This isn’t normal is it? Job related.

[ButtonNoses]

Recently started a new job and it’s just not what was promised or described. I’m in the middle of both moving house and trying for a baby so don’t feel like I can leave. I’m only a month in and this is what I’ve found:

For reference job is community outreach, I was told I’d be travelling a maximum of 2 hours each way to each place. So 4 hours a day in the car.

Anyway, since then the following has happened:

Have been told I’m covering a colleagues mat-leave as nobody to cover her. Wasn’t told this at interview. She lives 3 hours away from me to start with and I have spent most of my time covering her area since starting. A lot of them fall within the 2 hour each way on a good day but mostly with traffic it can be closer to 3. Sometimes 3 and a half or more. Sometimes they’re put in right at the end of my working day.

We are only allowed to submit one mileage claim a month so I’m finding myself pretty broke (it used to be weekly at my old place).

Our contracts say that we get toil for working past hours. A few times I’ve got home really late, such as 8pm-10pm (suppose to finish at 5) and basically been told by manager to suck it up. Colleagues don’t receive toil either.

We have a conference coming up and have been told we must share a room with a colleague to cut costs. As I don’t know anyone I’ve been put in with my manager. I just find it horrifying that I have to sleep in a bed bra less next to my manager and use the loo with them in a bed next door- it feels inappropriate but I don’t feel like I can say anything as everyone thinks it’s normal and fine.

We lone work on the road, and last week I went 4 days without anyone checking in. I wrote on our group chat twice and this was ignored.

Thursday I had an allergic attack (egg allergy) and on the Friday I still had really swollen eyes I could hardly see. I didn’t put my camera on for our team meeting as I didn’t want anyone to see my face. I did explain to manager. Days later she calls me telling me it was unacceptable for me to not have my camera on.

I don’t know what to do. I just feel like I’m in some weird nightmare. I know it’s new. I don’t feel like I can leave either as we need me to have this job for the mat leave and house. I also feel being so new I can’t highlight issues I’ve found as they’ll just get rid of me.

Tell them.: You may be a community fundraiser, but charity begins at home, and you are going to start making sure you get paid what you're legally entitled to from now on, and that you do indeed get toil if they don't pay overtime.

Have you counted up your hours worked (including all the time they haven't paid you for or given toil), and then checked what you are actually earning per hour?

I think if you've uncovered all these problems so soon after joining that its really not a sign of a good employer in general.
If you are working such long hours, you won't have the energy to job hunt when you get home after doing six hours of driving in one day.
I think if you are exhausted and stressed that it might also have an impact on TTC.
Other pps have said that these roles are in demand, maybe its worth seeing what's out there and taking a view of your options.

It sounds absolutely horrendous, that's not a job, it's slavery. Take your TOIL, as is your statutory right and get out asap.

@Navyontop it is a national charity. The NHS will be better.

Let me guess, this is a charity?

I have worked in the third sector for a while and frankly many charities make truly awful employers.

There is a culture of poor senior management and frontline staff being exploited, underpaid and seeing their good will & commitment for a cause being taken advantage of.

Find something else.

Urgh, that sounds awful! I'd leave ASAP. I also like pps suggestion of chatting with others in the sector.

Ah I missed that it is a female manager. In that case I would share the room, and get on with it.

leave as soon as you can, in your resignation letter list all of this and send a copy
to HR. Appalling practices.

The charity won't care.

If you're successful TTC, it's going to be a nightmare return from mat leave. Ending the day at 8pm with no TOIL? How is that going to work with a baby?

I would get out sooner rather than later before so you don't have a gap on your CV.

I had this.
Promised loads at the interview and none of delivered. I was meant to have 4 under managers there wasn’t one, I was expected to do 5 peoples jobs. No support, bitchy upper management and micromanaged to death, horrendous experience.
I stayed a year and had a complete breakdown.
Go, Go now.
Leave and don’t look back.
Get a job, any job to bring in money while you find something better.
x

Yeah.

so I get it with baby and house. But b your choices are to find something else or stand up for yourself.

your contract says you get paid for hours worked, you put them in!

You say no to driving the 3 hours. Or you do b the drive and make sure you’re home by quitting time. You state you’ve had an allergic reaction- thanks for not asking and just assuming- and that you’re uncomfortable with the lack of concern for your safety.

And say no sorry I will not be sleeping with my boss!! Who I don’t know!! 0% chance, I’ll remote in when able.

im finally in a nice job, and the amount of abuse I’ve put up with before this is astounding. They only stop when you stop allowing it.

good luck. It stucks.

As others have said, leave! The last thing you'd want to do is have a baby & go back to those working conditions.

Get out asap, charities are really struggling to recruit fundraisers, you should have your pick of jobs. Think about moving from community to another adjacent area like events if you can't find anything initially.

If you must stay, why don’t you just finish the day when your day is supposed to finish? Don’t put in the extra hours if you aren’t allowed TOIL.
as for the mileage- if you can’t afford petrol, then tell them you’ll only be doing the mileage that was agreed upon in your contract / interview.
they will treat you like this as long as you allow it. If they don’t like it, then they get rid of you, but if they listen and stop treating you like rubbish, then you might enjoy it.

the room sharing thing is totally normal though. I’m a teacher and very often we room share with colleagues and senior teachers on trips. It makes the trips more affordable for the kids, and that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.

Not sure if this will help but the website charityjobs also seem to have fundraising roles. Leave and find a new job, mental health comes first and it sounds like it's starting to effect that 💗

The third sector are notoriously crap employers. I wouldn't work for a registered charity for any amount.