift. strawberry floating bizzaro world man. But it pays the bills and I have a goal in sight so I'm trying to focus on that.

Easier said than done of course.

[Oblomov Boblomov]

I'm away for most of December so I have arranged the work Christmas party to take place tonight like strawberry float am I missing out on that.

Anyone else looking forward to shaming themselves through alcohol abuse in front of their colleagues this festive season?