TMR's all new "Tales from the Underworld" thread

[Just One More]

Really sorry to hear that TMR. Given all your efforts, I'm surprised. I know it doesn't help one iota, but it seems to be their loss 

[The Moan Ranger]

Right - update. Sorry for not posting earlier, but as you know, BlackBerry went tits up...

It appears that the agency have kept 6 of the original 24 on - but how much longer still hasn't been confirmed; it may only be to the end of the month. The selection criteria of who stays has not been detailed - worse, there is a suggestion it was simply names out of a hat.

The Duty Manager, Supervisors and Flight Allocators are simply aghast that I'm not being kept on - in the words of Dean (Allocator) "TMR, if I had 10 of you, we could do away with 20 of some of the full-time ones we have". It's very nice to hear that and I know that the decision on who stays is not down to them - even the Duty Managers don't get a say, it all comes "from upstairs".

A few weeks ago, after staying on late, one of the Duty Manager's drove me back to my car an en route hinted that they wanted make me permanent, but avoid doing so through the agency (as they would doubtless charge a percentage for the introduction) and that "they have my phone number" so it may be that they will contact me at a later date, once the agency involvement is fully over.

There are 11 blokes on my shift and each one has said that they cannot understand why I haven't been kept on - "TMR, you are the hardest working one of all of us and highest trained, it makes no sense". Again, very nice to hear.

I'll go to the Agency on Wednesday and see about this other position - hopefully it will tide me over for the time being and with any luck I'll be back chucking bags about before too long.

[Just One More]

Fingers are crossed for you TMR, keep by that phone, and pray for no interruption in service 

[Miss Demeanour]

The recognition that you have been doing such a good job is well deseved 

Still think the whole thing stinks over who was awarded permanent jobs and the selection /  decision making  process should be transparent and open to challenge at the very least. FFS no interviews were held so what criteria were used ?

I know you won't want to rock the boat at the moment ...I only hope this works out for you. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you. It's not an attractive look so if you could put me out of my discomfort as soon as poosible that would be most appreciated 

[Snoopy]

Right - update. Sorry for not posting earlier, but as you know, BlackBerry went tits up...

It appears that the agency have kept 6 of the original 24 on - but how much longer still hasn't been confirmed; it may only be to the end of the month. The selection criteria of who stays has not been detailed - worse, there is a suggestion it was simply names out of a hat.

The Duty Manager, Supervisors and Flight Allocators are simply aghast that I'm not being kept on - in the words of Dean (Allocator) "TMR, if I had 10 of you, we could do away with 20 of some of the full-time ones we have". It's very nice to hear that and I know that the decision on who stays is not down to them - even the Duty Managers don't get a say, it all comes "from upstairs".

A few weeks ago, after staying on late, one of the Duty Manager's drove me back to my car an en route hinted that they wanted make me permanent, but avoid doing so through the agency (as they would doubtless charge a percentage for the introduction) and that "they have my phone number" so it may be that they will contact me at a later date, once the agency involvement is fully over.

There are 11 blokes on my shift and each one has said that they cannot understand why I haven't been kept on - "TMR, you are the hardest working one of all of us and highest trained, it makes no sense". Again, very nice to hear.

I'll go to the Agency on Wednesday and see about this other position - hopefully it will tide me over for the time being and with any luck I'll be back chucking bags about before too long.

Contracts for agency staff normally have a clause in that prevents direct recruitment of anyone supplied by the agency. This can be as much as 6 months salary being payable to the agency. We used to include such clauses in our contracts to supply security guards but within weeks of a loss of contract we would find our staff who had worked on a site being employed directly. It is a hard one to prove if a decent gap is left. Restraint of trade comes into it too.
Taking the employer to court would result, at best, in a nominal award in our favour to cover costs of recruitment, vetting, training and admin.... so those who wanted our staff would wait 4 to 6 weeks by which time it was not worth our while employing the lawyers to sue them. Where we could redeploy the staff we had a better chance of compo but if we had no similar work for them we lost everytime.

[Miss Demeanour]

We've had several run in with agencies wanting to charge an extortionate fee for recruiting their staff. The only way we have got round this is by going through the competitive interview process , open to all and had to be advertised etc etc etc.

Be interesting to see how what changes start emerging with the Agency Working Regulations which came in on the 1st October 

[Snoopy]

Our point always was we had paid for the recruitment, vetting, training etc AND that the client had signed a contract that clearly stated that they had to recompense us if they poached our staff.

Clients were happy and eager to solve an immediate problem by signing our contract but would then always argue that we were preventing someone from working. (Restraint of trade)

As you say the way round it is to allow a competitive recruitment process to be seen to be done .... but that too costs money and time so some bright spark will always try to find a way round it.

As for the "new regs" ..... how many of those have I seen over a lifetime?
"The more things change the more they stay the same."

Of course the argument of "We paid for the recruitment etc" can be countered by "Yes but you surely factored that into the price you charged us" but when that was tried we demonstrated that such items were factored to last the lifetime of the contract and included replacement staff as and when necessary....... and so it goes on.

Like I said ~ it gets too expensive to employ m'learned friends to fight it out so in the end either the employer waits for a decent period before he makes the call or the two sides negotiate an accommodation.

[The Moan Ranger]

Right, last day. I believe I may have quite a few ciggie breaks 

[Barman]

Right, last day. I believe I may have quite a few ciggie breaks 

And check out cheap flights to Cyprus... 

[tel]

I'll drink to that

[Miss Creant Commander of the picklement and baking BAb(Hons)]

Fingers are crossed for you TMR, keep by that phone, and pray for no interruption in service 

^^^Wot he said^^^^

As Miss D says all the positive comments that you have received are well deserved.

[The Moan Ranger]

Too many people were coming up to me and saying how sorry they were I was leaving - so I made an early exit.








The agency phoned just now.






Would I mind going back for at least a few more weeks?

[Snoopy]

Excellento 

[Barman]

Well done TMR! 

[Nick]