UK resident here. So the world is insane right now and I am in the mood to write a rant. The economy in the UK is absolute shit so here's a few things I wish I had been told in school (many, MANY years ago):
1) Learn how tax works. When you get paid, you will pay multiple taxes. In the UK this includes just 'tax' which goes to the government – this is basically a price you pay for the privilege of living and working in the UK. Then there is National Insurance, which is supposed to go towards helping those who are most in need. If you ever need to claim benefits, your contributions will judge ow much you are entitled to. Then there is VAT (Value Added Tax) – this works on the assumption that at any stage of monetary or goods exchange that there is a cost involved in terms of man-power. The actual cost of this has dramatically fallen due to computerisation but they still keep the amount the same. Currently it's set at 20% in the UK.
2) Learn employee law. You should be given a talk about your rights and responsibilities when you start ay job. No employee in the UK is safe in a job unless they have been there for 2 years of continuous employment. Up to that time, you can be dismissed at any time and for any reason and not be entitled to an industrial tribunal (it used to be 6 months under Labour). If an employer calls a meeting with you, you are entitled to bring a representative to that meeting. Don't EVER let them fool you by saying that it's just a chat or a discussion. If you do go alone and it starts to feel uncomfortable, you are perfectly within your rights to end the meeting and meet once you have a representative in there with you. This usually a colleague or union member.
3) JOIN A UNION! Until a few months ago I taught apprentice engineers and the first question I would ask them is “Are you in a Union?”. The reply was shockingly 100% no and also asking what a union was. I am a member of two unions. I joined a second one because my current employer 'doesn't recognise' the first one I was with. You might find an employer saying this and discouraging you from joining. Doesn't matter. They can represent you with experts in employment law and provide legal aid should you have a dispute. Also, from personal experience, unions can help you out financially IF you should find yourself out of work. I'd be homeless now without them. I have recorded meetings with a Dictaphone in my pocket. It's not admissible in a court of law because you didn't have the other party's permission but 'what a good memory you have;.
4) Your pension is important. Rule of thumb in the UK is that the longer you are with an employer or pension provider, the better your pension will be. Makes sense. Realistically, the average person will have over a dozen jobs by the time they're 30 in the UK. Keep track of your pensions and every time you change jobs, transfer the pot into next/next. There will be limited time to do this. Also, after two years of paying in, you can't take it back out. It's stuck in there until you retire. Hire a pension consultant if you need to. It'll be a few hundred quid but it'll be worth it.
5) Your employers are not your friends. Your bosses are not your friends. This also works in your favour. You have skills. Your skills are worth something. Your employers recognise that but will never admit it. Don't feel guilty about looking for other jobs. You owe nothing to anyone except yourself. Take a sick day for that interview.
6) Know when to quit. I call these 'Kill Switches'. This is when your job is no longer acceptable, it's toxic, or it's going to ruin you/cause burnout. The World Health Organisation (WHO) now recognises burnout as an actual condition. I started a new job a few months ago and I have a list of things that, if happen, I will start looking elsewhere. This is based on a long career with bad employers and this has all happened to me before. These are:
– I miss time with my family on more than 6 occasions per year
– I am given the work of others and held responsible for it
– I have my holidays cancelled
– My job description changes by more than 20%
– I experience any derogatory term
– I get told I need to take a salary decrease to make my job viable
– I experience workplace bulling and am not supported by my line manager
– I find the ethos morally reprehensible
I have more but these are just some examples. I've put the WHO article below.
/rant