This is pretty unethical, isn't it?

breadmonkey

Right, before I begin please no mass flaming of the "you-should-be-grateful-for-any-job" variety.

Basically, I've been offered a part time job. It's a crappy, minimum wage, horrible hours affair. I also had an interview for a "proper" job yesterday and am waiting to hear back to see if I got another interview. I also have a preliminary exam for something else on the 27th of this month.

So, is it extremely bad form for me to take the part time job, knowing that I might end up leaving after two weeks or even less? Or should I take what I can get and look after No. 1 given the current economic climate?

tara83

I would take the part time job. You have no guarantee that anything will come of the other jobs yet. If you do get one of them, just had in your notice and by the time you go to get your next job you can leave the part time one off your cv. If on the other hand you don't get the other jobs at least you have something to tide you over. People for part time minimum wage jobs are easy to find so look after no 1

Eoin

They can't expect much employee loyalty if it's a crappy minimum wage job. I would definitely look after #1.

mikemac

Take the part-time job.

Paying the minimum they legally have to doesn't help to foster loyalty from the staff.
You mentioned terrible hours too.
Don't feel bad, when you walk they'll have a replacement for you probably the very next day

breadmonkey

Thanks lads, makes me feel better now!

Highsider

Take the job. Most employers don't give two ***** about you so why should you be any different. Look after yourself

MagicMarker

25 hours (for instance) X €8.65 (that's minimum wage isn't it?) = €216.25

Dole = €200+

I know which I'd choose.

waraf

I did something similar once when I got back from Oz in 2002. Left a job after a month cause I got a better offer. Boss went mental and I don't really blame him. I wouldn't do it again unless I was desperate. It really depends on how much you listen to your conscience I suppose. A crappy job for you is a great job for someone else.

staker

i'd take the job,stuff 'em if needs be in a couple of weeks time!
i'd take a job over the dole any day.

Eoin

Highsider wrote: »

Take the job. Most employers don't give two ***** about you so why should you be any different. Look after yourself

Most minimum-wage employers maybe. This is a part time thing to tide the OP over. I wouldn't be advocating ditching them if this was a career-type job where they would be expecting to spend money training in etc.

breadmonkey

MagicMarker wrote: »

25 hours (for instance) X €8.65 (that's minimum wage isn't it?) = €216.25

Dole = €200+

I know which I'd choose.

So do I. :rolleyes:

Emerald Lass

breadmonkey - its not just €204 dole - bear in mind if you are renting or have a mortgage, you can get an allowance. Add that in and dole + rent subsidy = €285 (varies but as example) crappy job = €250

I know where you are coming from - I was all set to temp til I got something permanent, but after a month temping it was a struggle to meet the mortgage. bear in mind the additional travel expenses when you are temping and the uncertainty. So I stopped temping, went on the dole etc and I am about €50 worse off - but thats before tax and travel so really it was only about €20 when you took that into consideration. And that was if I got a decent amount of hours temping, on weeks where it was quiet I was worse off than the dole!

Part time jobs are great for students or people who aren't eligible for the dole, but otherwise they are not worth it. And I say this as someone who HATED having to be on the dole and would rather work, but the figures just didn't add up.

Thankfully I wasn't on the dole for long and something permanent came up - nothing like the salary I was on before, but def better than the dole.

Good luck with the more promising permanent roles - fingers crossed

breadmonkey

I hear what you're saying but I live with my parents and don't owe anyone any money so I'd just feel better about working even if it is a crap job. Also, if I want the dole I would be means tested and definitely wouldn't qualify for the full amount.

Emerald Lass

well then in your situation I would def take the PT job, a bird in the hand and all that. If luck is your way and you get a permanent better position, then I would not at all feel guilty leaving. At the end of the day if the boss no longer needed you he would let you go, so at the end of the day your responsibility is to you.

having said that there is no need to burn bridges either - you never know when past bosses will resurface! so if you get the other job, just be straight with the boss. Say thanks for the opportunity and I do appreciate it. when I took the job I had every intention of staying longer term (sometimes you need to lie!lol) but a job I applied for and thought I didn't get have actually come back to me. Its a permanent role, full time so I can't say no to the opportunity. Thanks again, and leave sorry if I'm leaving you in it.

If you are decent he might be a bit miffed but unless he is a total wanker he will understand - its a no brainer really. And I am sure there will be plenty of students or other people like yourself living at home who will line up for the job. in this climate he will have no problem replacing you.

And just in case anyone thinks I am advocating being a dole bludger - I'm honestly not, its just that at the moment we are all so desperate to get back working that we don't realise that some of us are actually worse off financially doing it! I absolutely HATED being ont he dole - I was climbing the walls at home and hated the feeling of being useless, but it was a simple financial reality - claiming dole and rent allowance meant I could manage - working temp with uncertain hours meant I was only scraping by and not sure of what money I would have from week to week.

anyway, best of luck with the new job and the job interview.

Maglight

Take the part time job. You don't know that you will get the other job you are going for. It would be different if you knew for definite that you had another job and were just putting in a few weeks until the other one started. There is nothing under hand in what you are doing.

YourName

Basically I'm in the exact same position, I went for an interview in a great new job, but the same day I got accepted in a crappy job, took the crappy job and have been working in it two weeks or so, yesterday got offered the better job and accepted it straight away (I am very lucky in these times to get offered it), now I'm faced with the problem with quiting the job I am in currently, however not for a few weeks as the new store (Better job) isn't opening for a few weeks, but its worse for me as a friend got me in there, and he will be pretty disappointed when I quit as he went through a lot to get me the job. But hey that's life, your only working for the money at the end of the day, not for anything else, so it all works out better, these are the bumps in the road that you just have to go over.

So my advice, do what I am doing, take the crappy job, your covering your ass that way, in case you don't get the other job, so best of luck mate ! ! ! ! !