I can't sleep because....

fields5069

There seem to be a few morning/night owls around. I've been awake since 2am, which usually only happens if I'm fretting about a guitar-related purchasing decision. Sad, but true.

However this morning it's a bit more existential, if I can call it that. We got the news on Friday that a guy who has been contracting in our team for 5 years has been made permanent. All good so far, until you consider that he's doing the same sort of job as me so would have had to have taken a 50% cut in basic salary to be at the proper grade, i.e. earning a bit more than me but fair enough he is pretty good at his job. However that is unlikely, and he told someone else that his new permie role is a grade above me.

So firstly it's a new role in that case, but there was no vacancy otherwise I would have gone for it. A few in our team would have. Hmmm. We were told that there couldn't be any more of that grade in our team, unless a vacancy were created. Hmmm. So, no interview process and here he is, in a mystery role. This is where the uneven employer/employee relationship rears its head again, in the sense that they are trusting that we keep quiet because he's a good bloke and all that, bad for the company to rock the boat, and therefore bad for everyone. Stuff process.

So feeling quite unhappy at the moment. More resigned than angry but I am starting to feel more down than I ever have. I will bring it up with my manager, as will others on my grade. I'm interested to see whether this is really a new role also. He's been doing bog standard "senior network designer" work, to be principal you need to be doing extra and at a different level.

I am somewhat trapped, living as far West as anyone reasonably could while still working in the industry, but even if I have to commute further I really need to get my CV out there, maybe start applying for random stuff which doesn't quite fit. I'm 48 and feel like I have a limited time to change, before settling down, marking time and keeping schtum.

I could have this all wrong, and clarity will prevail in the next few days. I'm feeling more and more undervalued, being quiet by nature and unlikely to make noise for the sake of it. So I'm also frustrated that my manager isn't really doing his job, in the sense that he just seems to rely on people making noise, complaining, and getting on.

Hmmmm.

Jalapeno

I'm up because the Codeine has worn off (see ouchy elbow) - it's a great painkiller - but as well as being bunged up, screws with my sleep. Time to stop again ....

fields5069

Jalapeno said:

I'm up because the Codeine has worn off (see ouchy elbow) - it's a great painkiller - but as well as being bunged up, screws with my sleep. Time to stop again ....

I've lost sleep to pain in the past, I can relate! It was a tooth with me, and 15mg codeine can only do so much.

Jalapeno

It's done its job, pain has gone.

ToneControl

make sure you are comparing like with like when you assess how much of a salary cut he has accepted
A lot of permanent staff misunderstand contractor rates, and although the headline figures look as if contractors get 100% more, it's typically 50%, and then also employees rarely consider the employer costs beyond what appears on the paypacket: Employers NIC can be very expensive, also holidays, sick pay, death in service benefit, health, etc.

Nevertheless, I can see why you are unhappy with how it's been done. It's one of my main objections to permanent roles: many employers do not treat their staff well. 

prowla

5 years in a contract makes him a "disguised employee" anyway.

On the role aspect, it sounds like the employer created the role for the person.

As far as contract rates vs. perm salary goes, the contractor doesn't get sick pay, paid holidays, pension, employers NI, free gym/etc. perks and so-on, along with overheads of running their business; this means that what can appear to be more money gross may not translate into more take-home net. (Of course, the contractor may choose not to pay into a pension and spend the money on a new beemer instead...)

On to the matter of the way employers treat their staff; there are few companies who genuinely give a rat's toss about their employees - harsh, but that's life.

My current employer is the worst I have ever worked for; the office environment is toxic with barely a week going by without someone having an argument about something! Pretty much all of the roles are professional consultant level, but HR seem to believe that they are there so crack the whip and control people, as opposed to helping them do their work and management is by telepathy.

There is a clique who engage in bullying (they sent me to coventry for a while!) and management turn a blind-eye to it. I would never go to HR with an issue if I had one, because I don't trust them.

The company changed its name last month and the first we knew about it was a memo on the Tuesday morning saying we had to be sure that we'd changed our suppliers billing by close of play that day!

The company let a contractor go last week and this week one of the salesmen; they then talk about issues with churn rates. Most people talk about when they leave, rather than if. I interviewed someone last week and it turned out it was for a role in my team that I didn't know about - there's only me and one other person do that and I don't think there's an increase in headcount.

I'm there because the work is interesting, but my patience has worn pretty thin, I have to say.

fields5069

It is just the way it's been done. If he is a principal then it'll be because he wanted a salary which HR wouldn't sanction at senior level, and fair play to him. His existing role isn't principal though, hence a new role has been created. If it turns out that he's a senior then it's far more straightforward as it's just a contract role being made permanent - there's no new role to advertise.

strumjoughlamps

fields5069 said:

Jalapeno said:

I'm up because the Codeine has worn off (see ouchy elbow) - it's a great painkiller - but as well as being bunged up, screws with my sleep. Time to stop again ....

I've lost sleep to pain in the past, I can relate! It was a tooth with me, and 15mg codeine can only do so much.

I have spent the last 4 months with sciatica, plenty of sleepless nights.. slowly getting better though so [fingersxxxd] I will get 2+ solid hours sleep soon.

Iamnobody

fields5069 said:

It is just the way it's been done. If he is a principal then it'll be because he wanted a salary which HR wouldn't sanction at senior level, and fair play to him. His existing role isn't principal though, hence a new role has been created. If it turns out that he's a senior then it's far more straightforward as it's just a contract role being made permanent - there's no new role to advertise.

If that is the case - I wouldn't waste your energy thinking about until you know the facts.

Enjoy your weekend and fuck work.

fields5069

Yeah fair point, he's a bit of a bullshitter so you never know. The type of person who you think is fun because he's gossiping about another teammate, until you realise that's probably what he's doing to you too.

randella

fields5069 said:

Yeah fair point, he's a bit of a bullshitter so you never know. The type of person who you think is fun because he's gossiping about another teammate, until you realise that's probably what he's doing to you too.

This is key. I tend not to take anything at face value until I know, there are too many people like your guy who have a vested interest in bending the facts.

Besides, it's the weekend - your company don't own you, balls to them until Monday!

fields5069

Only tomorrow is an idiotically-organised "jolly". These days we get vendors to sponsor such events, so it's a drive to their office, the morning is ours to be spoken at by various internal presenters, and then the vendor gets to put a few pitches and demos in the afternoon. Then the vendor is buying us dinner. Normally we'd have a hotel organised and then do some charity work the next day, but that's been cancelled so it's a sober bite to eat and make excuses as soon as the dessert is scoffed. Normally I'd skip dinner, but the office is off J10 of the M4 so we can either sneak out at 3 or sit tight til 7 or 8.

Phil_aka_Pip

struct contractor
{
  void documentation;
  unsigned timesheets;
  long lunches;
  int hiring_him_again;
};

fields5069

Apparently there's nothing illegal about filling a position without advertising. Immoral, certainly. Illegal, no.

axisus

I was really pissed off with 'stuff' at work a few weeks ago. I had a couple of days feeling extremely fed up and considering looking elsewhere, but I ended up giving myself a great big metaphorical slap around the face and admitting that it would be mad to consider a move. 

Filling a position at my work absolutely can't be done without advertising and doing interviews. We have to do everything by the book and it is fully auditable. This is a joke to be honest as we had to drag 4 people in for interview recently but the boss knew that he was giving the job to an internal candidate that had worked with us for a year.

Phil_aka_Pip

axisus said:

Filling a position at my work absolutely can't be done without advertising and doing interviews. We have to do everything by the book and it is fully auditable. This is a joke to be honest as we had to drag 4 people in for interview recently but the boss knew that he was giving the job to an internal candidate that had worked with us for a year.

An educational establishment wasted my time in that manner a few years ago. I sussed within minutes at the interview that they were going through the motions because they'd already decided who was going to get the job, and it wasn't me. It left me determined never to apply for such a job ever again, regardless of how much the dole office might pressurise me.

axisus

Phil_aka_Pip said:

axisus said:

Filling a position at my work absolutely can't be done without advertising and doing interviews. We have to do everything by the book and it is fully auditable. This is a joke to be honest as we had to drag 4 people in for interview recently but the boss knew that he was giving the job to an internal candidate that had worked with us for a year.

An educational establishment wasted my time in that manner a few years ago. I sussed within minutes at the interview that they were going through the motions because they'd already decided who was going to get the job, and it wasn't me. It left me determined never to apply for such a job ever again, regardless of how much the dole office might pressurise me.

You need to just go for it really and see it as interview practice if it looks like that. We employed someone a few years ago and within two weeks some funding came in so we were able to give the second place person a job as well. Ironically he was better at the job than the first person.

fields5069

Speaking of applying for positions, we have a contract vacancy in our team at the moment, and my manager asked me to look at a few CVs. Imagine my delight when I saw the CV of someone I'd had the misfortune of working with at another operator. I already knew he was incompetent as I had worked with him, and a quick email to a mate at said operator confirmed what I thought - he lied about his time there and the nature of the work he was involved in. It look them 5 years to force him out (permie position). Bullet dodged!

Foster

fields5069 said:

Apparently there's nothing illegal about filling a position without advertising. Immoral, certainly. Illegal, no.

Why is it Immoral? My position wasn't advertised as it was created for me.

Come to think of it our current interviews tend to go as "You start tomorrow"

randella

Foster said:

fields5069 said:

Apparently there's nothing illegal about filling a position without advertising. Immoral, certainly. Illegal, no.

Why is it Immoral? My position wasn't advertised as it was created for me.

I feel it's a lot less immoral than advertising a vacancy for which you've already lined up a candidate. 

I've had at least one of those interviews where you just know from the off that you're pissing in the wind. Demoralising in the extreme. 

menamestom

I couldn’t sleep last night because of @Floof ;

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/115809/netflix-mindhunter-no-spoilers#latest

Went to bed at 12, 15 minutes to watch before sleep.

Turned it off at 3am