Employer wants me to work on an oil rig for 3 weeks

Employer wants me to work on an oil rig for 3 weeks

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Discussion

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
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I'm confused... If you get paid 6.5% of what the customer is charged for the job, surely your pay for this job is going to go up significantly anyway? I can't imagine that your employer isn't charging a significant premium for the extra hours?

Rickeh

246 posts

214 months

Sunday 1st March 2015
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Martin4x4 said:
Instead of demanding a specific sum I would wait for them to ask (or tell you). Then ask them what they propose given the significant/massive change in existing expectations/working practices.

Then set out all the things on this thread, the seven day week, the 12 hour shifts, the danger and everything else. As an aside, when you travel to a non-permanent place of work (i.e. your travel abroad) your should be getting credit for all the time you spend away. That is the law.

Rig workers get down time equal down time, so for three weeks on they get three weeks off less their travel time. They get paid their generous basic during their off time but also get a generous bonuses and uplifts for their time offshore.

Also get some large USB memory sticks fill them with all the latest films, porn and music you can muster. This is currency on board because there is literally nothing else to do other than work, sleep and eat. There is no smoking or drinking on the rig.
Ad-hoc workers like the OP dont get that sort of down time it's only people with set rotations. Also there are smoking rooms.

gwm

2,390 posts

143 months

Monday 2nd March 2015
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I had a recent similar scenario. Was expected to do a trip abroad, including traveling at the weekend, for free. I just asked for a day rate on top of my salary as it was outwith my normal duties.

"Compensated for the impact to my rest time" is the phrase you need.

thepawbroon

1,146 posts

183 months

Monday 2nd March 2015
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If it's any help.......

I run a team of engineers who are nornally office based. They are salaried for 40 hours a week. If they work on agreed billable projects any more than that, they get paid overtime.

If they work offshore, which is "occasional", they get paid overtime for hours in excess of 8 per day Mon-Fri (almost always they work 12 a day offshore) plus an offshore day rate which is agreed with the client. Usually between £40 and £120 dep on many factors.

The day rate is for inconvenience / lack if social choices, being away from family and friends, etc. It's never termed "danger money" because statistically offshore platforms, rigs and vessels are actually quite safe. Safer than most onshore construction sites.

So go ahead and ask for something similar. In 3 weeks in the office you'll do 120 hours. In 3 weeks offshore you will do 252 hours.

jamest1988

133 posts

131 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
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As others have done, I’ll give you a bit of a baseline. I normally work 37 hours a week in an office but had to visit a rig last year.
I got every hour I worked paid at 1.5 my usual hourly rate, overtime on top of 12 hours was 1.5x1.5 my hourly rate, I also got £75 offshore allowance for every day I was there and a £10 allowance for “expenses”, not that there is anything to spend that on. Plus, the guy that I went with got a certain amount of shore leave when he returned, I didn’t manage to negotiate that with my boss but I was very pleased with my rate!

As others have said, I wasn’t that worried about the chopper ride, the worst bit was the long shifts and once you’ve had your evening meal your just sat around waiting till it’s time to go to sleep, its extremely boring!

Great to have on your CV but not paying you anything extra is crazy!

Beknown

Original Poster:

254 posts

145 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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Hi all thanks for the replies.

Well they agreed to pay me for the additional hours, however the £100 a night I requested was denied and I was offered £20 instead.

They said prove to them the going rate is £100 and they will.

Any advice apart from finding a new job? Obviously I can't show them this thread...

At the end of the day I will do it for the experience but as I am the only employee willing to go I want to push them for a bit more.

Vaud

50,288 posts

154 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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So they screwed you over...

gwm

2,390 posts

143 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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Yeah you're going to struggle to prove it, and it's a BS line anyway. Like you say, do it for the experience and start looking. Though that's not so easy in this climate.

Gargamel

14,957 posts

260 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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Beknown said:
Hi all thanks for the replies.

Well they agreed to pay me for the additional hours, however the £100 a night I requested was denied and I was offered £20 instead.

They said prove to them the going rate is £100 and they will.

Any advice apart from finding a new job? Obviously I can't show them this thread...

At the end of the day I will do it for the experience but as I am the only employee willing to go I want to push them for a bit more.
Find a recruitment agent in Aberdeen and ask them to email you with standard terms for contract workers on rigs or some salary bands or allowances as 'proof'

or ask for £50 a night, and a promise that they will respect you in the morning...

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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I would personally refuse to go on the grounds that I didn't want to do the survival training.

But that's just me!

Magog

2,652 posts

188 months

Thursday 19th March 2015
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Beknown said:
They said prove to them the going rate is £100 and they will.

Any advice apart from finding a new job?
Show them this thread? Although that may result in you having to find a new job!

SkinnyPete

1,411 posts

148 months

Saturday 21st March 2015
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Magog said:
Beknown said:
They said prove to them the going rate is £100 and they will.

Any advice apart from finding a new job?
Show them this thread? Although that may result in you having to find a new job!
hehe

Let your boss know what the PH collective thinks of them hehe

General Price

5,238 posts

182 months

Saturday 21st March 2015
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Your bunk is at the far end on the left.biggrin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98HUCFbaUGY

Shuvi McTupya

24,460 posts

246 months

Friday 27th March 2015
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OP, let us know how it goes, I am also curious to hear what you think of the survival training..

Beknown

Original Poster:

254 posts

145 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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Shuvi McTupya said:
OP, let us know how it goes, I am also curious to hear what you think of the survival training..
Hi, why the interest in the survival training? It all looks rather controlled and exciting.

Oh, my employer asked others and everyone said no hehe One person said their hernia can't withstand the survival training but the way it was said was pure bullst hehe

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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Beknown said:
Shuvi McTupya said:
OP, let us know how it goes, I am also curious to hear what you think of the survival training..
Hi, why the interest in the survival training? It all looks rather controlled and exciting.

Oh, my employer asked others and everyone said no hehe One person said their hernia can't withstand the survival training but the way it was said was pure bullst hehe
I would have said no as well, but probably not bother to make an excuse! Just simply say I wasn't prepared to do 'survival training'.

Shuvi McTupya

24,460 posts

246 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
quotequote all
Beknown said:
Shuvi McTupya said:
OP, let us know how it goes, I am also curious to hear what you think of the survival training..
Hi, why the interest in the survival training? It all looks rather controlled and exciting.

Oh, my employer asked others and everyone said no hehe One person said their hernia can't withstand the survival training but the way it was said was pure bullst hehe
I have done it, and I quite enjoyed the day..others say it was the worst day of their lives, I am just curious which camp you will fall into smile

hidetheelephants

23,739 posts

192 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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Who wouldn't want to dress in an all-over body condom, climb in something that looks almost but not quite entirely unlike a helicopter and be dunked upside-down in a swimming pool? hehe

Cyberprog

2,186 posts

182 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
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hidetheelephants said:
Who wouldn't want to dress in an all-over body condom, climb in something that looks almost but not quite entirely unlike a helicopter and be dunked upside-down in a swimming pool? hehe
Sounds like good fun TBH. And getting paid to do it too. Fantastic!