Frenchwood

Is no job safe these days?

I know there's always rumors in every work place, but it seems to me that no staff are safe in their role anymore, and it's kind of worrying. Companies just don't seem to hold their staff at any value nowadays.

Considering that most of us have lives that involve a significant amount of cost (houses, cars, food, clothing etc...), is it any wonder that many people have breakdowns due to job loss and financial instability?

Pfft. I guess it's a case of "do what you can, and deal with it as and when it comes up".

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

There`s also been a massive shift towards temporary and agency workers over recent years too I did a Union course recently and learnt that many places gradually replace permanent roles with temps/agency workers which will lead to a very unstable work situation if it carries on. For example, people who aren`t in permanent roles are less likely to apply for a mortgage, credit card etc. Some do, there`s a couple of temps where I work who have recently bought houses but me personally, I`d be too worried...but that`s just me

Also, when I started at Cadburys I thought I had a job for life but since being taken over I no longer think that. Mind you I`ve been there 18 years

David Lock

My sister works in the housing sector in Manchester. She gives everything to the job and long hours.

But now she is told that she must be re-interviewed for the post. Really stresses her.

Staff morale??? B,astards.

dl

Graz

There's probably a few safe jobs about but as you say for the most part you can't take things for granted these days.

Think yourself lucky that we have some good employment laws in the country (some may argue not ), that you need a good reason to fire someone and redundancy has to be handled properly along with compensation etc. In the US you could be working one day, come into work the next day and told you don't have a job any more. No payouts or anything useful like that.

If I were to get made redundant then I should be okay for a while, I'd hope that nearly twenty years of service would lead to a decent package. Might just be the kick up the backside I need to go and do something different but at the moment the fact I have no problem paying the bills each month is quite reassuring

RA Dunk

Company loyalty means nothing nowadays TBH. Everyone is a number whom can be easily replaced when required.

It can work both ways though, I've been out of work most of this winter and was recently given a four month contract, two weeks later I was offered a nine month contract with another company. You can guess where I'm at now.

It is a crap situation to be in it's dog eat dog out there, but at the end of the day it's a situation they (the employers) have created themselfs.

zip106

I can't be made redundant, being self employed.

May not have any work though .....

dpb

Same here, weather not helping though

urban

iTrader: (1)

Easily replaced - depends on the job I suppose.
Pretty much all the people in my company would be difficult to replace.
Thankfully we don't have a high staff turnaround.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Agencys are where it's at. All the big companies seem to use them now.

Easy to lose workers, no pension plan etc etc etc.

Frenchwood

All very good points.

What annoys me is that it doesn't mean anything to be qualified anymore, it means nothing to most employers. If your face doesn't fit, it's curtains!

I remember walking out of a job on Friday into a new one Monday morning with simply a phone call asking for a job.

This isn't just about the economy either, it seems that it's been a growing trend for a while.

I'm in IT, and it's getting worse, most recruitment is done with agencies, and they'll happily push you into a job when they know the company is crap, just for the fees they get!!

Oh well. I'm going to job hunt for something that's more secure, as I'm not happy with the security in my role at the moment. Sucks. Lol
Wish me luck!!

Matteeboy

Just be prepared, roll with the punches and get on with it. Some stuff is worse but plenty of other opportunities exist.

Anyone that loans and mortgages themselves up to the hilt is daft; expect the unexpected, be prepared to dramatically downsize if things go wrong.

If you can't survive for at least a year if it all goes pear shaped, sort it out.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Spot on - surprises me some times how ill prepared for the future some folks are.

Frenchwood

Agree with this to an extent, however; it's not always easy to put money aside.

I for one have not always had sufficient disposable income to be able to put money aside.

Now I am in a position to do so, rest assured I will put away what I can, however unexpected expense doesn't always allow this, and being on my own means I have no safety net. I won't blame anyone else for this, it's my responsibility, and I will take my medicine should the worst occur.

My main gripe is the lack of employers that actually value their staff and look after them in the long term. Employees these days are disposable in favour if a cheaper alternative, which in turn (as said earlier) simply makes the economy, and therefore the situation worse.

hodgy0_2

I said in post over 3 years ago

People are simply "economic cannon fodder"

With The inevitable rise of zero hour contracts and working for free "internships" things will get worse

Galifrey

iTrader: (3)

Shareholders elect Board, Board values shareholder profit above all else, profits up, share price rises, efficiency and money saving takes precedent over customer service.

They can't grow the profit by legitimate means so they demand more work from less people.

Problem is the long term net result is less money being spent, slower economic growth weak currency so they need to make more cuts, demand more from employees and the cycle continues...

It is going to get worse and worse, the current economic system is unsustainable for much longer.

Jamz3k

I am in a non-skilled job and I'm very good at what I do imo plus our customers like me compared to the last person in my role which many have told me openly. With this in mind, I dont believe my wage corresponds to my level of effort, responsibility or the amount of **** I have to take. Anytime I've had this matter on my mind, I get a friendly reminder that I am easily replaceable. Companies needs to realise commitment is a two way system that benefits everyone.

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

we are just numbers, mine is 1228(payroll number) when phoning another branch we now ask for each other by payroll number, it's a standing company joke, in fact one of our area managers was quoted as saying they should consider themselves lucky to have a job, and if i had my way would work saturdays and bankholidays

finalzero

Yeah know what you mean, my place is like that...great place to work but they are losing people and they don't seem to be noticing.

Not increasing salaries of decent employees means they end up losing them (probably like me as I might walk as well).

p1_cjv

Count yourself lucky then and spare a thought for those of us who do have to work saturdays and bank holidays!
On the subject of loyalty,i have given 30 years service to the same company,for all this time in my yearly benefits statement booklet they have said i can retire with a full pension on completion of 40 years pensionable service,last month it was announced they are in a consultation period to end this due to the costs of keeping the scheme going, if i retire on completion of 40years service i would stand to lose 38% of my pot,if i work til i'm 60 and 43years of service i would lose 27%,to say i'm gutted and angry is an understatement!
Currently actively job seeking something that i might actually enjoy,they are actually forcing me to look elsewhere due to zero loyalty shown to me and the other 14,000 employees that this effects!

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

I now have my own business doing architectural work for developers but in the past I have been directly employed by them.
When I first started 12-13 years ago the (then family owned) developer was a great place to work. That place got took over by a larger developer whom wouldn't tell anyone what was going on. Back then technical staff were in high demand so many people just jumped ship rather than hang on indefinitely.

In the end out of our region I think I was only 1 of 6 of the office staff to stay on after being offered a considerable payrise to stay.
Stayed with that developer place for a few years but the environment was definitely shifting to a blame culture and when that developer 'merged' our regional office just got shut. Everyone, baring 2 people were out of a job.

I moved on to my 3rd developer and this place was horrible. The departmental in fighting was extraordinary, you wouldn't believe people were working toward the same goal, everyone just covering their own backsides.
I lasted 9 months before escaping to a private firm. Unfortunately that was not very long before the housing market hit the skids and I eventually got made redundant.
Helped the company out on a few private jobs which lead to more and more work till I decided to set up by myself.
Got asked if I'd be interested in doing some consulting work for the last developer I worked for. I took them up on it thinking it couldn't be as bad as I'd remembered but ooohhh no it was worse. They treated people like they were cattle. So easily replaceable they didn't care if they worked people to the point they'd make themselves ill.
In the time I was there the technical department pretty much got replaced. Now I think the longest serving guy in the department has been there for just 18 months.
I set up a Ltd company with a fellow developer escapee 18 months ago and haven't been busier. I could never go back to working in that environment again. Even if I'm working harder and longer hours now.

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

personally i don't think being £72.30 a month better of working is lucky, and i quote my managers responce to area managers quote. we haven't had a pay rise for 4 years so they don't pay us enough to work saturdays

Leslie

I was always being told that I was lucky to be in a pretty safe job, and they were quite right!

Les

Matteeboy

But look at previous generations; they lived within their means. They saved. They didn't buy every latest gadget on credit. They didn't lease cars. They got out affordable repayment mortgages.

Mention buying a car for cash and people think you're mad (we bought ours last five cars for cash). Suggest that two posh holidays a year might be a bit excessive and people get the right hump.

Its all "monthly payment" amounts, insuring yourselves up to the eyeballs because if your car does go wrong, you can't afford the repairs: all of it adds up to throwing a fortune away in interest and charges. Those that can't really afford stuff get convinced they can buy a new car, a massive TV, etc but end up paying far more than those that truly can afford stuff.

Its life on the never never and sadly, far too many do it.

We were pretty skint for a fair while; we lived in a very cheap house, were super frugal, we actually paid some debts off. Anyone can do it if they are ruthless with living expenses.

Jobs aren't secure but I'd say there are ample opportunities for anyone to do their own thing; EBay, social media, etc, etc all open up opportunities across the Globe.

Chip

Les, knowing what you have done in the past I would not have called your job very safe at all

Chip

Very true Mattee