Employment issue.

[printerman]

Hi all, as usual i would like some advice.
In June/July 2004 my company had a management buy out by two sales guys there (Mr M and Mr J). They can't talk to each other. In my opinion Mr J has no real benefit as he can not contribute(he ends up doing errands like quick deliveries etc..). Mr M has ideas but can't finish them and passes them to me. Six weeks ago the design engineer was sacked and now i do order checking and all autocad work. Since last week the person in purchasing is off for stress, (and i'm not convinced they are coming back). I'm now covering her duties as well. Mr M is talking about sacking one of the two sales people 'cos he can't afford them and i guess i'll be doing that too. Mr M actually wants to buy out mr J but doesn't have the money and also Mr J doesn't want to sell. Orders are dropping drastically, everyone is firefighting rather than being proactive and i've been told by Mr M that to pay everyone at the end of Nov he'll have to use his CC. He possibly won't be able to pay in december unless we get a large order. A week ago i eventually got some info off my Pension people and it now seems they haven't been paying into my pension for the last 5 months.!!
Now, these guys don't actually come in very often (once per week say) and they are at home, not visiting potential cutomers! So, i've just about had enough. So what do i do and how do i do it?

[Chimaera]

If I were you I'd put my CV on as many recruitment sites as possible - if the boss is saying he's got to pay people from his own funds it doesn't sound too hopeful. As to getting another big order, word gets around when companies are struggling - they may not be another order!
Sorry to be pessimistic, but you have to think of yourself at times like these - it sounds as if you have been keeping them running so far!
Good luck for the future - away from that company, if possible.

[Watchman]

with me probably being the worlds leading expert of companies going tits up and not paying me, i'd start sending my cv off to agencies and start looking around for a new job.

(happened to me no once, not twice but a threepeat! Not to mention the last in first out, luckily before it went horribly wrong there 'cos i was paid wages and notice - others weren't so lucky a few months later, they got nowt; and the decide not to relocate oooop north, so that one could be almost classed as voluntary!)

damn, maybe I should find another trade!

[printerman]

I've sent my cv out to agencies and also applied for a couple of jobs that i'm suitable for, but to be honest i'm of the opinion of just not going back .Thing is i want to be paid this month, and i want my pension paid as it was suppossed to be. After all they are breatching my contract by not doing it.

[Watchman]

Originally Posted by printerman

I've sent my cv out to agencies and also applied for a couple of jobs that i'm suitable for, but to be honest i'm of the opinion of just not going back .Thing is i want to be paid this month, and i want my pension paid as it was suppossed to be. After all they are breatching my contract by not doing it.

You may as well go back, just in case you get paid and until you find another position.

I wouldn't hold your breath for the pension payments. And the contract won't mean much when signing on. If you get anything (wages etc), be greatful for that!

I hope you don't think I'm being negative/blunt, but as I mentioned my previous post, I've been there, done it and got the T shirt. Now I always expect the worst, that way it can only get better.

Look on the bright side, with all the extra on you are doing, you CV will look tip top!

Good luck

[printerman]

Do you think i should even go back after i've been paid in Nov........your saying work for a whole month and expect not to be paid for december....i don't agree with that. I could spend that time looking for a good job or even hust working down my chippie....at least i'd have SOME income for the end of december.

[Watchman]

Originally Posted by printerman

Do you think i should even go back after i've been paid in Nov........your saying work for a whole month and expect not to be paid for december....i don't agree with that. I could spend that time looking for a good job or even hust working down my chippie....at least i'd have SOME income for the end of december.

sorry mate, I misunderstood. I was assuming November, though you've still got to be paid for that.

As for December, that's a difficult call. There is plenty of work or one form or another just to get some cash, as your rightly say.

Not sure about this, maybe someone else can confirm - but if the company goes tits up,the DTI will fund redundancy payements (and - I THINK - unpaid wages). You could be risking this by just not going back

[Watchman]

Originally Posted by JohnHorb

Not sure about this, maybe someone else can confirm - but if the company goes tits up,the DTI will fund redundancy payements (and - I THINK - unpaid wages). You could be risking this by just not going back

yes they do pay both, though the limit is "capped" to certain amount per week owed for both wages and redundancy.

Taken from the DTI website

Redundancy payments
The amount of a statutory redundancy payment depends on the employee’s age, length of service, and the amount of a week’s pay. The maximum payment is up to 30 weeks’ pay, and the maximum amount of a week’s pay which may be used to calculate a payment is £280 (£270 before 1 February 2005).

See also document Redundancy payments (PL808)

Insolvency
Employees may be entitled to payments by the Department of Trade and Industry of certain debts owed by insolvent employers - up to eight weeks’ arrears of pay, up to six weeks’ holiday pay, and up to twelve weeks’ pay as compensation if the employer fails to give the proper period of notice of dismissal. In each case, the maximum payment for a week is £280 (£270 before 1 February 2005).

And I'm sure it would be put at risk if you have effectivelly left the company by not going back.

Sounds really iffy to me, I'd be looking after number 1 in this situation...

Since last week the person in purchasing is off for stress, (and i'm not convinced they are coming back). I'm now covering her duties as well.

I think this person has the right idea, I bet he/she has seen the light!

But then again, you could go and then hear that they got a few big orders they've been waiting for and all is rosey there now!... but I honestly doubt it.

[printerman]

thanks all, but i'm still unsure..there is the whole stress thing going on too...sick to the back teeth of it. I just want out of there....i don't see why i should work my butt off when they stay at home. If orders do come in and the place is okay i'm still here, just getting paid (with no pension i hasten to add!) and they reap the benefits. The orders won't come in 'cos we've no money to buy the raw materials, i've since found out via purchasing, cos MR M said got no money to spend!

[Watchman]

sounds like you've made your mind up. If so, go for it!

The last time I got stung, the owner closed on payday (a tuesday) at the end of the month telling us he couldn't pay. Then he drove off in his 3 month old porsche 911 special edition....Only later did we find out the money was assigned to payroll on the Friday and was pulled. This was the last day of November last year. Happy Christmas eh??

And did he take hit through it? damn would of if I'd have found out about the payroll on the day! No, he had it all stitched up so he wouldn't!

Just look after yourself 'cos nobody else will.

[Tuftus]

I would get out before the company folds by the sounds of things!!!!

[SMHarman]

And look after your payslips, if they have not been paying into the pension I bet they have also not been paying tax and nic. Both can be recovered and marked as paid in these scenareos if you have payslips to prove they have been deducted.

[printerman]

Yes i do have all my slips.

I don't really know how to approach the whole thing though. I don't know if i sohlud discuss it with my boss tomorrow and say "look i want to leave, you can have me for two weeks until i get paid then i'm not coming back". Or not say anything.
I'm not trying to sound bigheaded but due to me being the only technical bod in the building, if asay i'm leaving he might just shut the doors. THats difficult to deal with 'cos i've got 10 shopfloor workers who depend on me and they'll lose there jobs.