New job is not as described

[Networkgeek]

Hi all

I've found myself in a rather strange situation and one I haven't had to deal with before, so thought I'd ask for some advice.

I started a new job a few months ago, the company is by far the biggest I've ever worked at, is UK based and in a very different industry compared to what I've done previously.

The issues are really significant and I'm not sure if I'm over reacting.

1 - The job is not at all what I interviewed for. Completely different job title and very different to what I've done before.
2 - Night shifts were never mentioned and just sprung on me. I've done night shifts many years ago and I swore I would never do them again (I hate them)
3 - It's permanent WFH. All staff are scattered all over the UK. My last job was within a young team and with a great bunch of local people
4 - I've had nothing to do for 2 months and now so much work has come my way, using technology I've never used before and a real high chance of causing a national outage which would be in the news

I understand I have new job jitters, but I feel so alone with no one to ask questions too. I also truly hate night shifts, apparently this will be for a short period of time, but I did one the other evening and I've only now just started to calm down from how pissed off it made me.

Since starting it feels like I've just been moaning at my new manager, as everything is different to what I thought I was brought on to do. I haven't mentioned the night shift issue yet, but I will do very soon. I just don't want be labelled as "that guy who just moans".

What would you guys do in this situation? Would you ride it out?

I'm very keen to learn new tech, but not when it's at 2am, with no one around to ask and I'm half asleep working on live data platforms.

It's not just all doom and gloom, the job does have some good aspects (salary is great), but I feel the negatives are now out weighing the positives.

Thanks if you've read this far
NG

[dundarach]

Keep calm and check imposter syndrome isn't kicking in.

Give it time.

Realise nothing is ever forever and no one is irreplaceable.

Consider whether you 'will' enjoy it, not do you enjoy it now.

[Harpoon]

What is your role and working hours as described in your offer letter and/or contract?

[MacW]

Is it working for the BBC and did they immediately put you in front of a live camera and start asking odd questions?

[Networkgeek]

MacW said:

Is it working for the BBC and did they immediately put you in front of a live camera and start asking odd questions?

No not the BBC and Guy Coma is a legend imho

[Muzzer79]

In regard to the technical aspects, give that time.

With regard to working unexpected nightshifts, definitely call that out. Work as per your contract.

[Networkgeek]

dundarach said:

Keep calm and check imposter syndrome isn't kicking in.

Give it time.

Realise nothing is ever forever and no one is irreplaceable.

Consider whether you 'will' enjoy it, not do you enjoy it now.

My gf just said exactly the same thing.

I do find it hard to keep calm and not flap, this situation has made me flap a lot.

Being sat idle for 2 months has definitely brought on a strong dose of imposter syndrome.

My biggest issue is the night work and unfortunately there isn't a way around it. Everyone else is sucking it up, I'm not so forgiving if I'm honest, especially when it's not in my contract.

I really don't know what to do and it's really overwhelming, but your advice is really good, thank you.

[Networkgeek]

Muzzer79 said:

In regard to the technical aspects, give that time.

With regard to working unexpected nightshifts, definitely call that out. Work as per your contract.

I couldn't agree more - I took this job because I wanted to grow my technical skillset. My previous employer was very against new technology, so I learnt what I could and jumped ship.

I've got a 1-1 with my manager this week, so I will mention it.

[Muzzer79]

Networkgeek said:

My biggest issue is the night work and unfortunately there isn't a way around it. Everyone else is sucking it up, I'm not so forgiving if I'm honest, especially when it's not in my contract.

Night work, if applicable, should be paid at a premium so I'm surprised this is tolerated if it's not contractual.

Are you working shift work in general? As in, you thought you'd be working a day shift of some sort but the shift pattern actually includes nights or....?

[Networkgeek]

Muzzer79 said:

Night work, if applicable, should be paid at a premium so I'm surprised this is tolerated if it's not contractual.

Are you working shift work in general? As in, you thought you'd be working a day shift of some sort but the shift pattern actually includes nights or....?

I've just spoken with my manager and the night work is paid as overtime (unsure if this is double time yet) or TOIL. My contracted hours are 37 hrs per week, and there's no mention of on-call / out of hours work in my contract.

I haven't mentioned how unhappy I am at the prospect of night shift work, I'm saving that for my 1-1.

[sutoka]

How did they suddenly thrust Night shift upon you without asking during the interview stage if that was fine?. It might be too late now but if you have kids or baby then that usually ruled out night shifts for staff and might make the shift from night to day more swift.

Honestly can't imagine anything worse than working nightshift from home.

[LukeBrown66]

We have had this at my place, we are moving location in the near future and a lot of people who started live too far away to move there, and even worse the company knew about this move at the time and sort of maybe mentioned it in interview as it was not assured then.

Not great as we might lose some good people.

[Networkgeek]

sutoka said:

How did they suddenly thrust Night shift upon you without asking during the interview stage if that was fine?. It might be too late now but if you have kids or baby then that usually ruled out night shifts for staff and might make the shift from night to day more swift.

Honestly can't imagine anything worse than working nightshift from home.

To be fair to the guys who interviewed me, the night work wasn't known back then.

I don't have kids, but I do a lot of sports in the evenings, which I won't give up for an evening shift at work, which will be after doing my regular day-time shift. I'm not sure how stubborn I can be in a new job, but I am going to start pushing back.

This week I met up with a mate who also started a new job recently, and he was very excited for his new chapter etc. I was a miserable, moany mess all night and I think that speaks volumes, it's time to leave unfortunately.

[SteBrown91]

Networkgeek said:

To be fair to the guys who interviewed me, the night work wasn't known back then.

I don't have kids, but I do a lot of sports in the evenings, which I won't give up for an evening shift at work, which will be after doing my regular day-time shift. I'm not sure how stubborn I can be in a new job, but I am going to start pushing back.

This week I met up with a mate who also started a new job recently, and he was very excited for his new chapter etc. I was a miserable, moany mess all night and I think that speaks volumes, it's time to leave unfortunately.

Similar happened to me a few years ago. Moved to a large Notts based uni thats not named after a river. Job was nothing like the description or interview made out, and had virtually decided I wasn't staying within a month or so. The cherry on top was the department was being assessed for outsourcing, which they failed to mention at interview.

I stayed about a year looking out for the right job to move to (doing the bare minimum to get me through the day) and left. At my current place for 3 years now and fairly happy overall.

Subsequently the department was outsourced a few months after I left, and theres been a mass exodus of the good staff judging by linkedin, so dodged a bullet there.

If you are that unhappy early on I would 100% be looking to get out. Just keep them sweet til you find something else.

[p4cks]

Check your contract and what's written down, and go from there. Doesn't matter if you're single, divorced, have fifty kids or none. If you didn't sign up to it then you don't have to do it

[sutoka]

p4cks said:

Check your contract and what's written down, and go from there. Doesn't matter if you're single, divorced, have fifty kids or none. If you didn't sign up to it then you don't have to do it

What the contract says is true but you know as well as I do that being single is often the thing an employer hears and thinks, "no baggage they won't complain if I add a few tweaks to the rota or send them away on a course or meeting hundreds of miles away"

Having a child while in workplace is like a gold plated Uzi. You want something and the employer says "absolutely not"so you take it out and wave it around and suddenly the problem isn't a problem anymore. I've seen it everywhere from basic retail to corporate management. Important visit coming up ' little Jonny has a temperature. Threat of a final written warning, Tarquin has broken his leg.

Edited by sutoka on Saturday 30th April 04:52