My first ‘proper’ part time job, while still at school (The & Fri eve, all day Saturday) was at Fine Fare. Three years I think – plus a summer of Saturdays before went to university. To be honest I’d say it was quite good, regular folk had regular aisles (mine was dog food…) and the tins had to be price stamped (Netto guns I think). Also repriced if prices changed.

The surrounding permanent folk, including the deli and till staff, were pretty good – and the manager and assistant manager were really very good – no sh!t taken, but there was flexibility if needed to head home early or take a shift off – basically ran a pretty tight ship but they’d get stuck in on the floor and unloading cages off the lorry, onto the conveyor, and were a pretty good example of how to manage.

@p-jay the only exception to what you’ve described there is the pick’n’mix, which is totally fair game. Just don’t get caught.

@dickydutch

Any vacancies in the legal department? 🙂

Jobs ranked from best to worst:

1) London eye (so many hot summer student temps)
2) imax (but only on Sunday nights when the good films were on)
3) dressing up as the owl mascot at Paultons park (aka peppa pig world)
4) trainee solicitor in a global law firm – if you’ve seen Industry on iPlayer you’ve got a good idea
5) garden centre dogsbody
6) posh hotel in the new forest (the weddings were fun, everything else was appalling)
7) partner in a law firm

This is an absolute fundamental rule, it’s usually made very clear at interview, it will be listed very clearly in the staff handbook and sometimes on your employment contract, it will be mentioned during training and again, first thing day 1. It’s usually given with the preamble of “I’m sure you wouldn’t but…” because to 99% of people, it’s obvious.

One place I worked seemed attract a rather unlikely number of the 1% to whom that’s not obvious. Also referred to as ‘thieving bastards’. Even older people you’d think would know better. Also quite bizarre are employees that think it’s okay to eat in front of customers. One lad sat there eating a tub of ice cream, on several occasions. “It’s okay, I’ve paid for it” “Err, doesn’t matter if you’ve paid for it. That doesn’t look good in front of customers”. He just didn’t get it, and wasn’t the only one.

Can’t be that bad if the night team-leader keeps riding you constantly😀

My worst job was also in Workington. Dogsbody in a bingo hall – mostly walking around with a big bag of coins and changing tenners for the equivalent in 20p coins.

At that time, every single punter smoked. My eyes would water from walking thorough the clouds of it, and it took days to get rid of the stink.

Every time two assistant managers were on duty my change bag was down £10 at the end of the night and it would come out of my wages. Never happened when any other managers were in the building.

Every time two assistant managers were on duty my change bag was down £10 at the end of the night and it would come out of my wages.

You should have got a good lawyer. I don’t think that is remotely legal.

My worst job resulted in me being carted off to hospital in an ambulance having physically collapsed due to stress and bullying. I only went back to clear my desk after they sacked me (got a massive payout though and the dick that caused me all the trouble got sacked at the beginning of lockdown and probably won’t work again, karma). I’m now working for a company many on here would despise, turns out the people are some of the nicest I’ve worked with and the company ethos is the total opposite of public perception. They treat their staff with respect and take their wider obligations very seriously.

Worked in retail, but a technical role providing support, so didn’t really get involved in the kind of stories described, but can believe them.
Had a similar experience when a redundancy required me to take the first job to keep the ship afloat and I ended up in a factory, I knew it wasn’t long for me, when on the first day you were ‘asked’ to sign out of the working time directive…everyone who started with me signed out as I think you’d have been out the door there and then otherwise. Sixty hour week just about kept my head above water but the bullying and abuse on the shop-floor were pretty toxic. Luckily after three months the clearances I had waited on for another job application came through and I moved on.
Sheer desperation will let you put up with a lot, but without that other job coming through I’d have been broken or institutionalised by that place!