Thursday, September 21st, 2006...1:41 pm
Work and security
Andrew Norton has a post up today about casualisation of the labour force, and how it might affect perceptions of work security
Before having a child, I worked in permanent or longish (three year) contract public servant type positions. I left my job after Sage was born because we moved cities, in part because we were unable to afford to stay in Sydney on one wage for any length of time. I started work again when Sage was 18 months old; for the last 2 1/2 years I’ve worked a string of casual, short-term or contract positions, mostly part time. During that time my partner’s had two jobs, with only a couple of days in between, so things could be a lot worse.
I’ve appreciated being able to do interesting and professional work as a part time – and I’ve been very lucky in that respect. But we’ve had one week’s holiday in that three and half years, because in a short term job it’s can be difficult to ask and difficult to receive approval for leave. Particularly if you need time off for illness/surgery/child illness as I have. (And yes, I’m shitty because we were going to have a holiday next week and the friend we’d planned to visit has to go overseas for work.)
Andrew asks whether “the new industrial relations laws will contribute to job insecurity in any significant way“. I would think so, what with the getting sacked more easily part. I also think there might be a lowering of expectations, particularly amongst younger workers – I know my parents think the kind of “career path” I’ve had to be pretty frightening. He also links to a Roy Morgan survey finding last year that people have the highest level of perceived job safety since 1975, when they began asking the question. I don’t worry about losing my job, but that’s largely a function of my partner having secure work. I do worry about getting another one when the inevitible happens and the economy falters (and after this other baby I’m growing, of course).
25 Comments
September 21st, 2006 at 5:43 pm
I could say much about casual work, which I’ve been doing all year. I don’t expect to be sacked, and I don’t worry about losing my job. But I do worry about what I’ll be doing in three months or three years’ time. I worry about money. Constantly. Even though my partner has a good job. I worry about the black hole in my CV. I worry them changing the working conditions on a whim. I worry about finding time to do other things. I worry that if I need time off my shifts will get cut back. Etc. So while I don’t sit here and think ’shit, I’m going to lose my job’, I’m certainly not happy with casual work — and the fact that it looks like I’ll still be doing casual work for some time to come.
September 21st, 2006 at 6:05 pm
I know what you mean Zoe and Kate. Although I don’t intend to return to work until Gemma is about 18 months old, which is October next year, I will only have three months or so in which to work full time, before needing school hours work because Charlie will be starting school. Even if I do start work in Oct next year it will have to be a pretty well paying job, to pay for two kids in daycare, and with the ‘black hole’ in the CV I really can’t see it happening. I think it could be a challenge finding a job within school hours that still pays for petrol and daycare and makes it worthwhile going to work.
But then I have to weigh that up against staying home until Gemma goes to school in 2011 and the really big black hole that will cause in my CV. Not to mention my brain possibly turning to mush. I have the option of doing another degree or something while I’m at home, but it seems a bit silly since I already have a perfectly good one.
Mmmm, trying to re-enter the workforce at 38, with school age kids, and getting an interesting and satisfying job could be quite a challenge. Better start buying those lotto tickets now I think.
September 21st, 2006 at 6:35 pm
I know this may sound tacky, Mindy, but if you do stay at home, get involved with lots of school committees etc, and keep your organisational skills levels up that way, which also leaves time for being with the kids. A bit of creative CV writing when you’re ready to go back to work (focussing on skills & experience, not actual workplaces) can do wonders.
Mind you, who knows what the frigging workplace will be like by that time. Maybe just being able to read — and able to write something that isn’t SMS-text — will be enough to get a decent job
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:33 am
I haven’t much thought about the next job. I’ve got 14 days left of this contract (and apparently 48 days till B-day!). I guess I’ll be taking 6 months to a year off.
I’m hoping that I’ll get some sort of part time work that I can do from home. As a programmer, it’s possible and I did a little of this at the start of the year. But if the projects aren’t there, then I’ll have to find something full time (but probably still short contract).
Since being made redundant 18 months ago, contract work seems to be the most popular option… Employers take you on contract and then just continually extend from month to month…. which is how my 3 month contract lasted almost a year (when I got sick them and the dull work – they probably still wanted me to stick around)
Long term work is much more fulfilling than short term… at least in my programming experience. I find it much more rewarding to have people use the code and then give feedback on how it can be improved and working through a number of development cycles. With my current contract, I’m not even going to see this code go into production once… (The deadline got extended…. my deadline can’t move!)
But at least I do know that the next six months and beyond will involve lots of challenges and it will be fascinating to watch my latest project develop before my eyes.
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:15 pm
Sage is such a beautiful name.
Lovely!!!!
Another interesting aspect of the labour market is the rise in the use of temporary staff, particularly in the public sector. The use of such stuff surely leads to the undermining of pay and conditions over the long term for permanent staff. The lack of certainity is also bad for temps.
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:47 pm
And the only people to have commented on this thread are women – I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
I was filling out a superannuation survey thing today (thrills!) which asked for three reasons I thought had affected my super. I said (1) casual and part time work (2) interruptions for childrearing and (3) generally disgraceful federal government.
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:59 pm
On ’sexing up’ the CV as ampersandduck suggests, well, you don’t have to reproduce to engage in that fun, profitable pastime. If I could only admit to some of the whoppers I’ve spun.
A big uh-huh, word! on the issue of superannuation. From all the odd wierd jobs I’ve had I think my superannuation is spread around about a dozen funds in lots of a couple of hundred dollars each.
My planning for retirement, alas, depends on the revolution coming before I turn seventy. Future planning? To the underground printing press!
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:28 pm
Reading these comments made me realise how much I’ve lowered my own expectations. While doing my PhD, which took nearly 6 years, I worked as a casual lecturer. No pay during semester breaks was the worst part, but the most stressful bit was the need to be constantly on the look out for jobs. Each semester I’d be scoping for teaching for the next semester. I spent conferences, morning tea times, meetings etc scouting for possibilities & was always on the lookout. For 2 years I cobbled together full time loads across two universities and 3 campuses, driving for hours each day. Now I consider myself lucky to have a 1 year 0.6 contract – indeed, it feels like a proper job and quite luxurious. How sad.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Nice to see you here, Liam. I thought boys had to go over to Andrew Norton’s to talk about this – no girls talkin’ over there ; )
And yep, lowered expectations just about covers it.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:42 pm
It’s the rutting male-on-male sensuality, as I’ve said before, that draws me over there. It’s that certain je ne sais quoi… no, wait, I know exactly quoi c’est. Ah well, it should come out in the wash.
…
Lowered expectations? You’re all lucky! Why, when I was working in my last job, I counted myself lucky to get paid at all, and go home to a cardboard box in the middle of the road, eat a handful of gravel and then get up four hours before I went to bed!
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:51 pm
Yeah, it’s hard to sound an ungrateful beast, isn’t it? When you’re a wage-peasant and all.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:59 pm
Why, the serfs at least had the sense to be grateful for their gruel, ruthless tithing, arbitrary conscription and occasional beating.
Casual workers these days… tsk, tsk. They wouldn’t know a Cossack if they were knocked down by one in the street.
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:02 pm
FFS, Haiku, consolidate NOW.
It is costing you money to maintain separate accounts. Most of the super acounts you’re in probably charge you a flat rate per account as part of the overall fee base. Multiple accounts = multiple fees.
1. Find all your “lost” super accounts at ATO Super Seeker.
2. Choose (yay, Choice!) a fund – I suggest you look at one of the industry funds. You’ll love the fact that they’re non-profit, union-dominated instos, but, more important than that, they provide a very efficient super admin service at much lower cost than the private (e.g AMP, MLC, Colonial etc.) alternatives. I suggest you concentrate on the bigger ones, as they tend to have greater economies of scale, which is important for lowering fees and the cost of insurance.
3. Transfer all of your super into that one fund.
P.S. please remember to consult your financial adviser yadda feckin’ yadda, so they can charge you for similarly uninformed gumpf. Alternatively, please forward my 3% commission (what, about $87.54?) to:
Dr. Fyodor Bazarov, CSPAM
Caddiche & Rottain Financial Planning N/L
37 Integrity Avenue
Mosman NSW 2088
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:07 pm
My God, he really cares, Liam!
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:07 pm
Pffft. If only I had a dollar for every dollar you think I’ve had.
I might get up-close and geeky with my super funds soon, though, as you suggest.
September 22nd, 2006 at 3:17 pm
Of course I care. I’m well-known for my
rapaciously piraticalcuddly-wubbly indulgent and over-generous nature.September 22nd, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Hey, Fyodor, you’ll be proud to know I did all that already and I even pay my own super these days.
Sure, some weeks it means I have no money at all because it’s been direct debited out of my account, but at least I’ll be able to buy a better brand of dog food when I retire.
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:22 pm
Oh and I belong to the JUST Industry Super fund and it seems quite good.
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:40 pm
I’m so proud of you I could burst.
No, really.
September 22nd, 2006 at 6:45 pm
Wot Dr Fyodor’s Happy Hour Super Fund Consultancy Services just said. I have many eggs in a Industry Super Fund and they’ve been just sooper so far.
Beyond that I have nothing constructive to contribute to this thread as I’m a fat rich parental responsibility-ducking male in a secure job.
So go girlfriends or whatever it is you say when urging eachother on after a few bacardi breezers.
(Yer gonna spank me for this Zoe on Monday week, aren’t you?)
September 22nd, 2006 at 7:34 pm
Ohh, I hope so Nabs. (Zoe take the camera, sweetheart.)
September 22nd, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Aw shucks thanks Fyodor.
Now if I could just get myself one of those ’secure job’ thingummies I’ll be set for life, or at least set until that time when I may decide to do my bit and breed for the motherland. Or the economy goes bung.
September 22nd, 2006 at 8:23 pm
I think we know who’s paying, don’t we ladies?
September 23rd, 2006 at 6:15 pm
I’m leaving this ridiculous moniker in place from the last time I commented…
…So, yeah, I’ve finally, Finally landed a permanent position, and I have to say I know what you mean about leave, about everything. It can just wear you down constantly checking the jobs pages. Worst combination is the sheer amount of time it takes the PS to sort out employment processes (even for short contracts) and the sheer number of PS jobs that are on short contracts.
September 25th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
I heart industry funds…
I haven’t had a Real Job(TM) in about a decade. I miss Real Jobs. the black hole of my CV scares me – sometimes I see it lurking in a dark corner at night…
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