Working Conditions

[MarillionFan]

No wonder your shop didn't last

It was in Birmingham for a Russian chap. Never again.

[craig1]

One place I was at was atrocious. Not so much the environment but the people making the worst of it. Huge battery farm type floor as described above but liveable, just. Uncomfortable chairs and tiny desks that were probably last given a rough wipe down clean back in the 1970s when they were bought. Half the floor full of Bobs, all with their tiffin boxes on their desks*.

No-one walked to other people to talk, they simply stood up and shouted at each other up and down the troughs, sorry rows, impossible to have a phone conversation due to racket. Non-directors were not allowed to use the meeting rooms; lower status people were expected to use the ratty sofas in the middle of the battery farm floor for meetings.

Toilets were cleaned once a day and by 11am all had piles of tissues in the corner from the overflowing bin and the toilet seats and floor had been liberally sprayed by half the Bobs on the floor; occasionally they'd do an extra clean if it got "too bad".

Canteen was unsubsidised and had greasy sloppies whose sole job was to microwave miscellaneous food and pour coffee then charge full high street prices for the privilege. Water fountain on floor was essentially unused as no-one wanted to use a water fountain where you could see people actually touching the fountain bit with their mouth.

One week after my start I started my renegotiation on a "I work from home 4 days a week or you can have my notice" basis. They declined, I left the same day after mutual agreement. I've never been so happy being benched in my life.

* I really like a curry but the smell of 100+ of them at once is overwhelming.

[lukemg]

Well known phone reseller in Stoke, offered me a lifeline and stepping stone to better prospects so took a deep breath and went there (perm too). Office was semi-converted warehouse unit (they had put carpet tiles in), still full height, toilets from long ago, roasting in summer/freezing in winter.
Desks tiny (room for PC + A4 pad)in long lines and so close that anyone walking down the long line behind your desk bumped every chair.
THE most uncomfortable cheap office chair I have ever seen, body was in pain for weeks until I adapted to the physical stresses (they were all like that). Mgmt by screaming at people, 3-4 leaving speeches EVERY Friday out of 60 strong team. Next to a call centre area which you could hear constant noise from. Hopeless canteen hatch on site, nowhere local to go instead. Standard hours 9-6.
Took me 8 long months to get a contract with large pharma, boss never spoke to me from moment I told him I was going.
Took me back a couple of days ago when perm in here was chatting to someone in the very cosy office I am now in. Yeah, still in this s**thole with a broken blind.
I was desperate at the time but NEVER AGAIN.

[eek]

I was desperate at the time but NEVER AGAIN.

You do know that is where ATW leant all his management (and people) skills.

I've got to admit that the Crewe branch was a fair bit better than that although I remember arriving at the other Crewe based sister (repairs) building and thinking how on earth do people work here.

[Spacecadet]

Well known phone reseller in Stoke,

Caudwell group by any chance?

I had an interview there once for a team leader position. They seemed like a right bunch of w**kers.

[lukemg]

Actually, now I think on, it was Crewe, not Stoke and not in the main office. On the good side it has toughened me up as I know no matter where I go it won't be as bad as that so I don't really fear anything or anyone in a work situation.
Worked hard ever since to put myself in a position where I would never have to put up with this, warchest ready for a long seige if needed.

[eek]

Actually, now I think on, it was Crewe, not Stoke and not in the main office. On the good side it has toughened me up as I know no matter where I go it won't be as bad as that so I don't really fear anything or anyone in a work situation.
Worked hard ever since to put myself in a position where I would never have to put up with this, warchest ready for a long seige if needed.

Well I never really had problems but the management by screaming technique failed when I sat there and simply ignored the requests he made.

Mind you I was a contractor with more access to the core systems than any of the permies as it was me who fixed the data integrity when things went wrong. There were an awful large number of implied threats I could make to the screamers which they could do nothing about.

[BlasterBates]

At one company I worked at the IT department was at the bottom of a lake. It was really rough with really long hours, we had to get up before we'd gone to bed, and if we were lucky we could eat coal for breakfast.

[TraceRacing]

At one company I worked at the IT department was at the bottom of a lake. It was really rough with really long hours, we had to get up before we'd gone to bed, and if we were lucky we could eat coal for breakfast.

AND you had to walk there, uphill both ways, in snow, with no shoes?

[craig1]

At one company I worked at the IT department was at the bottom of a lake. It was really rough with really long hours, we had to get up before we'd gone to bed, and if we were lucky we could eat coal for breakfast.

Tha wer't spoilt... I bet they even gave you matches so you could light the coal to stay warm and see what you were doing. A bit like the ready-brek kids in the 80s adverts.