Hours and hours and more hours

(2026 Edit - This post comes from the archive; it was first published on 2nd September 2013 at 0413. Things, views and events may have changed since then.)

Image by Alexa from Pixabay

The frustrations of working in a call centre have increased tenfold over the last couple of weeks as the company has seen fit to introduce a new rota of working hours with little under two weeks’ notice.  It is an eleven-week rolling rota that seems to have no redeeming qualities and lacks any form of worker friendliness. There is little uniformity or even normality within its schedule of shifts, some of which have increased in length by three or so hours, and I’ve yet to hear any of my colleagues utter positive words about it. 

One of the key things I detest about this new schedule is a 30% increase in the number of late shifts; another aspect is the varying start times expected during the working week, thus rendering routine redundant. For example, one such week rolls along like this: 

Monday 0900 – 1730

Tuesday 0800 – 1700

Wednesday 0800 – 1630

Thursday 0830 – 1700

Friday 0830 – 1700

Another week sees me doing;

1230 – 2100 on Monday

1030 – 2100 on Tuesday

1230 – 2100 on Wednesday

1300   2100 on Thursday

1230 – 2100 on Friday.

It’ll also mean I’ll be working three complete weekends and an additional three part (Saturday only) weekends. On top of timing frustrations is the revelation that bonus payments have come down by £50 per month if individual targets are reached. It may not sound a lot, but when you’re working a minimum wage job, 50 quid is two weeks’ worth of groceries and money I can ill afford to lose.  I could pontificate further on my dissatisfaction over a number of other work-related issues, yet it’ll only bore you silly and cloud my happy mood whilst also giving the impression that I’m nothing but a stinky whinger,  so I’ll stop here. But, isn't it in the firm's interest to keep their staff happy and motivated? After this slap in the face, I'm less likely to stay, recommend friends to come and work here or buy the overpriced insurance it offers!

I suppose there is always a general sense of despondency when you realise you’ve made yet another mistake along life’s troubled highway; still we learn from our mistakes,  don’t we?

© 2013 Copyright to Jason Shaw