(no subject)
I've been really bad with LJ reently, and I still haven't posted the Iventi pictures or the update about Amecon yet, but that can wait, because I need to rant about how weird work has been recently. I was originally on a rolling rota where I worked any 8 hours between 9am and 8pm during 1 shift, but that was stopped when I was moved to a building that closes at 6pm. I was told I would have to change my rota, because the people that decided to move me probably didn't take my hours into consideration, which really annoyed me, because working 12-8 is so more convenient for me, as well as being better for the company, because most people aren't willing to work those hours. I was accidently put on 12-8 this week, because the people that do the Rota's are in a differant department, they don't realise the building closes at 6, and they still think I can work until 8 (which I can, but I was told I couldn't whilst I was working in that building), but I decided I was going to work that shift no matter what they say, because if they're going to move me without giving me any choice, and then hire someone to do the work I was doing before, they should be going out of their way to ensure that I can work the shifts we agreed upon (especially when everyone else that was moved didn't have to change their Rota, including the people that work past 6 that moved there a few weeks later). I went to one of the heads of the department, and they said volunteering to work later would be great for them. I was happy with what he said, but the question that just begs to be asked is if they need more people to work later shifts, why was I taken off of that shift in the first place?
I was willing to put that behind me, since I was glad that I would actually manage to go at least 1 week without sleep deprivation, but when I got into work on Monday, the other head of the department was there, and told me that I had to get to work for 7am the next day, because I had to go on a trip to London (because I'm working for a Government Organisation leaflet orderline). I knew there was a trip that day, but all the other people were told they were going to be on it, and I assumed I wouldn't be going, since I was only in that department temporarily, until the other order line got busier. So after I finished work at 8 I had no choice to buy lots of processed food for the trip the next day, since I wouldn't have enough time to cook, or even eat properly in the morning, and then try to survive the next day on 4 and a half hours sleep. After getting to sleep at about 12:30, I got up at 5, so that I could leave at 6:10, and I was surprised I didn't fall asleep at the wheel. The whole experience made me wonder if they were holding a grudge against me keeping my 12-8 shift. Thankfully I only fell asleep for about 10 minutes on the way back, but falling asleep in front of other people makes me feel uncomfortable, especially when I don't know them very well, and when one of the people there was a team leader.
Other then that, going to London was a fairly unusual experience. I love London, but the trip made me feel as if I was caged off from it. The building I visited was across the road from Downing Street, so I got to see quite a lot of central London, but apart from lunchtime, when we went to get something from Tesco Express (which is one long rectangular hallway, where you immediately go into a que upon entering the building), I was trapped indoors.
One great thing that I did learn from that trip is that I really need to get a new job. I'm working on a leaflet orderline, where we are only expected to be able to find leaflets by the item number or full title. If the customers don't have that information (you'd probably be surprised at the large amount of people that don't), we give them the number for the Enquiry department in London (that I visited), who's main responsibility is to inform people about publications and the Department's policies. The London department was very busy in the past, and as there is very little communication between the Enquiry line and Orderline, they didn't have any idea about what did, so we were sent down there to learn about their responsibilities. Even though we aren't expected to find publications for people, the customers expect it, so we often use the website to find them, which surprised the supervisor of the Enquiry line, becuase she didn't think we had any of those resources, or even a search function on the system, and assumed that we took no responsibility for the customers concerns, so shes trying to offer us more resources, in order to further reduce their amount of calls, which will involved taking on some of the more basic enquiry responsibilities of the Enquiry department. I was put with one of the workers there, where I listened into her calls, and when she asked me if I had any questions I really wanted to ask if I could have her job, because the Office is so much more relaxed, people can dress casually, they can listen to music/play games inbetween calls, and the work seems more varied and interesting. The office is also run very well. They have lots of tools to help people with their work, including a messenger tool, which our department really needs, since we get a lot of people asking for information they received from the last person they spoke to, and they also have people spending half the day on the phones, and the other half replying to emails. At the place I work we're either on the phones or answering emails all day everyday, and the people answering emails can't go to break as they please or listen to music, as it wouldn't be fair to give those privelages to the people who aren't on the phone. The great reason by far for me wanting to work there is the location, its in the centre of London, and there are lots of great places you could visit during an hour long lunch break. Unfortunately I'm stuck in a dead end minimum wage job in the middle of no where, just off of one of the exits for the M1, where I'm treated like shit. I enjoy the work and I get alond with the people there, but I'll be glad when I leave there in November.
The trip also made me realise that, exluding airport trips, I havn't gone to London since July 05, so I decided at the last minute that I would go and book a bus ticket to London this morning. I'm going this Saturday. I was planning on going on a ParaPara related trip sometime, but I don't care if I have to visit London twice within a month, because I need to go there as soon as possible, hopefully before the summer ends.
I was willing to put that behind me, since I was glad that I would actually manage to go at least 1 week without sleep deprivation, but when I got into work on Monday, the other head of the department was there, and told me that I had to get to work for 7am the next day, because I had to go on a trip to London (because I'm working for a Government Organisation leaflet orderline). I knew there was a trip that day, but all the other people were told they were going to be on it, and I assumed I wouldn't be going, since I was only in that department temporarily, until the other order line got busier. So after I finished work at 8 I had no choice to buy lots of processed food for the trip the next day, since I wouldn't have enough time to cook, or even eat properly in the morning, and then try to survive the next day on 4 and a half hours sleep. After getting to sleep at about 12:30, I got up at 5, so that I could leave at 6:10, and I was surprised I didn't fall asleep at the wheel. The whole experience made me wonder if they were holding a grudge against me keeping my 12-8 shift. Thankfully I only fell asleep for about 10 minutes on the way back, but falling asleep in front of other people makes me feel uncomfortable, especially when I don't know them very well, and when one of the people there was a team leader.
Other then that, going to London was a fairly unusual experience. I love London, but the trip made me feel as if I was caged off from it. The building I visited was across the road from Downing Street, so I got to see quite a lot of central London, but apart from lunchtime, when we went to get something from Tesco Express (which is one long rectangular hallway, where you immediately go into a que upon entering the building), I was trapped indoors.
One great thing that I did learn from that trip is that I really need to get a new job. I'm working on a leaflet orderline, where we are only expected to be able to find leaflets by the item number or full title. If the customers don't have that information (you'd probably be surprised at the large amount of people that don't), we give them the number for the Enquiry department in London (that I visited), who's main responsibility is to inform people about publications and the Department's policies. The London department was very busy in the past, and as there is very little communication between the Enquiry line and Orderline, they didn't have any idea about what did, so we were sent down there to learn about their responsibilities. Even though we aren't expected to find publications for people, the customers expect it, so we often use the website to find them, which surprised the supervisor of the Enquiry line, becuase she didn't think we had any of those resources, or even a search function on the system, and assumed that we took no responsibility for the customers concerns, so shes trying to offer us more resources, in order to further reduce their amount of calls, which will involved taking on some of the more basic enquiry responsibilities of the Enquiry department. I was put with one of the workers there, where I listened into her calls, and when she asked me if I had any questions I really wanted to ask if I could have her job, because the Office is so much more relaxed, people can dress casually, they can listen to music/play games inbetween calls, and the work seems more varied and interesting. The office is also run very well. They have lots of tools to help people with their work, including a messenger tool, which our department really needs, since we get a lot of people asking for information they received from the last person they spoke to, and they also have people spending half the day on the phones, and the other half replying to emails. At the place I work we're either on the phones or answering emails all day everyday, and the people answering emails can't go to break as they please or listen to music, as it wouldn't be fair to give those privelages to the people who aren't on the phone. The great reason by far for me wanting to work there is the location, its in the centre of London, and there are lots of great places you could visit during an hour long lunch break. Unfortunately I'm stuck in a dead end minimum wage job in the middle of no where, just off of one of the exits for the M1, where I'm treated like shit. I enjoy the work and I get alond with the people there, but I'll be glad when I leave there in November.
The trip also made me realise that, exluding airport trips, I havn't gone to London since July 05, so I decided at the last minute that I would go and book a bus ticket to London this morning. I'm going this Saturday. I was planning on going on a ParaPara related trip sometime, but I don't care if I have to visit London twice within a month, because I need to go there as soon as possible, hopefully before the summer ends.