I live in a small city, I have just started a full time job which is hard to come by at the moment, in a well established business and boy was I excited for that full time pay and sick leave. Everyone who works there has been there ages so I thought it must be a healthy work environment, however I'm starting to think it isn't.
In the interview they told me not to call in sick Monday or Friday cause “they'll know what I'm doing.” I was like okay bit weird …. But full time!!! Then a co-worker told me not to use the sign in app and complete my timesheet to match the roster. Then they asked me if I could come in ten minutes early each day. I had a drs appointment and they asked if I could take my lunch late and go in my lunch break, which I was cool with, but I decided I'm going to keep using the sign in app so I have a digital reference of my overtime…. Then head office called me and told me not to sign in on the app. Today a co worker told me she comes in early and leaves late everyday without pay (her choice so whatever) but there is no way I'm doing that, which I think will genuinely rub people the wrong way. I also found out that if you are rostered on for banking duty (a perk for seasoned employees) and it happens to be your Saturday off you're expected to come in at close, without pay and do the banking. I asked if hours were added to your roster at the end of the week and was informed it was unpaid …. It's all so shady and I have no idea how Fair Work hasn't been called. I'm not sticking around long enough to get “evidence” for Fair Work either I'm getting out as fast as I can. They told me that the flu isn't a reason to call in sick cause we can all work with the sniffles …. I have never been paid overtime in any job I've had so I'm not surprised but most companies try and hide it but not these people they are genuinely open about how they expect employees to work that little bit extra without pay and they want you to be happy about it.
I was so looking forward to working with this business too, so it's disheartening to have to leave but I can't stay there the work culture is driving me mad why is it so hard to just treat people with respect? just because we earn minimum wage doesn't mean we deserve minimum respect.