Older work mate being "exploited"

commonrails · 05-06-2014, 09:09 PM

Well as the title says I was made aware today that a fellow work mate in his 60's is imho being exploited by his site supervisor. He starts work at or before 6am at our office then travels to the site in question (about 1/2 hour drive) and then works until 4pm if he arrives before 10am on site or works past 4pm for every minute he arrives passed 10am. Now this is what I don't like, they are only paying the poor bloke for a standard 8 hour day. I said to him that I will go to the boss and or even confront the site supervisor myself, however he asked me not to as in his own words "where is a bloke my age going to get another job". I'm pretty well ****ed off and even ashamed to work for this company (that I won't name) if that's how they let people be treated. So my question is do I say something even if it's an anonymous complaint to fair work or let it lie as requested by the person effected?

Bill M · 05-06-2014, 09:11 PM

Respect his wishes and say nothing.

STINKY NINJA · 05-06-2014, 09:12 PM

Why even bother mentioning it to you if he doesnt want anything done about it?
If it were me id anonamously report it to someone... its not right!

commonrails · 05-06-2014, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

Why even bother mentioning it to you if he doesnt want anything done about it?

My thought exactly!

ronnas07 · 05-06-2014, 09:21 PM

Company receives anonymous complaint.
Company fixes the problem.
3/6 months later Company "restructures" and fires the bloke.
If he is happy or not to do what he is doing, then thats up to him to do something about it.

b0son · 05-06-2014, 09:24 PM

Fair Work Act allows for a 'reasonable' amount of unpaid overtime. If it bothers you so much, make a complaint, but you need to consider whether you desire to do right outweighs this guy's desire for a job. At his age, you're basically dooming him to the dole.

Itsme · 05-06-2014, 09:25 PM

As mentioned respect his wishes as he knows where he stands & has made his own decision, if you say something & he loses his job will you live with this burden.

**MercurySilver** · 05-06-2014, 09:38 PM

Salary or wage worker?

commonrails · 05-06-2014, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trublu

As mentioned respect his wishes as he knows where he stands & has made his own decision, if you say something & he loses his job will you live with this burden.

I will let him make his own decision, I was really just getting the general feel for what others would do in this situation.

commonrails · 05-06-2014, 09:41 PM

wage worker

**cs123** · 05-06-2014, 09:43 PM

Keep your nose out of it. You will be doing him no favours getting involved.

Also lots of people work much longer hours than what their employment contract requires.

**MercurySilver** · 05-06-2014, 09:52 PM

So he starts and gets paid from 6am IMO
Half hr for lunch is two thirty so from two thirty to four is time and a half.
I'd say nothing if he didnt want me to. But I'd certainly do the sums and show him the cash he was missing out on in overtime each week.
And if he was as sacked if he went to the boss...the company would be in even bigger crap when an unfair dismal claim was launched against them.

I'd look for another job.
Sounds like they are dodgey
I wouldn't want to work for a company that treated someone like that

pottery beige · 05-06-2014, 10:07 PM

Old boy may be getting a cash sling on the side

You may **** it up for him

Nice work

ILLaViTaR · 05-06-2014, 10:14 PM

If we’re honest, most of us would accept that a bad boss is a little bit like a bad father or a bad husband. Not withstanding all his or her faults, you find that he tends to do more good than harm. He might be a bad boss but at least he’s employing someone while he is in fact a boss. - Tony Abbott.

I hope that answers your question :(

**tut0r** · 05-06-2014, 10:43 PM

Hey commonrails let me be the first to say good to see someone else caring about their fellow work mates, you don't see it where i've worked much anymore everyone is out for themselves and willing to screw over the next bloke.

I agree with most guys here if the guy asked not to do anything stay out best thing to be is supportive and thats about it, also maybe advise him to talk to fair work for advice as creating a 'paper trail' with fairwork might make his life easier and really put the employer on the back foot.

My girlfriend wasn't getting paid rates for 3 years, she was owed just over 2k for every sunday, it adds up.

ILLaViTaR · 05-06-2014, 11:09 PM

sorry muddled up my post but I'd definitely do something about it provided it's completely anonymous and he is consulted and in agreeance with every move. It's everyone business to stamp out the exact type of abuse/unfairness/rorting in the workplace why we turn a blind eye to it is exactly what's wrong with this country. Worst thing is the reason he doesn't want to stand up for himself is out of fear he'll lose his job.... not because he's content, he sounds afraid he'll lose the unfair position he's now in that puts food in his plate to the brutality of age discrimination and then he's really doomed.. Does that sound fair?? I can't stand this apathetic trap of "ir" tweaking that is putting the people of australia in these positions. Keep your unfair job, submiss and be miserable or go bankrupt and lose everything you've worked your entire life towards basically.

I'd personally talk to him and go to the appropriate departments as well as receive legal advice and lodge the report/dispute. The departments are there to stamp out these forced labour camp derived ethics and the last thing they would do is give the supervisor a mere slap on the wrist, only to have your poor friend return to work there everyday for the supervisor to make his life miserable for it. They're well aware these things can happen afterwards and supervisors/bosses will be far afraid to do anything like that as if they do you instantly appeal and launch another report that puts them heavily under the pump. Hopefully the supervisor gets the boot, and if he does stay around then he definitely won't be treating workers worse or firing them.

Because if they do, it will actually be the accc/government deciding if the worker gets fired or not and not the supervisor/company. That's why you can safely stand up for your friend. If it wasn't for the accc/vcat/government regulation then he would have to stay in his current situation.. ie submissing to an unfair work environment everyday out of fear of of age discrimination. Because the supervisor would be allowed to do whatever he wants. Which is actually not the case thank god or not yet anyway.

11ford11 · 05-06-2014, 11:13 PM

It goes against the grain,but you need to respect his wishes because he is dead right regarding getting employment at his age - but tell him to keep a record of his hours and dates as it may come in handy in the future - the only other question is ,is he carrying out full work duties or modified to suit his age?

Crazy Dazz · 06-06-2014, 12:50 AM

Need more information.

Sounds like a peculiar arrangement. Is this the job he signed up for?

**buggerlugs** · 06-06-2014, 07:08 AM

I think your thoughts are terrific towards your workmate, as others have said, I would keep a record of times worked but in this day and age, I'd be thankful to have a job at the moment................especially at your mates age.............

XB GS 351 Coupe · 06-06-2014, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by commonrails

He starts work at or before 6am at our office then travels to the site in question (about 1/2 hour drive) and then works until 4pm if he arrives before 10am on site or works past 4pm for every minute he arrives passed 10am.

So what does he do between 06:00am and 10:00am??

10am to 4pm is only 5.5hrs once lunch is taken out, so if he gets to site at 9:30am and leaves at 4pm he has only worked 6hrs…no wonder he wants you to keep your mouth shut and not cause waves for him he is a a great wicket

He may just go home and have breakfast with the wife, or see his girl friend or just relax in a coffee shop for a few hours reading the paper, I don't think he is hard done by at all, probably only works 6-8 hours max a day

XCH00N · 06-06-2014, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

So he starts and gets paid from 6am IMO
Half hr for lunch is two thirty so from two thirty to four is time and a half.
I'd say nothing if he didnt want me to. But I'd certainly do the sums and show him the cash he was missing out on in overtime each week.
And if he was as sacked if he went to the boss...the company would be in even bigger crap when an unfair dismal claim was launched against them.

I'd look for another job.
Sounds like they are dodgey
I wouldn't want to work for a company that treated someone like that

But with work how it is in NSW atm they will just say it was a redundancy due to lack of work. There are a lot of companies struggling and just as many closing (with another large mining company closing this week)

Nova 8 · 06-06-2014, 10:17 AM

You can claim all money's owing for being missed paid from the previous 6 years. Being under paid may be the old kids little retirement kicker.

xisled · 06-06-2014, 10:46 AM

It sounds to me like he wants to work the extra time. Maybe his supervisor has no idea about what is happening.

For the time he is late, well he is making up the time.

Maybe he has an arrangement that you do not know about and if you start talking will bring things undone.

EgoFG · 06-06-2014, 10:51 AM

What Nova said, but with a caveat.

If they were to make him redundant would he be entitled to anything ?
Maybe he wants you to stir, so that he gets an offer of voluntary redundancy.

If you have such a relationship with the old fart (I refer to myself as an old Fart at 52) then maybe you can ask if Nova's or my theory plays into his game.

Yellow_Festiva · 06-06-2014, 11:27 AM

He may have a verbal agreement between himself and his superior that pleases both parties... Ie, I used to work at a place with a high Islamic work force. The strict ones took time off to pray during their shift. New bloke turns up and has a whinge how they are 'always off doing their religious thing'. Spoke to me about making a complaint etc etc etc blah blah blah.

It didn't occur to him once that they are never in the lunch room when we were on our lunch break. They had a verbal agreement that they split their lunch break between their prayer time.

We were also given x hours to get a job done. We would all work like dogs together, no smoko, no dunny break, no tea break. We would then finish 1.5-2hrs before due, sit out in the carpark in the middle of the night (we were night fillers) eating Kebabs and smoking hooka. Of course, the other departments would assume we were bludging. Was none of their business in the end. We did our job well and that’s what counted.

Not publicised, not written, just a gentlemen’s agreement.

Happens all the time, you scratch my back, I scratch yours...

Perhaps the old guy is actually very wealthy and has no one at home?? When I was single I was spending 65hr weeks at school (first to arrive, last to leave) because I was living in a share house and had no space in my room for a desk and the net was sketchy. Anyone who saw me would think I was getting overworked.

If you don't know all the finer details, keep well out of it.

DBourne · 06-06-2014, 01:03 PM

If he is anything like me (I get paid for less hours than I am on site) he'll find a way to get his own back.

I am very good at bludging when available, or getting my time back by other means (long rides at lunch etc)

**supershifty** · 06-06-2014, 01:51 PM

Very kind of you to be concerned about your workmate - awesome.

As stated he's elder and would find it hard to get another job anywhere else. Good on him for sticking it out. It's really hard for a young and fit person to get full time employment. Most of us aren't fully happy with our conditions of employment, that's just the way it is. I envy the few people I know that love their job and live for it. It would be great to be awaiting the alarm clock to go off and spring out of the cot to go to work!

Old mate probably gets a sense of satisfaction and responsibility for having a job, maybe quietly lives for it, and like most of us is glad to get out of the house for the day. What would he do without it?

I'd say to butt out of it and keep on with making the old fellas day by being a good workmate. It's the good people you work with that make your day worthwhile.

Cheers!

Shonky. · 06-06-2014, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STINKY NINJA

Why even bother mentioning it to you if he doesnt want anything done about it?
If it were me id anonamously report it to someone... its not right!

Sometimes blokes just want to tell someone

and the worst thing you can do is stick your beak in against their wishes and make them wish they never..........

pottery beige · 06-06-2014, 02:26 PM

commonrails doesnt mind his own business, starts bs and ends up no longer required

old boy still has his job

lols

burnz · 06-06-2014, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by supershifty

Very kind of you to be concerned about your workmate - awesome.

As stated he's elder and would find it hard to get another job anywhere else. Good on him for sticking it out. It's really hard for a young and fit person to get full time employment. Most of us aren't fully happy with our conditions of employment, that's just the way it is. I envy the few people I know that love their job and live for it. It would be great to be awaiting the alarm clock to go off and spring out of the cot to go to work!

Old mate probably gets a sense of satisfaction and responsibility for having a job, maybe quietly lives for it, and like most of us is glad to get out of the house for the day. What would he do without it?

I'd say to butt out of it and keep on with making the old fellas day by being a good workmate. It's the good people you work with that make your day worthwhile.

Cheers!

^^^^^this it what a job is about.