Soldato
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- 7 Feb 2004
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- North East
I think I'd want a bonus for working away, as well as a food allowance and decent board.
Unreasonable request from work?
- Thread starter Goodie
- Start date
Thanks for the input folks. I don’t mean to come across as bratty, however it’s just something that I really don’t think I can do. I never signed up to working away, and I think that a company all dictating my life for 24 hours a day for 5 days of a week is a little extreme. I think I'm going to let them know that I am unwilling to work for the conditions offered, and if it hits the fan then so be it. I could possibly deal with the working away and the night out allowance, however the conditions outside of paid work time and the duration expected just comes across as unreasonable. I also don't want work to adversely affect the studies that I am working hard on and that are nearing their conclusion.
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Associate
- Joined
- 23 Aug 2004
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- 1,493
I wouldn't accept that.
I would tell your company you are willing to do the work but that given you are giving up timefrom home you have some conditions....ie your laptop to continue your studies and a private room.
Just as an example, when I worked abroad I had a flat, food allowance, per diem and a picked up the cost of a flight for staying abroad.
They're asking a lot of you, it's only fair they take care of you.
I would tell your company you are willing to do the work but that given you are giving up timefrom home you have some conditions....ie your laptop to continue your studies and a private room.
Just as an example, when I worked abroad I had a flat, food allowance, per diem and a picked up the cost of a flight for staying abroad.
They're asking a lot of you, it's only fair they take care of you.
I'm guessing you either are quite high up, have a generous company or your company just like wasting money.
Man of Honour
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- 29 Mar 2003
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- Stoke on Trent
Can you make some story up that you have certain problems that you don't want to share with colleagues so you get your own room?
For instance, if I roomed with somebody I'd get on their nerves because I go to the toilet around 6 times a night.
For instance, if I roomed with somebody I'd get on their nerves because I go to the toilet around 6 times a night.
Totally unacceptable that they are making you share. You are an adult, not a school kid. Demand your own room.
When I have an overnight it is ALWAYS your own room, and nothing less would be acceptable. I also get £20 a night for food so I think whilst nothing to write home about, its acceptable.
When I have an overnight it is ALWAYS your own room, and nothing less would be acceptable. I also get £20 a night for food so I think whilst nothing to write home about, its acceptable.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 11 Mar 2005
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- Leafy Cheshire
No way would i accept sharing a room.
Depends on the industry and what you cost a client per day.
Depends on the industry and what you cost a client per day.
It's not even for £20 a night. That £20 is to eat out as you can't buy cheap food and cook it yourself. So it's there to cover increased costs of not being at home.
Of course they are trying to save money by making you share, they won't have any special deal with hotel. But say get lost, well more diplomatic than that. We did we said no way in hell, nothing they could do. It's not in are contract to share rooms.
Associate
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- 23 Aug 2004
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No excuses required. They're asking their employee to spend several months away from home, the least they should do is provide a stable and comfo,rtable environment. If they were suggesting a shared flat/house (which would probably be cheaper than a hotel) then maybe, sharing a hotel. Frankly extracting the urine.
I am willing to bet a lot of companies will site poor economic conditions and will use it to push employees to the limit because they know the market is tough. What normally happens is the talented staff leave and companies are left with incompetent idiots (who can't get a job elsewhere) which results in a massive loss in the company's potential which has a knock on effect to earnings. Seen it many a time, but it's the short-term gain which is everything, obviously.
It would be unreasonable if you woke up with his penis waving your face
Something that I would bring up with management
On a more serious note, they should be offering you a seperate room really. Especially given the length. Your not roomies. Your work collegues and are entitled to some privacy in the nights whilst working away for the company.
Something that I would bring up with management
On a more serious note, they should be offering you a seperate room really. Especially given the length. Your not roomies. Your work collegues and are entitled to some privacy in the nights whilst working away for the company.
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Exactly what is happening in my company. 14 jobs went a few months ago. All of them left on voluntary redundancy and most of them were the best employee's in their area. I'm tempted to hand my notice in with the new travelling I will have to do at the end of this month. I'm young still and don't want to be wasting my weeks away travelling around and having no social life for a pretty poor wage compared to others doing the same job.
Oh, and add to the mix empire building managers (who have no clue how to manage and what they are doing) and the bean counters (who are out to make every saving possible to look good on the balance sheet) who prefer to keep the idiots on low-paid wages and the company slowly goes down the pan......then the owners notice and sell it quick, rinse and repeat.
Sharing a hotel room with a colleague you don't even like with poor hygiene for 5 days a way for over 4 months is absolutely ridiculous. If you talk to them and they don't budge I'd tell 'em to shove their job where the sun don't shine. I'd rather be on the dole than work under those conditions.
Regarding the general question of "food allowance": We also get an allocation of up to £15 per night when we are overseas (I work at a University). That is, we can claim back up to £15 per night in food costs - not that I receive the £15 anyway with the view to it being spent on food. We would never in a million years be expected to share a hotel room though... That's fairly rancid.
If I have a "free" night (i.e. one where I can make my own eating arrangements) then £15 per night is usually plenty. All major cities have places to eat cheaply, even if it's a McDonalds. Unfortunately these are fairly rare...
The problem comes with the pre-arranged dinners. At EU project meetings the dinner is something of an extension of the meeting. The things usually last 2-3hrs, and represent the "discussion" portion of the meeting. As such they aren't really optional... Mostly the host will choose the restaurant, and usually they choose high-end places that 'show off' the quality of the food in the city. These meals can often run at 60-100 euro.
Until recently we were able to reclaim all "reasonable" costs against our project budget (in the same way we do the flights and accommodation costs), but the University has now implemented a £15 per day food limit for some reason, which leaves me significantly out of pocket. I can lose out on two or three hundred euro per trip on a five-night meeting, which isn't something I can really afford to do on a regular basis.
If I have a "free" night (i.e. one where I can make my own eating arrangements) then £15 per night is usually plenty. All major cities have places to eat cheaply, even if it's a McDonalds. Unfortunately these are fairly rare...
The problem comes with the pre-arranged dinners. At EU project meetings the dinner is something of an extension of the meeting. The things usually last 2-3hrs, and represent the "discussion" portion of the meeting. As such they aren't really optional... Mostly the host will choose the restaurant, and usually they choose high-end places that 'show off' the quality of the food in the city. These meals can often run at 60-100 euro.
Until recently we were able to reclaim all "reasonable" costs against our project budget (in the same way we do the flights and accommodation costs), but the University has now implemented a £15 per day food limit for some reason, which leaves me significantly out of pocket. I can lose out on two or three hundred euro per trip on a five-night meeting, which isn't something I can really afford to do on a regular basis.
That should be discussed as there is no way on earth I'd be working away and losing money to effectively keep up with the others buying expensive food. I think I'd rather sit with nothing.
I had one of the most fun weeks of my life last Summer...14 of us got sent to Bratislava (we all shared rooms
) for 2 weeks straight, a weekend home, then another week. Every night we were out..eating..drinking..we even found a 24 hour (!!!) LAN cafe. So after spending 9 - 5.30 working together (in ONE big room) a few of us would then spend most of the evening, and some nights until about 3am just having fun.. We also got chatting to one of the local barmaids, and then met up with her and her friends another night (they showed us the 24hr lan cafe place), and one of my friends (colleagues) brought her back to our hotel and well...you know the rest..Im sure he enjoyed the trip there even more then I did.
Ahhh I miss that line of work..although the travelling did get a bit long after a while!