How safe is your job at the moment?

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

I work in the public sector and got told today by my bosses that my job will be safe for the foreseeable future. This follows on from 4 months of uncertainty and recent rumours that my job could be at massive risk.

 

Feel relieved to be honest, but at the same time am worried about colleagues who are close friends, whose jobs are likely to go. Lots of uncertainty as 50+ jobs from head office are being deleted and more from local offices.

 

My biggest fear was getting the dreaded news just before Xmas. Been looking around for jobs recently, but not extensively and it's fucking grim out there.

 

Anyone else in the same boat?

[benite]

I manage in retail and its been desperate this year, I'll be shocked if we turn over anything near what we turned last year! Xmas scares the fuck out of me.

 

Im worried!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

No idea what 2012 will bring. I think ill have a job but not in the position im in now which salary wise isn't too good!

[L19red]

my current contract ends a week on Monday. lots of talk of extensions but no paperwork yet. Been squirreling a few bob away over the last year so not too bad in the short term.

[Ted]

Dunno to be honest. The powers that be have let it be known that they want to basically rid the city of signalboxes and have us all under the one roof - possibly in Manchester.

 

I might be alright when it comes to keeping my job if/when the moves are made as I've still got potentially thirty-odd years left on the job (cries).

 

This is the first time in the eight years I've been doing the job that there's been serious question marks regarding our jobs. Hopefully I'll be alright, like. Fuck everyone else.

[Carradona]

Gis' a job, someone.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Been two sets of redundancies in past 12 months and more staff are leaving for a "secondment" next week.

 

Looking grim thanks to the automation of things that used to require people and lowering in demand for Tue service

[Lee909]

About as safe as can be at the moment.

We have had the staffing levels from 15 guards a day(day+night shift) down to 7 slowly over the past 6 years.We can't drop anymore and I have been nowhere near going yet.

Terrible time for some though,having gone through all the interviews and stress twice

I sympathise with anyone else going through it.

[lifetime fan]

Been two sets of redundancies in past 12 months and more staff are leaving for a "secondment" next week.

 

Looking grim thanks to the automation of things that used to require people and lowering in demand for Tue service

 

No wonder I'm still fucking waiting for checks on new staff.

[lifetime fan]

It's always been a running joke that there is never a recession in mental health or LD, there is now under this lot.

[longballs]

Grim is the word indeed. I am actually struggling to think of anyone I know that doesn't have a degree of uncertainty around their job at the moment.

 

When I joined my current place of work 10+ years ago it was seen as very, very safe - a job for life if that was what I wanted. Now they are merging/consolidating and senior management are openly encouraging staff to look elsewhere ahead of cuts before April.

[Allan]

I was outsourced by Zurich to CSC in April of last year, and now my role is being offshored. We're actively going through a Knowledge Transfer process at the moment.

 

There are still some legal stumbling blocks keeping the role here, plus the guys we're "training*" are basically useless. Nice people, but will just never understand what the role entails.

 

*We're not allowed to call it training, but rather, Knowledge Transfer, even though it quite clearly is training, as the guys have no mainframe experience what so ever.

[Einch]

Being made redundant which usually happens after a couple of years. I think I have my next job lined up now as long as I don't piss off the guy I'm meeting tomorrow as a final chat.

[Chairman Meow]

Currently employed till September 2012 on a part time contract in public sector. No idea from that point onwards.

[Uncle_Meat]

PC retail has nosedived around here in the last year or so, most of my takings are down to repairs, which involve the gubbermint taking their 20% of flesh + tax from my takings.

 

After the next VAT bill, time to deregister. Not so bad if all the takings are retail as input/output tax balances out but, with most of the takings now being on a purely labour basis, can't see the point in losing + 1/5 of that in tax.

 

What that means for my job? Well, things are OK still to pay myself a moderate income. Below minumum wage for the hours I do mind you, but still a shitload better than signing on.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

PC retail has nosedived around here in the last year or so, most of my takings are down to repairs, which involve the gubbermint taking their 20% of flesh + tax from my takings.

 

After the next VAT bill, time to deregister. Not so bad if all the takings are retail as input/output tax balances out but, with most of the takings now being on a purely labour basis, can't see the point in losing + 1/5 of that in tax.

 

What that means for my job? Well, things are OK still to pay myself a moderate income. Below minumum wage for the hours I do mind you, but still a shitload better than signing on.

 

I can only imagine the coin you must have been earning at varous points in years gone by compared to nowMeaty, it's grim at the moment for most it seems.

[L19red]

PC retail has nosedived around here in the last year or so, most of my takings are down to repairs, which involve the gubbermint taking their 20% of flesh + tax from my takings.

 

After the next VAT bill, time to deregister. Not so bad if all the takings are retail as input/output tax balances out but, with most of the takings now being on a purely labour basis, can't see the point in losing + 1/5 of that in tax.

 

What that means for my job? Well, things are OK still to pay myself a moderate income. Below minumum wage for the hours I do mind you, but still a shitload better than signing on.

 

if your money is all from services then why not go on the Flat Rate VAT scheme?

[Remmie]

Wow I'm feeling pretty lucky reading this thread.

 

My job is pretty safe I'd say, there is always a 'risk' of our jobs going to Barcelona or South Africa and I think I'd get over having to work at either! Even if my role went to one of those places I could get a job on days keeping the same money hopefully.

 

If the worst happened Network rail have just built a massive purpose built headquarters with allegedly 850 jobs in IT and are supposedly paying a lot better than my place. Also has a gym and 70% off rail.

 

The moral of the story is move to Milton Keynes.

[Uncle_Meat]

Yep, fucking grim all over.

 

Some of the problem is me, I'm sure. I'm just not ruthless enough to be a good capitalist businessman in that regard. Money does not have enough of a hold over me for me to be interested in working myself into an early grave in order to acquire it. So long as I can feed the cat, pay the rent and all that, I'm happy enough.

 

That does fuck me up a bit with some retail sales, as I just can't bring myself to do the whole hard sell thing without feeling like a cunt. "£50 for Norton Internet Security Sir? A fine investment. Need to write simple letters? Openoffice won't do that Sir, you need to spunk £80-odd quid on Office 2010 H&S." Nope. Just can't do it.

 

Can't do rip-off repairs either. Just replaced the screen on a customers lappy. 15.6" LCD. She was quoted £150. £150? People must pay it though.. The screen cost me £40 and takes 20 minutes to fit at most. I felt twatty charging her £90 inc. She was chuffed to the tits as it was way cheaper than anywhere else.

 

More online retailers and the likes of large supermarkets with heavily discounted stuff is what's knocked the arse out of a lot of it, plus a lot more people are feeling the pinch too, so are a lot more willing to get the odd repair to extend the life of their existing equipment rather than replace it with shiny new stuff.

 

Bottom line is, I do all of this on my tod. I've worked out I can keep myself just one step ahead of the game, which is a nice, albeit slightly frugal, place to be without having to knock myself out and also, in doing that, keep my annual turnover below the VAT threshold.

 

It's still better than signing on...

[kelster]

No idea how safe mine is. During the last recession I went and asked for a pay rise and got it. This time I've paid off all the money I owe and am now just hoping for the best.

[Pony Princess]

I work as a software developer and this week was finished at a job (I wasn't happy with the work they were giving me and they were not happy that I wasn't overly passionate about the work) but was offered a job the next day in Southport which I accepted. The IT industry is perking up considerably in the north-west right now.

 

I've kinda gone from doing a job for 4+ years to scooting around and doing jobs for a year or so and moving on. This is kinda common in this business but it means you are often on probation and are easy to get rid of.

 

My problem is that I will never live for work. I hate working and no job will ever make me happy, this I am sure of - unless I had enough money to live and just did voluntary work with animals or mongs. Ideally though I'd just like a smallholding and try at self-sufficiency. When you are in a professional-level job, you have to have that smiley, get up and go attitude a lot and its fucking hard slapping on the makeup every morning and getting into that mode - especially when the best part of your job is payday.

 

Worst comes to worst I'd just have to move to Mongchester or Warrington because there are about 5 times as many software dev jobs there as there is Liverpool - but its getting better.

[Strontium]

My job is totally safe! Safeish. Totally safeish.

 

We planned to lose about 120 staff, 90 have gone already and 60 more want to go, but it looks like we probably have to lose more than 120 anyway.

 

I'm not super worried, if it comes to compulsory losses then I've worked there about 10 years and would get about a year's wages in redundancy pay. We are quite lucky in that regard and it would also be the kick up the arse I need to get me to do something worthwhile with my life.

[cochyn]

I'm in architecture and after 4 years of ceaseless battering (66% job cuts at ours) the whole industry is on the bones of it's arse and living on optimism. I'm relatively safe for the moment - as in, I'm not on P45 watch - but if one big job gets cancelled it'll be curtains for those of us that are left.

 

A mate and former colleague is off to Oman to work for three years. He's basically foregone family, friends and any hope of ever settling in the UK to earn a living. Tough choice. I doubt he'll get to come back.

[Phoenix]

Unsure about my job prospects but certainly not safe. It just means to have to work harder, longer hours and for less pay hoping that its doesnt go pear shaped.

[Captain]

I must say I feel privileged reading this thread. My job is bulletproof. And I like IT.

[Stacey.]

I think it's safe atm.