New Job, Trade Unions, drugs and treats
So thats the end of the first week of new job.
I can report that the natives are friendly, the jungle is air conditioned and has a fully equipped watering hole... although parking your elephant is a bit problematic!
Seriously, it's gone really well. The bit about parking was not a joke though... I can only park in the car park 4 days a week. On the fifth day I either have to find another route to work (train, bus, lift) or else car share with another employee. They police the car sharing by only opening the barrier to the car sharers car park with 2 employee passes. I have a 2 week all days pass as a new starter and after that I'll lose one day a week. I have asked that my day be thurdays as it looks like I have an offer of a car share from Epsom on that day.
I was really afraid that I would get there and they would realise that I really dont know anything about anything, but so far I've been holding my own. I haven't been asked any of the really tough stuff yet I think I'll be ok. I've got a desk (moved into it today from a temporary one) and a laptop and stuff. I've been signed into the healthcare plan and the pension scheme.
I've even been contacted by the union rep to see if I want to join. That felt a bit weird. Never been in a union before but the perks look pretty good (they get amazing deals on stuff) and more importantly you get someone to fight your corner if there is a problem. The union is Amicus who are probably about to be the biggest in the UK because they've just voted to merge with the TGWU. Apparently.
I don't know anything about unions really other than what happened to the minors in the 80s.
Are they a good thing these days? Is there any downside to joining? The company actively encourages people to join but then they are different as they were the first to have one of these partnership agreements with a union and it's been used as model for everyone else who has one. I've read (in the FT) that it's still considered the best one in existence now and it's been there 10 years.
On another note. The ankle has been improving alot this week. There is quite a walk from the car park to the new job (well - quite a walk if you are mobility impaired like me) and the exercise seems to have been mostly beneficial. My achilles tendon is a bit sore on that foot. Probably from having not been flexed properly for a good month. But the ankle itself is much improved. I think the biggest impact has come from switching my drugs though. A local pharmacist recommended moving to ibuprofen/codeine rather than ibuprofen/paracetamol and it's waaaay better in terms of both pain relief and controlling the swelling.
I know the exercise has probably also helped but the pain relief difference is so huge that it's meant this week was doable rather than a trial. Which has been a blessing.
So this weekend I am having my nails done in lieu of my first stone lost award (which was due to be a pedicure but the ankle probably isn't up to the propping required), running errands like going to the bank etc. and generally getting myself a bit sorted out.
Hope you all have a good one!
Fi
;)
I can report that the natives are friendly, the jungle is air conditioned and has a fully equipped watering hole... although parking your elephant is a bit problematic!
Seriously, it's gone really well. The bit about parking was not a joke though... I can only park in the car park 4 days a week. On the fifth day I either have to find another route to work (train, bus, lift) or else car share with another employee. They police the car sharing by only opening the barrier to the car sharers car park with 2 employee passes. I have a 2 week all days pass as a new starter and after that I'll lose one day a week. I have asked that my day be thurdays as it looks like I have an offer of a car share from Epsom on that day.
I was really afraid that I would get there and they would realise that I really dont know anything about anything, but so far I've been holding my own. I haven't been asked any of the really tough stuff yet I think I'll be ok. I've got a desk (moved into it today from a temporary one) and a laptop and stuff. I've been signed into the healthcare plan and the pension scheme.
I've even been contacted by the union rep to see if I want to join. That felt a bit weird. Never been in a union before but the perks look pretty good (they get amazing deals on stuff) and more importantly you get someone to fight your corner if there is a problem. The union is Amicus who are probably about to be the biggest in the UK because they've just voted to merge with the TGWU. Apparently.
I don't know anything about unions really other than what happened to the minors in the 80s.
Are they a good thing these days? Is there any downside to joining? The company actively encourages people to join but then they are different as they were the first to have one of these partnership agreements with a union and it's been used as model for everyone else who has one. I've read (in the FT) that it's still considered the best one in existence now and it's been there 10 years.
On another note. The ankle has been improving alot this week. There is quite a walk from the car park to the new job (well - quite a walk if you are mobility impaired like me) and the exercise seems to have been mostly beneficial. My achilles tendon is a bit sore on that foot. Probably from having not been flexed properly for a good month. But the ankle itself is much improved. I think the biggest impact has come from switching my drugs though. A local pharmacist recommended moving to ibuprofen/codeine rather than ibuprofen/paracetamol and it's waaaay better in terms of both pain relief and controlling the swelling.
I know the exercise has probably also helped but the pain relief difference is so huge that it's meant this week was doable rather than a trial. Which has been a blessing.
So this weekend I am having my nails done in lieu of my first stone lost award (which was due to be a pedicure but the ankle probably isn't up to the propping required), running errands like going to the bank etc. and generally getting myself a bit sorted out.
Hope you all have a good one!
Fi
;)