Saturday in the office again
 

So here I am again. Yet another Saturday slaving away for free in the office trying to meet the demands of 'screw em for all they're worth' clients.
I worked about 2 saturdays in 5 years in the UK. This is my fifth in a row in Sydney despite my best efforts at resisting the pressure clients are determined to put on us.
If anyone was to ask me 'should i come to Sydney', in my present frame of mind I would say 'no, the sun may shine but you'll only see it from an office window!'.
PS. the office here is half full on this delightful Saturday and none of us get paid a cent for this!!!!! What the hell am I doing here.......

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

This only confirms the recent news of more and more people working overtime and not getting paid!

If you are in IT, that's it. Maybe IT people need to start joining the Union. Working overtime during the dotcom boom might give you a good career start. But now, forget about it. IT is going from bad to worst.

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

just out of intrest what happens if you refuse to work saturdays or was this part of your contract.?
i dont understand it. if you dont get paid for it why do it.
is it just that as a group of people the IT industry hasent the balls to say no. or are people not aware of there obligations to work weekends when they start.
please enlighten me, shaun

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

I think you answered the Question yourself........what the hell are you
doing there

"Herman" wrote in message
news:441014.1034388089@britishexpats-
.com...
    > So here I am again. Yet another Saturday slaving away for free in the
    > office trying to meet the demands of 'screw em for all they're worth'
    > clients.
    > I worked about 2 saturdays in 5 years in the UK. This is my fifth in a
    > row in Sydney despite my best efforts at resisting the pressure clients
    > are determined to put on us.
    > If anyone was to ask me 'should i come to Sydney', in my present frame
    > of mind I would say 'no, the sun may shine but you'll only see it from
    > an office window!'.
    > PS. the office here is half full on this delightful Saturday and none
    > of us get paid a cent for this!!!!! What the hell am I doing
    > here.......
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

and enlighten the rest of us too please. Are you in a contract situation?

"shaun/lor" wrote in message
news:441127.1034398327@britishexpats-
.com...
    > just out of intrest what happens if you refuse to work saturdays or was
    > this part of your contract.?
    > i dont understand it. if you dont get paid for it why do it.
    > is it just that as a group of people the IT industry hasent the balls to
    > say no. or are people not aware of there obligations to work weekends
    > when they start.
    > please enlighten me, shaun
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

If he had PR he could of course look for a more reasonable employer.

But I think I recall him sayingd he earned GBP90k a year in Sydney, I
think most of us would work Saturdays for that.

Jeremy

    >On Sat, 12 Oct 2002 17:40:39 +1000, "Robert Edwards" wrote:
    >I think you answered the Question yourself........what the hell are you
    >doing there
    >"Herman" wrote in message
    >news:441014.1034388089@britishexpat-
    >s.com    ...
    >> So here I am again. Yet another Saturday slaving away for free in the
    >> office trying to meet the demands of 'screw em for all they're worth'
    >> clients.
    >> I worked about 2 saturdays in 5 years in the UK. This is my fifth in a
    >> row in Sydney despite my best efforts at resisting the pressure clients
    >> are determined to put on us.
    >> If anyone was to ask me 'should i come to Sydney', in my present frame
    >> of mind I would say 'no, the sun may shine but you'll only see it from
    >> an office window!'.
    >> PS. the office here is half full on this delightful Saturday and none
    >> of us get paid a cent for this!!!!! What the hell am I doing
    >> here.......
    >> --
    >> Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

I'll volunteer my Sundays as well if anyone paid me that kinda money!

Peter

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

he can have a years worth of mine for half that price

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

Shaun,

I cannot answer for what "Herman" but here is some reality check.
It is all relative...to what you are used to and what you are expected
to do...
Your perspective is always based on what you have been used to and
have known to be the "norm".

I can speak from perspective of US, Canada, Australia and NZ as I have
either direct experience or very close to one in each of these
countries. Additionally I have had employees in UK and Germany.

I am sure you have heard about how workoholic US employees are, but
the truth is not so. It is more of a fear mentality and unless you
work for government or some Union Job (go find one if you can - they
are almost extinct) you are what is termed here in US as "Employee At
Will". They can let you go at a moments notice without any trouble!
You work more and more so that you are not the one with the least
hours or at least the perception that you do not put in weekends, such
that when the economy or company situation turns for worst you are not
the first one to be axed. And for US this situation has become more
of a quarterly senario now compared to annual one a few years ago.

If you are from Europe you would be more comfortable and consider your
self in much similar situation to what NZ would be. More laid back,
more relaxed and not too much expectation of weekends without pay in
office. However, this is changing in Auckland now as lot of
transplants want to make it big quickly.

Australia on the other hand is more like the US. It was not this way,
but is changing for the worse, and quickly.

At one time Japanese worked the longest hours in the world. The US
now holds this uncovetted title for at least last 6 to 8 years. The
quality of life in US is the pits compared to Canada, Australia, NZ
and most countries in EU. They have the money but what is it good for
if you do not have the time or you are constantly fearing you will
have nothing left once you are unemployed and if a major medical
crisis arises in your life. There is no universal medical coverage in
US.

In prominent evening news was a story of a man who held up a store at
gun point not to steal but to get arrested for armed robbery and get a
long jail term - for what you may ask - medical coverage! An honest
working person may not be able to afford one, but all prisoners get
free medical coverage!! Go figure.

The grass is always greener on the other side!!!

../Leo











shaun/lor wrote in message news:...
    > Originally posted by trismtr:
    > > This only confirms the recent news of more and more people working
    > > overtime and not getting paid!
    > >
    > > If you are in IT, that's it. Maybe IT people need to start joining the
    > > Union. Working overtime during the dotcom boom might give you a good
    > > career start. But now, forget about it. IT is going from bad to worst.
    > >
    > >
    > just out of intrest what happens if you refuse to work saturdays or was
    > this part of your contract.?
    > i dont understand it. if you dont get paid for it why do it.
    > is it just that as a group of people the IT industry hasent the balls to
    > say no. or are people not aware of there obligations to work weekends
    > when they start.
    > please enlighten me, shaun

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

[QUOTE][SIZE=1]Originally posted by Leo:
Shaun,


The grass is always greener on the other side!!!

../Leo


Great Leo !!!
I completely agree with you,
I have never been working in US, EU, OZ or NZ but
the grass is always greener on the other side!!!

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

[QUOTE][SIZE=1]Originally posted by carlos kiwi:
hi carlos and leo.
im sorry and not wanting to get into an argument, but in my opinion the grass is pretty much the same colour wherever you work or play.
i prefer to go along with your bit about its what youve been used to in the past. and the saying for this thread i think might be.
once a mug always a mug. but as has been said how big a mug depends a lot on how big a wad in your pocket

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

True true

"JAJ" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
net.au...
    > If he had PR he could of course look for a more reasonable employer.
    > But I think I recall him sayingd he earned GBP90k a year in Sydney, I
    > think most of us would work Saturdays for that.
    > Jeremy

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

Spending time on this forum, that's what you're doing. If I spent so much time, wrote so much I'd have to work saturdays just to catch up on everything I was supposed to do. I'd do your job if this is what you can get away with, for £60k.

Good evening
Mash...;) ;)

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

Mash, Mash, Mash - so cynical?!

Senior mgt are paid to research trends, le qui vive, what the conoscenti are doing, etc - you may consider Herman is surfing in company time but he's putting in serious, and I mean SERIOUS, extra effort to stay abreast of current affairs. That's because he's MANAGEMENT.

The other lot had better not surf in company time or they're out!

Cheers - Don

Re: Saturday in the office again
 

:D