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Started by Citizen Erased in Chit-Chat

Hey kids, goes it well?

Hope you all had a great Christmas. Mine was pretty good all things considered, and here’s the reason for my sudden disappearance last month (what do you mean, you never noticed?)

Basically, Wednesdday 11th was spent gettin drunk with the bosses and fellow staff of the firm I worked for, ending up at about 2 am saying goodbye to one of the bosses (also pissed) and heading off with a few others to a 24 hour Tescos. All well and good.

Thurday morning passed none too productively and with somewhat of a hangover. Thursday lunchtime I had a meeting with one of the bosses, where I believed that I’d be finding out about a pay rise. What I actually found out was that I no longer had a job and by the way, would I like to go and get my coat. No warning, nothing, just get out after 7 years.

And let’s be clear, I’ve not been sacked for doing anything wrong, nor have I been made redundant. I have left ‘by mutual agreement’, which basically means they’ve worked out how much I’d get if I sued them for unfair dismissal, and then added a pound. There were a number of other people that got the same good news as well.

So there you have it - on the one had I’m finally out of a job I hate, on the other, I’m out of work, which is fine as long as the money lasts… And is also why I’m only checking the boards infrequently (i.e. whenever I come into the library to use the free computers). Am not fed up that they got rid of me (they had too many staff, and knew I wanted to leave anyway, because my girlfriend’s at the other end of the country), but really pissed off with the how.

Sabotage, you have my sympathies, but at least you’ve been told in advance ;)

Still, new albums by T?, Radiohead, Muse and possibly the Offspring as well this year, so it’s not all bad.

Keep smiling

CE

Posted on Thu, 16 January 2003 at 11:44

You’re viewing replies 1–30 of 38 by 9 people

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#1

Sabotage wrote:

Hi Citizen. Nice to here from you.
I’ve had suspicions for about 18 months that I was going to lose my job (along with the 40 or so others here), so I’ve had plenty of time to get used to it.
I just want it to end now, so I can start again. I’m kicking heels here.
Hope you get a job soon…and me too!

Sab

Posted on Thu, 16 January 2003 at 12:25

#2

Paddy wrote:

Good luck to the both of you !!

A wise man once told me “Money isn’t everything, but it takes the sting out of being fucking poor !!”

Posted on Thu, 16 January 2003 at 13:46

#3

Kyra wrote:

jeez, that sucks - big time. i can only wish you the best of luck, both of you.

Posted on Thu, 16 January 2003 at 18:41

#4

Citizen Erased wrote:

Thanks

Am actually quite enjoying not having to go to work, although the ‘no money coming in’ bit is obviously taking the edge off of that.

That said, I have an interview on Monday, for something which isn’t really what I want to do, but pays quite well. Just have to see how that goes.

Most of my mates were shocked, as they thought I was in a kind of ‘job for life’ situation, just goes to show that you can’t take anything for granted.

Still, got into the cinema cheap yesterday, because of going in the afternoon, and saw Gangs of New York, which was pretty good, so not too unhappy jus’ now. :)

Posted on Fri, 17 January 2003 at 11:59

#5

Michael wrote:

That damn recession huh? No company is eager to hire people it seems, in fact, the fact that they let you go indicates they rather get rid of people. I’ve been trying to find a company for an internship, after four months and I don’t know how many rejection, I finally found a company where I might get a place for my internship. But things will get better hopefully in the coming year(s).
Indeed, good luck with finding a job!

Posted on Fri, 17 January 2003 at 12:48

#6

Paddy wrote:

You will just have to get drunk and headbang !!!!!

Posted on Fri, 17 January 2003 at 14:25

#7

dano wrote:

How can he, he’ll have no money?

That sounds weird though..you weren’t sacked or made redundant? I don’t get how that works…surely if there’s no positions available/ your job has been scrapped ( In my experience that always means the bosses have awarded themselves a higher salary ) then you should have been made redundant along with a pay off. The only other alternative would be to sack you, and as you have already said, you’ve done no wrong doing so you’d be able to claim for unfair dismissal.

If you’ve gone via mutual consent, whereas from the tone of your post you’ve obviously not, then surely there’s some wrong doing on your former employer’s part? And what the fuck does “mutual consent” mean anyway?! Usually when I hear of people who have left via that manner, it means they were going to get sacked but were offered the chance to bow out without having to own up to what they did once they were booted out!

And what about signing on? If you’ve been made redundant you’re entitled to benefits straight away, if you get sacked don’t you have to wait for over 3 months til you’re entitled to any money? If you leave the job you can’t claim for at least 11 weeks ( I got stiffed royal once with that excuse! )

It sounds odd..a bit too odd. Have you thought of seeking some legal advice? You may be entitled to some cash that they think they’ve got away without having to pay you.

Posted on Sat, 18 January 2003 at 04:06

#8

Citizen Erased wrote:

The people I worked for were keen to avoid the redundancy word as, due to the nature of the work, they’d only have redundancies because they were doing badly so no-one was laid-off we all just left one lunchtime. Basically an employer can do whatever they want provided the employee agrees, and when the choice is either take the money and run or wait 6 months for an employment tribunal (where I would have won a claim for unfair dismissal) which would probably pay out a bit less, especially if I’d found another job, it’s pretty tough not to go quietly (if I could have afforded to, I would have told them to sod off in nice clear letters).

So mutual consent basically meant I had to choose between being paid to be fucked over or being fucjed over and paid less into the bargain. My main concern was that it would look like I’d been “sacked” for some undisclosed misdemeanour, so I did manage to get a decent reference out of them in return for going quietly.

The whole thing’s been passed a solicitor and I’ve got a legal background, so I’m pretty clear where I stand. At least, unlike some of the others that went, I was looking to leave anyway and this way I got paid to go. Assuming I get a job within a few months, it’s going to leave me slightly better off.

Had an interview today, so fingers crossed… When I do get something, getting drunk and headbanging is high on the agenda!

Posted on Mon, 20 January 2003 at 19:28

#9

White Psycho wrote:

redundancy is bad publicity, so mutal agreement just makes them feel good, its probably because a guy used the company’s credit card to pay for a hooker like in american beauty

Posted on Mon, 20 January 2003 at 19:39

#10

Citizen Erased wrote:

Title: My Fool Life

The upside to it all was that it meant that I was probably going to be able to move down to London to live with my girlfriend of 4 years. However, she now says that she wants me to move down and live on my own for 6 months so that she can move out of her parents and live with her (female) mate from University for a bit (they’re both 22 and have never lived away from home except in college at Uni), I’m 29) - with no guarantee that she’ll move in with me at the end of it.

I only ever started to look for a job in London because I wanted to move in with her (otherwise I’d much rather have stayed in Newcastle), and the fact that I was looking led to me losing my old job - and now it’s going to be much harder to get a new job back in Newcastle because there isn’t much going on jobswise at the moment - so I’m pretty stuck with having to move to London and not live with her.

Really feel like I need the new T? album to rock it’s arse off.

Posted on Tue, 21 January 2003 at 09:03

#11

Paddy wrote:

The things we do for sex eh citizen !!!!!!!

Posted on Tue, 21 January 2003 at 09:45

#12

Karl wrote:

What were the names of your companies? so that we all know in future how they treat their employees.

Posted on Tue, 21 January 2003 at 12:36

#13

Citizen Erased wrote:

Paddy wrote:

The things we do for sex eh citizen !!!!!!!

Or possibly the things we used to do - am not sure any more if the relationship is going anywhere or if I should cut my losses and run.

Miserable sod that I am. Flippant remarks will resume soon.

Posted on Wed, 22 January 2003 at 11:23

#14

Paddy wrote:

Never trust women mate is the best advice in the World !!!!!!!!!

Posted on Wed, 22 January 2003 at 14:13

#15

Citizen Erased wrote:

That would only leave blokes, and it was a bloke that took away my job (I didn’t lose it, it was stolen!).

Am going to hide under some pillows now.

Ironic for my parents - a few years ago they moved into a smaller house than the one I gre up in because my sister and I had both moved out. Now she’s moved back (with her small son) and I’m about to do the same…

Posted on Thu, 23 January 2003 at 13:14

#16

Paddy wrote:

Bet your as popular as a sausage roll at a barmitzvah then !!

Posted on Thu, 23 January 2003 at 14:18

#17

Citizen Erased wrote:

Actually, they’ve been really cool and supportive throughout the whole job loss/girlfriend being a cow thing, as has my sister.

Girlfriend still thinks that we shouldn’t live together but that I should nevertheless up sticks and move 300 miles so that we can ‘get used to being around each other’. Humbug.

Sent off an application form to join a monastry today…

Posted on Fri, 24 January 2003 at 12:14

#18

Paddy wrote:

I have the opposite, my girlfriend of three years wants to move in with me and I’m not keen. Only a distance of a mile tho !!!

Posted on Fri, 24 January 2003 at 14:20

#19

Sabotage wrote:

The world of work picks up today. Although my job is extinct in a couple of months, my girlfriend has managed to get a job today. Fantastic.
Soon it’ll be my turn to loaf around at home all day. :)

Hi Citizen. Your girlfriend situation sounds like a bit of a puzzler. Get it sorted soon mate.

Posted on Fri, 24 January 2003 at 14:22

#20

Citizen Erased wrote:

AM trying to, but she doesn’t want to discuss things today, as it’s all a bit of a strain on her. on top of a hard week at work…

Probably not as bad as a hard week not at work ;)

Posted on Fri, 24 January 2003 at 15:59

#21

dano wrote:

Bollocks to it..bin her! Get a new job and a new girlfriend, do what YOU want to do and to hell with the rest. Take time out for the old cliched period of self introspection.., if you can’t listen to yourself who can you listen to?! From what you’ve posted it sounds as though you could be ready to start a new chapter in your life!

And Dan’s cliche counter now stands at 2,350 on the cliche-ometer!

That might sound a bit harsh, maybe we could do with some female input on this one?

Posted on Sat, 25 January 2003 at 02:21

#22

Citizen Erased wrote:

What I want is to be happy with her though :( Which seems to be what she wants too :) But we have different ways of getting there.

Last night in Newcastle tonight! Bugger.

Posted on Mon, 27 January 2003 at 10:03

#23

Paddy wrote:

Don’t envy you moving down to live with all the southern softy cockneys, rather you than me mate !!!!!

Posted on Mon, 27 January 2003 at 11:58

#24

White Psycho wrote:

ah newcastle, good place - at times

Posted on Mon, 27 January 2003 at 21:31

#25

Paddy wrote:

Not as good as Wolverhampton !!!

Posted on Thu, 30 January 2003 at 09:37

#26

Citizen Erased wrote:

Interview tomorrow in London, and possible lead on a job in Newcastle as well, so things are moving…

Am now living with my parents again, at 29, urgh, although they’re being tres cool about the whole shameful affair.

Saw my best friend’s little sister last night and found out that he’s just lost his job too. Where I lead, others follow ;)

Posted on Thu, 30 January 2003 at 11:44

#27

Sabotage wrote:

Well! The world of work takes an unexpected turn today when we are told that we haven’t got just a few weeks left, but that SOME of us could be here until the end of June. The earliest anyone will leave is the end of April now.

Which is good really. It’s a job for a few more weeks.

Posted on Fri, 7 February 2003 at 15:35

#28

Citizen Erased wrote:

Congratulations, at least that’ll give you a bit more time to look for something else. But if you do find something else and want to leave before June, will you still get redundancy or will they bugger you about?

Posted on Sun, 9 February 2003 at 10:45

#29

Sabotage wrote:

Already asked that one mate. I’m out with NO redundancy. That’s a pain.

That’s the only problem with having a VERY protracted notice period.
A great job could come up, and I could apply for it, and even get the job. I’ll lose 18 years worth of redundancy pay though.

I’ll hang on. The redundancy is worth more than 12 months salary.

Posted on Mon, 10 February 2003 at 09:20

#30

Citizen Erased wrote:

That’s a real bugger - hope you manage to get things sorted for when you do leave. Employers do seem to be able to wangle out of all sorts of commitments to their staff when they want to.

Posted on Mon, 10 February 2003 at 10:24

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