Your Job - are you concerned??

[josko]

so depressed 4 months ago ! but since i do not give up i have been able to pull three contracts, 1x 190k, 1x60k and 1x29k atm im as happy as pig in ****!

Good on you Craig, I was right there with you! Your quote says it all.

I needed another option: Doing very well, but concerned about the next quarter/ months.

Job 1: S/E Draftsman (Husband's Surveying Business)- powering.
Husband is working weekends and most nights until midnight. The phone keeps ringing....for now.

Job 2: Employed Group Fitness Instructor - Everyone needs to exercise! In the high end part of the industry- the gyms have taken a bite. Funny thing is they make it so damn hard for anyone to get out of their contract that a developer friend of mine says it is the only thing keeping him sane at the moment. He has lost nearly everything except his membership!

Instructors have no problems. It's the PT's that will suffer.

Job 3: Haven't started yet...but very excited.. Now is the time to reassess and try something new. What am I good at, what do I like? The world is my oyster!

Regards JO

 

[INVSTOR]

My personal view is that worse is yet to come - later this year into mid next year.


The Y-man

Crikey..!!

I can't believe the results we are getting here.

It must be that those who aren't worried, aren't voting, or even looking at the thread.
Hope that's whats going on.

See ya's.

I don't think there were enough options. My husband has work for the next year on good wages but after that..?????? I'm budgeting for a 30% pay drop just to be on the safe side.

 

[Witzl]

Hi Witzl,

Just went and bought a slide/negative scanner device from our local Jaycar Distributor. It works a treat but some stuff comes out a bit dark. Much more cost effective than paying the local photo guys to copy 700 slides though.
Thanks Witzl for importing that particular machine.

Giddo,
i look after the power and alternative energy products... but had a hand in the negative/slide scanner. Was the best we could find at that price point, and has absolutely ROCKETED out the door. We've sold thousands.
Always happy to hear from another pleased customer

 

[Pablo]

I'm feeling the pinch but my job should be safe.

Last year overtime was cut out which while I didn't do to much it has still cost me around $15k/year

Then late last year my work started having downdays, there has only been one 5 day week worked this year and also lots of weeks off. They have also just announced there is only going to be production on day shift so days and arvos have to take it in turns working 1 week on 1 week off. Lots of people have been forced to quit as they simply cannot financially survive working these hours. Luckily I have lots of long service leave saved up so I should be OK till the end of the year.

Pablo.

 

[hothed]

I've lost my job.(4wks ago actualy..)
I'm a recently qualified electrician, was working for a small company(5-6 people).

Im just re-assessing what im doing at the moment. Im not sure if i want to go into Financial Planning(or similar), or get another job as a sparky.

I am also considering doing volenteer work overseas...
http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=804636

Edit: Didn't realise it was my first post, been a long time reader

 

[craigb]

I've lost my job.(4wks ago actualy..)
I'm a recently qualified electrician, was working for a small company(5-6 people).

Im just re-assessing what im doing at the moment. Im not sure if i want to go into Financial Planning(or similar), or get another job as a sparky.

I am also considering doing volenteer work overseas...
http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=804636

Edit: Didn't realise it was my first post, been a long time reader

You need to get out their amongst it get some cards , and start advertising your services, lots of electrical items needa fixing!!

 

[Mooze]

Unfortunately have been told my job is safe. I'd love a redundancy as plan on leaving later this year and jumping full time into my own business. We even hired another staff member today.

 

[craigb]

Unfortunately have been told my job is safe. I'd love a redundancy as plan on leaving later this year and jumping full time into my own business. We even hired another staff member today.

WOW! that was fast! good on ya!

 

[GoAnna!]

We have noticed a trend of companies reducing pay and hours and cutting shifts rather than terminating. AT least as a first step. I think that is a far smarter long term approach. Replacing good staff is a costly move.

 

[weg]

We have noticed a trend of companies reducing pay and hours and cutting shifts rather than terminating. AT least as a first step. I think that is a far smarter long term approach. Replacing good staff is a costly move.

It seems a few companies are doing this and I agree that it's a good thing providing some sort of contract is in place that allows conditions to revert back when things improve.

Just as you have housing market conditions dictating whether it's a buyers or sellers market you have employment conditions favouring one or the other also.

In the coming months employers may be in the stronger position allowing the more scrupelous (sp ) to take advantage by making these changes and in some cases possibly creating 'sweatshop' type conditions knowing employees will put up rather than be unemployed.

 

[Stella]

You need to get out their amongst it get some cards , and start advertising your services, lots of electrical items needa fixing!!

Spoke to one of my neighbors today who is a plumber. He was laid off 2 weeks ago & now he & another plumber mate are starting up their own business. I dont know where he has advertised but he said phone is running off the hook - a blessing in disguise he reckons!

As for us, I work in a job where the worse the economy gets the busier we are and partner works in health so we should be ok.

Cheers
Stella

 

[battler]

I've lost my job.(4wks ago actualy..)
I'm a recently qualified electrician, was working for a small company(5-6 people).

Im just re-assessing what im doing at the moment. Im not sure if i want to go into Financial Planning(or similar), or get another job as a sparky.

Congratulations on getting your ticket, this day and age, anyone that is prepared to get their hands dirty will always have enough work.

 

[feihong]

Our company is a consultant for oil and gas industry specialising in brownfield work, so it is relatively secure compare to many other companies as we do bread and butter operational stuff. We heard a lot of horror stories going on @ other consultancies (such as Worley Parsons).. who were all concentrating on greenfield based projects during the boom, and overly geared.

 

[Pablo]

We have noticed a trend of companies reducing pay and hours and cutting shifts rather than terminating. AT least as a first step. I think that is a far smarter long term approach. Replacing good staff is a costly move.

Anna,

This may seem like a good thing but in reality it is only good for the company. They are doing this at my work and some people are losing 62% of their pay. How can you survive on that sort of pay cut, you can't so you have no option but to quit. My company has had hundreds of people quit as they said there will be no payouts.

In my view they are just weaseling their way out of paying redundancies and causing great great financial stress amongst all of their workers instead of giving the golden handshake to some of the employees who would have voluntered to take a package.

 

[cloudyday]

nothing yet, wait another 24months. The recession's just starting.

 

[GoAnna!]

Anna,

This may seem like a good thing but in reality it is only good for the company. They are doing this at my work and some people are losing 62% of their pay. How can you survive on that sort of pay cut, you can't so you have no option but to quit. My company has had hundreds of people quit as they said there will be no payouts.

In my view they are just weaseling their way out of paying redundancies and causing great great financial stress amongst all of their workers instead of giving the golden handshake to some of the employees who would have voluntered to take a package.

The percentage I had heard so far was 10% which is something most could live with but 62% is quite another matter!

 

[Witzl]

I've lost my job.(4wks ago actualy..)
I'm a recently qualified electrician, was working for a small company(5-6 people).

Im just re-assessing what im doing at the moment. Im not sure if i want to go into Financial Planning(or similar), or get another job as a sparky.

I am also considering doing volenteer work overseas...
http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=804636

Edit: Didn't realise it was my first post, been a long time reader

Dude, if i were you i would stick at being a sparky. As many have mentioned already, you should have plenty of work available.

 

[Jayro]

I work for a mid (well it was) sized air con company. Were powering along but unfortunately owner has made some silly errors. Got carried away in the good times, 4x4's for company cars (not needed), company cars provided for the receptionist (not needed), lavish big building (certainly not needed), WAY too many over heads as he began to employ someone different for so many petty roles it became rediculas. We had a ratio that had more people in the office than we did on the roads and billable.

Anyhow the end result was always going to be layoffs. Blind freddy could see what was happening but not the boss. So this week they began. Unfortunately again more stupid mistakes. Laying off the tradies on the road and although some office staff have gone as well the ratio is still all wrong.

So my job is safe for now and im told it will be even if its me and the boss only at the end of the day. However payrises are off the cards and other perks. Will play it by ear and see what happens. Considering going out on my own but certainly not in the current market. Hopefully down the track. I need to get my currage up for that one, lol.

Cheers

 

[natmarie73]

I'm in one of those funny situations at the moment - not worried about my job at all due to the economic climate. I'm a safety advisor at BHP Iron Ore and we are so short staffed it's not funny - there are three advisor vacancies at Newman alone which they are having trouble filling. With billions of dollars worth of expansion works coming on line and in the pipeline for the next 10 years or so there will be more work available here than you could poke a stick at. Things are just not slowing down at all, and even though the capital budget is being shuffled around for the purpose of purchasing new assets the operating budget is not being cut at all. And even if it was, HSE is safe as staff levels in this area are pretty much set in stone and never cut.

However, our (workers) worry at the moment is being made to suspend operations for a length of time by the mines inspectorate due to unnaccepatable safety - 5 deaths across the business in the last financial year. Everyone is rightly very worried - as soon as they make even the smallest breach of safety procedures they are out the door never to return - this applies to supervision and management as well. Big brass heads have already been severed in head office.

I would always be able to get another job though as safety advisors are in high demand and very short supply.

 

[xcesiv]

I am a bit yes and no.

Back in November i was promoted to CFO for the 4 entities that the director owns.

The person i was taking over was the directors neice which makes things a bit awkward when you find the details i did. The details were always hidden from me until the day she had to leave. i got all the paperwork thrown on me in 1 hit.

November 2008 i get thrown this.

Superannuation has not been paid paid since January 2008.

ATO had setup a payment plan at the end of 07/08 FY for the previous tax debts for 1 of the companies, She had defaulted on this once already which is a big no no but we fixed that pleading stupidity and a quick catch up to pay back on track.

The Monthly BAS had not been completed ever this FY
PayG had not been lodges for Quaater 1
No Funds had been put asside for any of the current Years Tax, Super or PayG Obligations

Current Year P&L Showing a Negative of over $200 000 to date.

and more....

Within the first week i made meetings with accountants and lawyers, made 25% of staff redundant, and made another 2 Jan and Feb

Now we are trading in the black, but only just. but things are geting better daily.

Still volotile, but if the boss lets me take the reains more we will be a fantastic and massive organisation.