Becoming a Warehouse Production Administrator

I have now been at my new job two weeks. I can’t believe it. Just saying that makes me so happy. And, you know what, for once, I actually am, genuinely, happy at work. I was happy in my previous job, to a certain extent, but I hated the fact that I was doing a sixteen year old’s job, and how whenever I said that, everyone would say that it was not a sixteen year old’s job, but it was. An Office Junior is the job that you would do, when you used to be able to leave school at sixteen. However, when I left school then, I could not get an Office Junior’s job without three years’ experience as an Office Junior. Anyway, knowing that I am better than that is what was making me feel unfulfilled at my previous job.
          My new job title is Warehouse Production Administrator. I had wanted this position at my previous administration job, but they pretended that they did not hear me, every single time I asked for the position, until I handed my notice in.
          Okay, so I feel as though I have learnt a lot, in the last two weeks. I know a few of the names and faces of the people that I work with. I just have a slight niggling issue that is constantly making me wonder if I made the right decision. It is not a small thing either. In fact, it is quite a big red flag. I do not agree with the terms and conditions of the contract…

1) I am required to work any hours/days of overtime, when required, but will not be paid for it or given any time in lieu for it.
2) They can change my contracted hours without giving me any notice.
3) If the company feels that the amount of work that day is quite quiet, they do not have to pay me for the day.
4) If the company happens to become quiet, the company can suspend me, without notice, without pay, until they company picks up again. This can be for any unspecified length of time.
5) I get 20 days holiday a year and cannot take more than 10 consecutive days off together (which includes the weekend) so I could only ever have Monday to the following Wednesday off.
6) If the director chooses to, randomly, close the company one day, he does not have to give anyone notice and no one will be paid for the closure.
7) You have to provide a month’s notice for holiday, so could not use a holiday day of the previous point ever happened.
8) If the company decides to change the hours and days of the business, they do not have to give you any notice.
9) If the company wants to change the hours in your contract they do not have to give you any notice.
10) Despite only working an entry level job, if I leave, I have to give three months notice.

Okay, so, I know that I have been very lucky, in the past, in terms of the terms and conditions of contracts, even if I have not worked in a comfortable environment, but this really does not feel right. By signing the contract, I feel as though I have signed away all of my human rights and the company can do anything illegal it wants to, with regards to hours and pay, and there is nothing that I can do about it, because I  have had to sign my contract, which states that I agree to this. It is really annoying, because I actually do like this job and one of my managers was really real, open and honest to me about things today, and it made me feel like I actually have real people in my work place, and not stuck up, middle class people who do not realise how good they have it, or how good their upbringing was and think that they are hard done by, when by my standards they are rich.
          Anyways, I feel very conflicted. Many of the terms and conditions of my contract feel unfair and very worrying, especially with my upcoming mortgage to worry about. Despite liking my job/position, I am worrying that I could just be not paid for days, week, maybe even months at a time and there is nothing that I can do about it. But what if this is just an old clause and there is nothing to worry about? This is a really old fashioned company, and most people that work there are between 50 and 75 years old. The only young people are three people in their early twenties that are the kids of two of the women that work there. I really do not know what to do. I mean, I have to stay, because I need to have a job, but I really do not know what is best long term.

- Josie -