Are good terms and conditions a thing of the past?

Elessar

I work for a company that consistently makes a signifigant profit, even in the height of the recession. The contracts they are giving out to new staff are shocking compared to a few years back. Longer hours, fewer breaks, minimum annual leave, and clauses like they can tell you what to work, what hours to work, whenever, for whatever reason, once it's 40 hours per week (breaks unpaid so 45 hours a week really if you want to get your work done) among others.

Compare this to some of the staff here a few years and the difference is striking. Better salary, much better hours, a shorter working week, a week or more extra leave per year, morning and afternoon breaks (all paid) and umpteen other benefits like health insurance etc.

Now I know it's a recession but it's incredibly demoralising knowing that the person who sits next to you doing the same job is getting so many extra benefits and when he goes for a break at 11, you have to continue to sit at your desk until 1pm. The he goes home at 5 and you stay til 6.

Are decent terms and conditions a thing of the past and will we all be locked into less favourable working conditions for the rest of our lives? Does any company truely value its staff anymore?

Or has anyone here recently started a new job with a really good contract?

Irish_Elect_Eng

Happily, the company that I work for continues to offer the same terms and conditions to new hires. However they do alter salaries to match the market, which is understandable as they are businesses.

Mrs OBumble

In 2011, I went back to more or less the same position that let me go in 2008 when the recesssion kicked in. Same salary, and slightly better conditions, viz a few days paid sick leave.

Then two years later, some roles in another part of the company opened up. Same T&C. But the manager tipped me that he thought i was being underpaid. (It's a complex 3rd party agency arrangeemnt) And the market had changed a lot. So I asked for and got a 15% increase.

Labour markets are all about supply and demand. If new people continue to work for lessor conditins, then they must be happy to do so or they would be findiing jobs elsewhere. The onl;y true cmparison is what someone else is willing to pay for you.