I work for a relatively small tech company which was taken over by a not much bigger company approx 2 years ago. For the first year things continued as they were but recently things have changed.
Covid caused lots of work for us getting customers to a position where they could work remotely. This plus a couple of very large contracts has kept the engineering teams very busy with records numbers of hours being worked and so lots of profit being made.
The company that took us over has not been so successful as their major customers are in the retail space and so many of their staff have been furloughed for months.
As a result of Covid we have been told that no pay reviews will take place this year and any spending on training is on hold indefinitely. This seems pretty poor given the record levels of work being done - many guys are working 50+ hours per week.
Despite repeated questioning the senior management have refused to clarify the position on rolling over holidays to next year - I have cancelled booked leave several times this year to work on urgent projects.
What has really annoyed me is that the recruitment company we have worked with for 5+ years has been given the boot by the new management and replaced by a company run by the husband of one of our directors (she is also a director of this recruitment company). The old recruiter knew our business and needs very well and sourced some great candidates. The new company has no experience in our sector and has no clue about relevant skills/experience needed for our business. The decision to change recruiters was made by the director who will directly benefit to the tune of thousands of pounds from any candidates that are placed into the business.
This move seems very ethically dubious and would in, for example, the public sector be seen as corrupt practice.
Given what has happened and the lack of appreciation and reward of some very hard work morale amongst the team is very low.
I am not sure how annoyed to be about this - I am grateful still to have a job but feel that I am being taken advantage of and not rewarded for the work I am doing. I also find it hard to trust anything said by directors who have demonstrated such naked self interest.
Thoughts?
Holidays - you cannot have those removed from you - its a legal and contractual right.
the rest of it? If the business wants to fail by poor recruitment practices and flogging staff for no thanks thats up to them. Nowt to do with you
Give your CV to the good recruiter, you will be leaving soon
I have cancelled booked leave several times this year to work on urgent projects.
It does sound as if you volunteered your own leave to do this if you didn't get it in writing that you'd get it back. Presumably you got overtime?
Give your CV to the good recruiter, you will be leaving soon
^^^ that! 🙂
Give your CV to the good recruiter, you will be leaving soon
Ditto, and by your own volition.
The holiday cancellation was on the assumption that I could carry it over to next year as per government recommendations detailed below
I have asked for confirmation from HR that the company will comply with this and have not received an answer.
As a result of Covid we have been told that no pay reviews will take place this year and any spending on training is on hold indefinitely. This seems pretty poor given the record levels of work being done – many guys are working 50+ hours per week.
Are you no longer being paid fair market rate for your skills and experience? You know what to do... ...however if you are in a bit of the market which now has more people than jobs, then you might be easily and affordably replaceable. If you don't like this - you can always set up in business yourself and carry the stress and risk that comes with varying workload and the headaches of Covid.
Presumably you got overtime?
Unlikely or he'd not be moaning at working 50 hr wks whilst others were furloughed.
Holidays – you cannot have those removed from you – its a legal and contractual right.
TJ is right, but it becomes a grey area if you haven't taken them rather than they have been refused. My advice, would be to put in a holiday request now for all your remaining leave - if its rejected you have a far more robust argument than if the "records" show you simply didn't ask for it.
This move seems very ethically dubious and would in, for example, the public sector be seen as corrupt practice.
It would be looked down on in many places, not just the public sector - but its also a behaviour that is rife even in places that have policies in place to avoid it. if not direct financial gain, a mate at the golf club, an old school friend, and don't think it doesn't happen in public sector too. If your place has a procedure for escalating such concerns follow it.
The decision to change recruiters was made by the director who will directly benefit to the tune of thousands of pounds from any candidates that are placed into the business.
Presumably like more recruiters is paid for success - so if they don't find you good candidates they are carrying the risk for time/effort etc?
If the recruiters are crap then the big indicator to get out is if you get pressured to accept candidates that you wouldn't normally.
if that starts happening then get out
Give your CV to the good recruiter, you will be leaving soon
In general this. If you work in something tech based the job market isn't that bad atm. Having said that I don't know your personal job position interms of pay, conditions location and skill set so
Are you no longer being paid fair market rate for your skills and experience? You know what to do… …however if you are in a bit of the market which now has more people than jobs, then you might be easily and affordably replaceable
Is bang on
A few jobs back I worked for a company where the senior management were all idiots. I am not exaggerating. The CEO only promoted people who would not show him up.
It was very frustrating, but like a good worker, I and people around me just worked harder to try to compensate.
It turns out that if the company is run by idiots, it doesn't matter how hard you work, it's going to go down the drain.
It's a lot more fun to work for a company that is _not_ run by idiots.
Don't waste your life trying to prove me wrong on this.
Have you and the team from Old Company thought about starting up your own business? 🙂
Seems like there's work to be had and money to be made...
This move seems very ethically dubious and would in, for example, the public sector be seen as corrupt practice.
If it’s good enough for the government .......
With regards to your holidays , definitely get that sorted, don’t get stitched up for helping them out.
I’ve been in a similar situation a couple of times where I have been putting in maximum efforts just to line someone else’s pockets, with little to no appreciation for it other than token gestures when things came to a head.
That’s why I left and started my own company.
It turns out that if the company is run by idiots, it doesn’t matter how hard you work, it’s going to go down the drain.
It’s a lot more fun to work for a company that is _not_ run by idiots.
Don’t waste your life trying to prove me wrong on this.
Good point. Well made.
Does seem to be good times for start ups though.
Moving may seem like a stressful prospect given you're working such long hours...
But
If you think of it as just "seeing what's out there" ...?
Regarding your holidays, I don't think it matters whether HR reply or not. They are legally required to give you at least 28 days per year and to make sure you take it; because of covid, they can spread that obligation into the next 2 years but they can't scrap it.
The rest of your concerns aren't about ethics, they're about management competence. You just have to decide whether you want to work there, given the way they are behaving. But this isn't a good time to change jobs, in terms of qualifying for furlough payments, etc.
When the boss shows up in his new Ferrari and tells you "if you work hard all year and meet all your targets I can get another one next year, ta!"
I'm the boss of a small tech company.....
You might find it's not a bed of roses for the guys in the management team/board, but that's no excuse for abuse of the staff and not taking care of people
On the easier of your points - you simply need to make sure you ask about the holiday situation & go as far as to make it clear what you intend to do. "I will be carrying over 10 days to next year, as per the guidelines and will book them in the usual way. trust that's ok" would be a fair enough email to HR in my book. You owe it to yourself to be this straight.
On the wider front, I'd be more concerned - sounds more like a cultural thing and you're not going to influence that - so if you're in a sector where there are good opportunities (they are out there still), I'd be on the lookout for the next move - just don't make it a knee jerk reaction and find yourself unemployed - take a breath and think about the next move, and make steps to take it......in a considered way.....
Control the controllables, is what they say isn't it - you're in control of your destiny - you not in control of theirs, so leave it to them
Just because the management are important do not assume they are clever.sounds very shortsighted of them to make the decisions they are making.very common for things to go downhill after a takeover.the emotional contract between you and them can be too high sometimes.sounds like a different company to the one you loved.some places just fo not value employees which is very shortsighted. Manage it somehow or get out.good luck.
This move seems very ethically dubious and would in, for example, the public sector be seen as corrupt practice.
Have you not been watching the news? Google "PPE procurement scandal".
It could also be that one of the benefits the company/directors who took your company over was that they'd shift the recruitment 'inhouse'.