The advice thread for random problems #6

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Were you promised a certain amount of hours? Because you have some recourse if it was promised
Yes I explained with my job I had at the time I was doing 20 hours in a supervisor role, but I wanted more minimum 24, but my contract is for a minimum 16 hours, I’m absolutely gutted & feel so stupid, my ex boss asks me occasionally how I’m doing & I have to lie saying I’m working long hours & really enjoying it, the truth is I hate it, everyone else is so much younger than me, faster than me & I’m just given the bare minimum & crap hours. I have zero qualifications, I was in a very controlling marriage where my ex didn’t want me to work & just bring our children up then he cheated & I basically had to start from scratch.
 
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Yes I explained with my job I had at the time I was doing 20 hours in a supervisor role, but I wanted more minimum 24, but my contract is for a minimum 16 hours, I’m absolutely gutted & feel so stupid, my ex boss asks me occasionally how I’m doing & I have to lie saying I’m working long hours & really enjoying it, the truth is I hate it, everyone else is so much younger than me, faster than me & I’m just given the bare minimum & crap hours. I have zero qualifications, I was in a very controlling marriage where my ex didn’t want me to work & just bring our children up then he cheated & I basically had to start from scratch.
Perhaps the best thing to do is take the job and look for other work so you can move onto something new ASAP, full time hours and hopefully a higher salary. It could just be one month. Hope it sorts out.
 
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Yes I explained with my job I had at the time I was doing 20 hours in a supervisor role, but I wanted more minimum 24, but my contract is for a minimum 16 hours, I’m absolutely gutted & feel so stupid, my ex boss asks me occasionally how I’m doing & I have to lie saying I’m working long hours & really enjoying it, the truth is I hate it, everyone else is so much younger than me, faster than me & I’m just given the bare minimum & crap hours. I have zero qualifications, I was in a very controlling marriage where my ex didn’t want me to work & just bring our children up then he cheated & I basically had to start from scratch.

Keep looking and also please tell your ex-boss the truth, maybe they'd like you to come back? When I was laid off beginning of the year, everyone from my past working life was so kind to me and offered to help, keeping an ear out for open positions, giving a recommendation, etc. And even if they can't take you back just now, maybe they know something and have an open ear.
 
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Keep looking and also please tell your ex-boss the truth, maybe they'd like you to come back? When I was laid off beginning of the year, everyone from my past working life was so kind to me and offered to help, keeping an ear out for open positions, giving a recommendation, etc. And even if they can't take you back just now, maybe they know something and have an open ear.
Thank you, I realise now the grass isn’t greener after all. I just feel so stupid, I’m not the most confident person either which doesn’t help so starting new jobs fills me with dread, but need to be a grown up & just keep applying in the hope I find something either with more money, hours or both x
 
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Thank you, I realise now the grass isn’t greener after all. I just feel so stupid, I’m not the most confident person either which doesn’t help so starting new jobs fills me with dread, but need to be a grown up & just keep applying in the hope I find something either with more money, hours or both x
Don‘t feel stupid, you did what you thought best with what information you had.
 
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Don‘t feel stupid, you did what you thought best with what information you had.
And they lied about the hours as well - horrific, actually, how they can treat people like that and there is no recourse because the contract says 16 hours instead.
 
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And they lied about the hours as well - horrific, actually, how they can treat people like that and there is no recourse because the contract says 16 hours instead.
Part of me is hoping once I’ve got through the 12wks probation period they might give me some extra hours, well I’m hoping anyway. Someone else who started the same time as me only has 7.5hrs a week it’s a joke how can anyone live on that? they do have a partner (no kids) but even so in their situation they would be best not working, I absolutely hate these low contract hours! Ironically when my kids were younger my friends would say there were no part time jobs around only full time & now it’s the opposite way round when our kids are grownup!
 
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I had some new internal oak doors a while ago, the untreated kind and unfortunately I never got around to treating them. Family life has rumbled on and they now have greasy finger prints (kids) and tea stains (husband nudging the door open, tea in hand). These seem ingrained 😭, does anyone know how I can clean these before I oil them please?. Google suggested fairy liquid but it didn't lift anything.
I’d wipe with dilute bleach
 
Part of me is hoping once I’ve got through the 12wks probation period they might give me some extra hours, well I’m hoping anyway. Someone else who started the same time as me only has 7.5hrs a week it’s a joke how can anyone live on that? they do have a partner (no kids) but even so in their situation they would be best not working, I absolutely hate these low contract hours! Ironically when my kids were younger my friends would say there were no part time jobs around only full time & now it’s the opposite way round when our kids are grownup!
I took on a zero hours contract a few years ago because I was promised a certain amount of hours which never materialised. The reason was different - the person doing the rota at the time didn’t like me so deliberately didn’t give me shifts but the end result was the same. I ended up getting a part time job elsewhere but I realise it’s not that easy to do. Are there any other zero hours jobs you could fit in around it?
 
I took on a zero hours contract a few years ago because I was promised a certain amount of hours which never materialised. The reason was different - the person doing the rota at the time didn’t like me so deliberately didn’t give me shifts but the end result was the same. I ended up getting a part time job elsewhere but I realise it’s not that easy to do. Are there any other zero hours jobs you could fit in around it?
I don’t think anyone likes me at my new job, they are all young (half my age) seem more competent but perhaps that’s just my confidence the group chat is very cliquey & they like to pick fault with the smallest of things then I start overthinking & get upset even if I haven’t done it, I’ve had minimal training tbh & I’m just expected to know everything, I’m too scared to ask for help but that’s a lot to do with my past & I need to try & overcome that, I’ve applied for other jobs even if I can just pick up 8-10 hrs a week extra it’s something, I’m just so tired of falling on my a all the time would just like a bit of luck to come my way.
 
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It’s looking like my work is going to be relocating. It’s currently a 5 minute walk from my house which is fabulous but if we move to where they are thinking, it will be a 50 minute walk. I could get a bus there, but I finish late at night and there will be no buses home meaning I will need to get a taxi which will be at least £10 each day. Would it be cheeky of me to say that work will need to pay for my taxi home? Otherwise I will have to leave as I do not feel safe walking all that way at that time of night. I did have a bike but that was vandalised in the bike storage shed at home and I cannot afford to buy another. Having to look for another job will be a ball ache but I can’t afford to be down £200 a month on my current wage just trying to safely get home from work.
 
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It’s looking like my work is going to be relocating. It’s currently a 5 minute walk from my house which is fabulous but if we move to where they are thinking, it will be a 50 minute walk. I could get a bus there, but I finish late at night and there will be no buses home meaning I will need to get a taxi which will be at least £10 each day. Would it be cheeky of me to say that work will need to pay for my taxi home? Otherwise I will have to leave as I do not feel safe walking all that way at that time of night. I did have a bike but that was vandalised in the bike storage shed at home and I cannot afford to buy another. Having to look for another job will be a ball ache but I can’t afford to be down £200 a month on my current wage just trying to safely get home from work.
Is there no way you can change your hours? Do you always finish late?
 
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It’s looking like my work is going to be relocating. It’s currently a 5 minute walk from my house which is fabulous but if we move to where they are thinking, it will be a 50 minute walk. I could get a bus there, but I finish late at night and there will be no buses home meaning I will need to get a taxi which will be at least £10 each day. Would it be cheeky of me to say that work will need to pay for my taxi home? Otherwise I will have to leave as I do not feel safe walking all that way at that time of night. I did have a bike but that was vandalised in the bike storage shed at home and I cannot afford to buy another. Having to look for another job will be a ball ache but I can’t afford to be down £200 a month on my current wage just trying to safely get home from work.
BIB, absolutely yes, apart from certain jobs, how you get to and from work is your responsibility, not theirs.
Does anyone from work live near you & could give you a lift?
 
@xx3221 - no we are only open in the evenings. We want to extend our opening hours and then of course, I can change my hours but that’s not in the pipeline at the moment.

@Thank(space)you I’m the only one who lives in the area, everyone else travels in. They do give me a lift but I can’t always rely on them. My manager does not give me a lift and there are often times where it’s just the two of us working and I walk home (which is fine as it’s close to my house at the moment). I know it’s not the firm’s responsibility to get me there or back but I’ve been working there for 3 years and applied for the job as it’s close by (and in the field I want to work in), i would never have taken the role if it was where we are probably moving to because I can’t get home safely.
 
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Usually firms offer ‘something' when they relocate.
Agreed, if someone's work contract is with a specific office base then relocating which is not the employees fault or decision should come with covering the cost of extra travel
 
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It’s looking like my work is going to be relocating. It’s currently a 5 minute walk from my house which is fabulous but if we move to where they are thinking, it will be a 50 minute walk. I could get a bus there, but I finish late at night and there will be no buses home meaning I will need to get a taxi which will be at least £10 each day. Would it be cheeky of me to say that work will need to pay for my taxi home? Otherwise I will have to leave as I do not feel safe walking all that way at that time of night. I did have a bike but that was vandalised in the bike storage shed at home and I cannot afford to buy another. Having to look for another job will be a ball ache but I can’t afford to be down £200 a month on my current wage just trying to safely get home from work.
Is there anyway you could work from home? Or maybe do some hours at the office an then get the last bus home an do the rest at home?

You might need to look at your contract, if it's got anything in it like the job might move then there's probably not much you can do
 
Is there anyway you could work from home? Or maybe do some hours at the office an then get the last bus home an do the rest at home?

You might need to look at your contract, if it's got anything in it like the job might move then there's probably not much you can do
I think that’s what’s going to have to happen, leaving early and getting the last bus. We are a face to face service but if there are notes/paperwork to do, I can do them from home.
I will give my manager all the scenarios as I’m guessing she will then talk to my area manager. I know my manager won’t want me to leave as I am (not to be big headed) good at my job and bring a lot to the team. I promote the service and do marketing outside of my working hours and if I go, there isn’t anyone left to do that.
 
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I think that’s what’s going to have to happen, leaving early and getting the last bus. We are a face to face service but if there are notes/paperwork to do, I can do them from home.
I will give my manager all the scenarios as I’m guessing she will then talk to my area manager. I know my manager won’t want me to leave as I am (not to be big headed) good at my job and bring a lot to the team. I promote the service and do marketing outside of my working hours and if I go, there isn’t anyone left to do that.
Have you checked your contract about relocation? We’ve recently relocated offices and someone we work with has gone from a 5 min commute to a 30 minute commute and they now pay her petrol money and allow her to leave early / arrive late as she has childcare. They might allow you to leave early and may even give you something towards your taxi fare / bus fare?

Make sure you let them know that this is now an issue for you. You didn’t apply for the job knowing it was going to be in this new area and like you said, you wouldn’t have applied for it if you knew it was there.

As someone else has said, your commute isn’t the employers responsibility, however, if they’re moving your place of work then I think they should have some responsibility? That’s how it’s been at our place anyway.
 
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Our company moved some staff from a local office to London a few years ago. They were given a travel allowance to cover the cost of travel (by public transport) from the old office to the new one, but only for a transitional period of a few months. However that was better than nothing.
 
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