BOB.T

Hi

At work, we're going to have go to Holland for our AGM, we work for a Dutch company. We're being asked to fly out on the Sunday, have the meeting on Bank Holiday Monday then fly home on Tuesday. My issue is this, although all flights, meals etc will be picked up by the company we'll only get the Monday back in loo (SP?), we get no extra money for being away and will get nothing for Sunday, what does everyone else get?

We're already being viewed as problematic for wanting the Monday back, there's no way we'll get the sunday and extra money will be laughed at I'm sure!

I don't really want to kick up a fuss and although it would be nice I'm not that bothered about the money but it p*sses me off that our bosses think we're getting a good deal when I know there must be other folk raking it in for similar experiences with other companies? I'm sure we're being looked at in a dim light for having reservations about going, we're not being unreasonable IMO.

Your views?

Thanks

Old_Fart

They are smoking crack. We'd send the guys out on Monday A.M. on a regular business flight and send them home monday night. Obviously would get a day in lieu also.
Our company sometimes does big international party weekends..but they are always optional attendence and involve loads beer and 5 star hotels.
Rgds
Chuck

NACRO

Agree sounds like they want something for nothing. I wouldn't put up with any of that **** or if I was forced to I'd make damn sure they paid for it somewhere else. It isn't unprofessional to expect to be recompensed for your time.

Usual job for me is back to UK on one flight then hotel and back in the morning, get paid for both days and DO NOT work the afternoon following my return.

Geddon

Just think of it as free beer (and drugs being in Holland) and "team building"
Worth checking your contract about foreign travel....

davegtt

Ive covered the most of Italy, done france, belgium and plenty of other places before and 95% of the time stayed over night, again all our expenses was picked up etc but didnt get nothing for the fact we stayed over and stuf. dont get overtime.

problem with me is my contact says I work from 8:45am to 4:45pm mon-fri although I may be called upon to work other hours as per the company requires. therefore work could say to me today I cant go home til 7pm I have too much work that needs to be done for 2morra and I dont get overtime or even a thanks in alot of cases

thats life though, suppoe the decent basic rate makes up for it

MrShades

I would say that it very much depends on the type and level of position that you have.

Agreed, if you are hourly paid, and/or work in a fairly strict 9-5 type role, and/or are in the lower paid salary-range (say, sub 30K pa), and therefore a fair way down the food chain - then it would not be unreasonable to expect time off and/or pay in lieu of the weekend working / bank holidays.

However, if you hold a more senior position, working "hours that the job entails" (ie not strict 9-5) and enjoy a more handsome salary to boot, then I would say that it's a case of going along with it for the greater good - and being a "company person".

I, personally, spend a great deal of time away from home - in the US and around Europe, which takes a lot of my 'personal' (ie outside of 9-5) time - and often weekends, or part weekends. However, I enjoy a good salary and otherwise flexible working ("hours that the job entails") and consider the hours that I work to be necessary for the role/salary I have - if that happends to include weekends, early mornings, late nights, bank-holidays, whatever, then so-be-it... I have a job that requires me to work, so I work...

Obviously, flexible working includes the odd session on Scoobynet.....

CHRIS_D

i get sent away regulary, get paid 7 days a week still, free food and accommodation and an extra Ł11 a day bonus for being away from home. usually still get sundays off while im there too.

sometimes hot countries, sometimes cold, 9/10 at war

chris

Chip

Work away a lot. Get paid for the hours spent travelling on a sunday. Time off in lieu is an option if you dont want to take the money for the Sun.

Overseas we get Ł250/week extra. Meals etc are paid up to a certain amount. Beer paid for by ourselves. Have to show receipts for everything to claim money back.

Chip.

Vette_76

Had to go to India for 2 weeks in 2002 - got all expenses covered (plus didn't have to cover the last Ł50 with receipts - hehe!!), got full pay for every hour we spent travelling, got overtime for working the Saturday in the middle and an extra Ł40 (ish) per day for being away from family for an extended period!!

Having said that, there's no way I'd have gone if I didn't get all this!!

MattW

Agreed

NACRO

Don't agree I get well in excess of the figure you quote and have what some would consider to be a senior position. However I'm not some corporate fool or company dogsbody so if they want my time they damn well pay for it. It's people who are prepared to be abused and want to brown nose their way up the ladder who do the unpaid work. I'm salaried and they get EXACTLY what it says on my contract, no more and often less.

RichWalk

Mr Shades quote: "Agreed, if you are hourly paid, and/or work in a fairly strict 9-5 type role, and/or are in the lower paid salary-range (say, sub 30K pa), and therefore a fair way down the food chain"

Sub 30K = lower paid bracket!! WTF the average wage around Brum is only 12-15K pa, Gloucester must have gone upmarket since I lived their!

BOB.T

Ah, my contract...I would check it but having only been here 2 years I haven't...in fact none of us have one yet!

I'd consider myself to be at the lower end of the company

Thanks for your coments

C

Yup - if it's not 'monday to friday' I get time back in lieu

No 'extra' for being away from home, however ALL expenses are paid for by the company (including beer). They are pretty good, we have had some really wild nights out paid for, including 10 days away where we spent a fortune in a lap dancing club & it was covered no questions asked

It's a bit of give & take I think - as long as I get my days back in lieu I dont care - the free evenings entertainment is a bonus

boxst

Hello

I travel all the time for my job. I am currently in Romania, I was in Italy last week, going to Poland just after Easter etc....

I get paid reasonably well, but get no extra regardless of whether I am working 10 meters from my house or half way across the world involving weekend travel / weekend stays etc...

It really depends what industry you are in, and as mentioned above your Salary. I work for an Internet software company (sort of), and most people who work for this kind of company have to travel like a stupid.

It is becoming a problem for me as I have a young family (4 years and 1 year old daughters), who hardly ever see me. As the IT industry is (finally) starting to pick up, I need to get paid a whole lot more or I will find another less travel oriented job.

Having said all of that, when I was 20 I loved it! The company who I worked for a that time paid for me to go and work in Australia, Hong Kong, America with full expenses. Great!

Steve.

MrShades

LOL...

In this day and age Rich, it makes no difference where you live as to what salary you can get.

I work for a US company, with a UK office near Heathrow - I work from home, yes, in Gloucester. Why would I want to live in some of the most expensive housing in the UK, in not-necessarily-that-pleasant-an-area to be able to commute to the office, when I have broadband and a handful of phones, and can happily 'telecommute' and live in rural Gloucestershire....

BTW I think you'll find that the UK average salary is something around 27-29K.....

Buzzer

I think sometimes it depends on the size of the company aswell.

My brother works for a French multi national co. and travels often. They have an organised structure for such things and he does very well out of it.

I on the other hand work for a small company in comparison and i can travel quite a bit. My brother and i hold similar positions within our respective companies but i dont get the pluses that he gets.

If it was my company asking for what you are required to do i would end up with all expences paid, travel in my time and get a day in lieu for the bank holiday. I'm surprised that your boss in this country hasn't just said "take a day in lieu and say nothing to anyone" after all you can just say it was a sicky.

Be sure that there is an unholy **** up at your UK office when its Van Gough's day something so they have to come here on their bank holiday

mart360

I travell round the world as part of my job

mainly europ, but have done mexico and shortly russia..

used to get overtime which was great for travelling.....

but now my sallery has been enhanced i get nowt...

so my mexico trip,, 26 hrs traveling didnt get me a penny

well the business class upgrade was nice!!!!

as boxst has said, for some it is anormal occurance that goes with the job..

my other half dosnt mind the short hops out monday 5 am ish back tuesday 8pm...

i cant complain... how many other companys would send me round the world and pick up the tab!!!


Mart

Big C

Best way to see the world?










......on expenses.

letdown

Dont see what you are going on about really?? So you beef is that your are using your Sunday to travel on....to a free night away in Holland!? Your getting the Monday in lieu back correct?

Sorry as someone who travels alot....if you asked me for extra money etc..etc..for giving up a few hours on a Sunday! I would tell you to poke it !

Sorry for been blunt but I really cant see what you hope to achieve apart from your boss thing wtf are you on about !!

fatherpierre

The initial post sounds just like a John Inman post LOL.

But, that is a **** take of your time. The travelling, etc. is not your doing so the should pay for every second that's outside your normal day with them.

Nothing like screwing a meal out of the boss.

My last meal with my last company consisted of a Full lobster x2 with trimmings, 4 tapas each and 4 bottles of red Oxford Landing (best they had). All on the company - over Ł250.

BOB.T

Thanks again

btw, we'd have to set off before 8AM on Sunday so it's not just a few hours. I guess it's like most of you say, if it goes with the job you'd do it but otherwise to be paid is only fair. Normally we just do 9.00 - 5.30, no overtime and no weekends so can you see my beef with doing 3 days straight work plus giving up a long weekend....for nothing?

Anyway, it's apraisals day today, should of been December but whats a few months waiting in suspence

Dream Weaver

Tell em to do one Bob, and say its bank holiday weekend and you have family comittments.

Or if you're not that arsed, go to Holland and sup loads of free beer/drugs.

I used to work abroad a bit for Airtours, and they would expect me to fly whenever, any time, any day.

Crapaud62

I used to have to travel a lot and most of it was in "my" time. Jersey to London out on the 7.00 am flight ie 6.00 am check in and back on 9.00pm flight.

Luxembourg was worse as I would get stuck in London on Friday night and back home Saturday.

New York was the worst. Travel out on Sunday ready for fresh start on Monday. Fly back overnight to London, 6.00 am to Jersey and back into work for 9.00 am.

I got seriously fed up with it all and it cost me my health and my sanity

It sounds good if its a one off but once it becomes too regular then tell them to forget it as you only have one life so live it and enjoy it.

Dapster

Bob T - working in your own time? We all have to do it. In fact, if our respective employers knew how much of their time was being spent on Scoobynet and the like, we'd all be working every weekend for the rest of time! It's all give and take - if your employers are flexible enough to let you come in late because your boiler packed up or work from home because of some other reason then this doesn't seem unreasonable given you get a Monday back in leiu.

Also, after a weekend in Amsterdam staring at all the crumpet in the "illuminated windows" you'll be begging your boss to send you there every weekend!

BOB.T

I think it's more the weekend thing that bothers me and to be fair the way in which all this has been handled, which is hard to get accross on here. Originally they wanted us to go on Saturday, the discussion was cut short and not finished in our opionion but the powers that be now think we causing trouble.

We don't go to Amsterdam, actually I've been before and don't want to go back! I guess we'll just have to lump it and make the best of the mini bar and TV

BMWhere?

I get sent to Italy quite a lot. I charge by the hour from the time the taxi collects me from home to arriving in the Hotel at the other end. If they want me to go OCB then they pay for it and I loose nothing. If they won't pay I won't go! Simple

Companies always try to screw their employees... its in their (the company) interest really! They can't sack you for refusing to work unpaid outside of your contractual hours!

Regacy

There seem to be a lot of people on here who view this as a them and us scenario.
The ‘company/boss' trying to get one over on them...
Don't you have any sense of ownership and responsibility for what you do?
And if not, how do you motivate yourself to get up in the morning, surely it's not just about money????
R

carl

I'm a contractor, so it is only about money. If I'm expected to start or end a journey at the weekend, or stay somewhere over the weekend, then the client gets charged. They're bloody lucky they don't get charged extra for my staying overnight on weekdays!

BMWhere?

I really couldn't give a s*** about the company! If I could get up every day and do whatever I want, I'm quite sure I wouldn't go anywhere near work! Thing is, I need money to do stuff that I want to do, the only way to get money is to work, so I work.

I'm more than happy to travel around from company to company, increasing my salary every time I move and looking out for no.1. If I don't like the way a company treats me I'll leave. If they don't want me to leave then they can pay me to stay.

I have a contract with a company and I know exactly what, I'm required to do. If the company wants me to do something thats no within the scope of my contract then I'll only do it if they pay me to do it. You won't get anything for free off anyone else, so why should you do anything for free for anyone, including you company.

If a company won't pay you to do something, then don't do it. The company then has the choice to find some other sucker to do it for free, pay someone else to do it or give in and pay you to do it! But what they do is the company's problem, not yours. Never say you won't do something, just you won't do something for free! Maybe you get blacklisted for promotion, but then you can leave and get a job somewhere else!

Just my opinion, but since I took the I don't give a **** about the company attitide, I've changed jobs 5 times in 7 years and gone from struggling to make the repayments on a 2nd hand Ford Escort to now owning an STi8 (my 3rd brand new Scoob) plus overall a much better lifestyle and I no longer get de-motivated at work due to office politics 'cos I just don't care!