Unreasonable request from work?

£20 a night is fine for food. I was placed in central London on that exact amount and was fine on it. I had to live in a hotel for 8 months Monday to Friday.

It's horrible being away from home and I quit when the project was over as I wasn't going to do it again, but I got the job done.

Sharing a room will be horrible though so that is the one thing I would say no to. I always did the job I was asked but would never share a room as living away full time is hard and having your own space in the evenings at least let's you call home, have a beer or watch a film to get over the days work.
 
Spenty said:
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.
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It is quite annoying... I don't understand it either, as all the money is coming from a project travel budget. It doesn't cost the University a penny - if the budget is not used then the remainder has to be returned to the EU. I guess some people must have been abusing the system somehow.

Unfortunately, being a large organisation with layer upon layer of bureaucracy, there isn't really any recourse for us. I do like your suggestion of sitting with nothing however. There's nothing to stop me nipping to McDonalds first, then just order nothing during the meal. Sure I'd look like a bit of a prat being the only one out of 30 people not ordering, but I can always say I'm fasting or something...
 
The direct gov website is quite useful could be something that might help on there. Worst case scenario I would try to negotiate further compense/pay and at least a room of my own!
 
Are they actually saying they will give you 20 a night, or you can claim up to 20 a night? Every place I have worked I could claim cost of living by putting in receipts, not just a nice 20 per night in my wage. Ways round that were getting the hotel to just flat rate a meal at 20 and just getting a sandwich and couple of beers and pocketing the rest after claiming it.

I'd never share a room away for work, nor would I expect any of my staff to share either!
 
To be honest since it's a short term thing, and to get involved in the Olympics and help out my company I'd do it for no extra pay, just as long as I wasn't out of pocket and I wasn't sharing a room. Sure it'd be nice to get extra cash for it, but I'd be happy to help out.
 
I'm sat here thinking "Your company is taking the ****"

Yet when I was younger I'd work away in London and I was regularly holed up in the cheapest B&B the boss could find with five other work mates in the same room.
Can you imagine the hygiene of 5 steel erectors!
Come dinner time you were lucky if you got enough money out of the boss for the actual main course meal in a pub, which was usually around the £5 mark!!!
We all did it though...
Mugs?
Probably!

How times change though, Last month I was asked to go out to California to map two cars... I turned it down. :o

So in conclusion I guess what I'm saying is that times have changed and no way would I consider sharing a room with some urchin for five months.
I'd take the £20 offer but refuse point blank about sharing.
Room of your own or Sod off. :D
 
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so wait? see if i've got this right?
You're company is giving you day release to complete a masters and is most likely going to offer an engineers role once completed.
Secondly your company is asking you to do 4 months stint in ascot and you're getting extra pay of £20?
Sound lovely to me, but then what do I know.
The thing you should be concearned about is your company is giving you day release, if you rub them up the wrong way pretty sure they can cancel this and screw you royally.

if there not giving you day release ignore above.
But jsut rember a person that goes out of there way gets noticed by managers and bosses.
I'd take the hit, if you need to get stuff done for uni, either email/video call or book a holiday. but thats jsut me
 
kefkef said:
Are they actually saying they will give you 20 a night, or you can claim up to 20 a night? Every place I have worked I could claim cost of living by putting in receipts, not just a nice 20 per night in my wage. Ways round that were getting the hotel to just flat rate a meal at 20 and just getting a sandwich and couple of beers and pocketing the rest after claiming it.

I'd never share a room away for work, nor would I expect any of my staff to share either!
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The night out allowance is £20 per night out which is then put into your pay-packet at the end of the month. So any money owed for nights out during June for example, would be in the wage paid at the end of June. It is taxed however
 
Abraxaz1 said:
so wait? see if i've got this right?
You're company is giving you day release to complete a masters and is most likely going to offer an engineers role once completed.
Secondly your company is asking you to do 4 months stint in ascot and you're getting extra pay of £20?
Sound lovely to me, but then what do I know.
The thing you should be concearned about is your company is giving you day release, if you rub them up the wrong way pretty sure they can cancel this and screw you royally.

if there not giving you day release ignore above.
But jsut rember a person that goes out of there way gets noticed by managers and bosses.
I'd take the hit, if you need to get stuff done for uni, either email/video call or book a holiday. but thats jsut me
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Sorry that isn't always the case. I've seen guys work their back off and for other people to walk straight into the job they could have been promoted to.
 
The Halk said:
It isn't Matty, perhaps it's the morbidly obese, hygienically challenged colleague?
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lol maybe he doesn't like the OP:D


To be honest I think its not on. Unless they are paying you an hourly rate whilst your in the hotel. In which case they can call the shots.

I've had guys in hotels overnight and it's never occurred to me about making them share its not something I would want to do.

I've sent an email to an employment law specialist I know. Lets see what he says
 
Abraxaz1 said:
so wait? see if i've got this right?
You're company is giving you day release to complete a masters and is most likely going to offer an engineers role once completed.
Secondly your company is asking you to do 4 months stint in ascot and you're getting extra pay of £20?
Sound lovely to me, but then what do I know.
The thing you should be concearned about is your company is giving you day release, if you rub them up the wrong way pretty sure they can cancel this and screw you royally.

if there not giving you day release ignore above.
But jsut rember a person that goes out of there way gets noticed by managers and bosses.
I'd take the hit, if you need to get stuff done for uni, either email/video call or book a holiday. but thats jsut me
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My work isn't related to my studies. My taught modules are condensed into a solid week of lecturers and followed up by an assignment. Any time that I have spent in university has only been made possible through the use of my holidays. For the last couple of years my study has taken up the brunt of my holiday entitlement.

As a side note, I wont see any significant promotion at this employment. They would rather pay a premium and hire externally than promote individuals internally.

mattyg said:
lol maybe he doesn't like the OP:D


To be honest I think its not on. Unless they are paying you an hourly rate whilst your in the hotel. In which case they can call the shots.

I've had guys in hotels overnight and it's never occurred to me about making them share its not something I would want to do.

I've sent an email to an employment law specialist I know. Lets see what he says
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Thanks Matt, I'll be interested to see what he says.
 
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I wouldn't be totally surprised if the company was to use the higher price of accomodation during the Olympics as the reason why they'd expect you to share with a colleague. If it was just for a night or two then while being a bit unimpressed with it I wouldn't necessarily be hugely bothered if I got on with the colleague but that's not the situation here it seems.
 
Everything seems fine except the room sharing is not really standard for business activities. I had to do a lot of trips during my PhD and occasionally had to share


You also have to see what the hotel room is like. I worked for a year in California staying in a hotel suite shared with a colleague, but this hotel quite had 2 separate bedrooms and a living-dining-kitchen area. Works out much cheaper than 2 separate hotel rooms and is perfectly adequate.
 
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