Working for a small company

aaf

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I work as an IT technician for a small company consisting of myself and two others (father & son). I have now been working for them for a year. I have a few issues I want to discuss with them but I want some advice first. I have a small list of items I want to discuss:
1. Over the past year, I have managed to work up between 2-3 weeks overtime (working late + worked lunch hours). It has been said before that we'd work out some time off in lieu of extra hours worked but it has never happened. I'm going to ask for either some kind of monetary compensation or time off in lieu of this or propose that they pay the fees for the courses in point 2 below

2. I want to start getting certs under my belt. I want to get the CompTIA A+ cert done and dusted asap. I'm looking at a choice of 2 different institutes and total costs including exams will be roughly €2k for this course. I would like my company to pay for this in lieu of money/time off owed as in point 1 above.

3. I want to get some kind of arrangement in place whereby if I do work any overtime, I want to get time off in lieu of it or monetary compensation.

4. I use my car every now and again for jobs and I would like an increase in the mileage compensation that was agreed when I first joined. Petrol costs have jumped between 10c-15c since I first started. Currently I am on 50c/mile so I'd be looking for 60c/mile - a 10c increase.

5. Last but not least, I was going to ask for a raise. I've done my job to the best of abilities and to my knowledge, I've had no complaints. Anything that has been thrown at me, I have done. The father is/has been slowly retiring which means more work for myself and the son so I think I am within my rights to ask for a raise. I am currently on < €30k/yr so I was going to ask for a €3k raise.

I'm going to discuss the above with the father later this afternoon so any advice on the above would be great.

Eoin

I have found that overtime in IT is quite hard to come by. For some reason, the norm has always seemed to be that IT workers work above the standard hours stated in the contract. However, time off in lieu is normally given at the discretion of the manager. Personally I only get hour for hour, even if I have been working over a weekend.

I would like my company to pay for this in lieu of money/time off owed as in point 1 above.

Sorry, but I do not agree with this at all. By all means push for the course, but do NOT let your company think that they are doing you a favour, or rewarding you by putting you on a course. If it is relevant to your day to day job, then it is part and parcel of the industry that they fork out for this.

Not too sure about the mileage thing - if you were do to 100 miles you would get paid E50 right? I doubt this puts you out of pocket. However, make sure that they are paying for your insurance to be basis B or whatever it's called (basically, that you are covered to drive as part of your job).

With regards to the pay rise: when was your last pay review? If it has been a while, and your work rate has been good and your knowledge increased etc, then 3K sounds reasonable. Look for similar jobs online (monster, irishjobs.ie etc) and see what the going rate is. If you can prove to them you are not on the industry standard, then you have a good chance. I would not bring in your personal situation, as this should not be a factor in your pay.

Borzoi

eoin_s wrote:

ISorry, but I do not agree with this at all. By all means push for the course, but do NOT let your company think that they are doing you a favour, or rewarding you by putting you on a course. If it is relevant to your day to day job, then it is part and parcel of the industry that they fork out for this.
.

Absolutely agree with you here - the quid pro quo of further training is that the company pays the bills, and the person puts in some their own time.

As for everthing else, go for it and good luck

aaf

Cheers. I will push for them to pay for my course and as a seperate issue, sort out the overtime I have done. I'm here a year and I haven't had any kind of a review never mind a pay review! I'm the only IT person here and the company could not function without me - IT rental company. My knowledge has increased alot in the year but I want to start getting certs aswell as experience. Regards mileage, yeah, €50 for 100 miles but what about wear and tear. Some companies offer some kind of car allowance but I don't get that so a push for an increased mileage amount makes sense to me. I got them to pay for CL2 insurance but they were hesitant. And that was only last month. I'd been driving around for the past year without this business class insurance because I wasn't aware of it!

Zaph0d

If I were you I would apply for other jobs. When you have an offer, then meet your boss. Say you would prefer to stay but that you have a generous offer and is there anything he can do? If you're not holding an alternative in your mit, my experience is that small company bosses will just say no to all your requests. Of course it's very important not to make the boss feel like your blackmailing him.

If you can't get another job offer then you're not in a strong negotiating position.

as for getting your company to pay for courses: the fear from their point of view, is that you will leave as soon as you are qualified. Would these courses make you better able to do your job or more productive? If not, then why should they pay for them?

If I were the employer, I would offer to pay for staff doing courses only a year after the completion of the course to ensure that I got at least some of the benefits. If you intend to stay after you get the certs then stress this to your boss.

aaf

Well, I was just looking at some job sites over lunch and there are some jobs I could apply for ranging in the salary scale of €30-€40k so I could just show him those jobs and point out that they are the going rates at the moment. I think I'll ask for a €5k raise after looking at those job sites. That'll bring me up to just over €30k. I don't actually want to leave the job yet as I want to get some experience and certs so it wouldn't be a case of leaving as soon as I got this cert. It's not a great cert anyway. It's just a foundation. I'll be aiming for CCNA or MSCE over the next 12-18 months. I already completed 3 of the 4 semesters of the CCNA a few years ago in college but never got around to doing the 4th semester and the final exams. Will have to do all of them again but I did well in the semester exams first time round and I have more relevant experience now.

Eoin

aaf wrote:

Well, I was just looking at some job sites over lunch and there are some jobs I could apply for ranging in the salary scale of €30-€40k so I could just show him those jobs and point out that they are the going rates at the moment. I think I'll ask for a €5k raise after looking at those job sites. That'll bring me up to just over €30k. I don't actually want to leave the job yet as I want to get some experience and certs so it wouldn't be a case of leaving as soon as I got this cert. It's not a great cert anyway. It's just a foundation. I'll be aiming for CCNA or MSCE over the next 12-18 months. I already completed 3 of the 4 semesters of the CCNA a few years ago in college but never got around to doing the 4th semester and the final exams. Will have to do all of them again but I did well in the semester exams first time round and I have more relevant experience now.

I would think that 40K would get a pretty experienced and certified support engineer - although the market is on the increase, I think it is still pretty much an employers market.

Personally, I wouldn't go applying for jobs unless you actually want to go. You probably have enough to make a pretty strong case for a raise, and certainly the course.

Zaph0d wrote:

as for getting your company to pay for courses: the fear from their point of view, is that you will leave as soon as you are qualified. Would these courses make you better able to do your job or more productive? If not, then why should they pay for them?

Yes, you will have to show that the course you want to do will directly impact positively on your day to day job.

Zaph0d wrote:

If I were the employer, I would offer to pay for staff doing courses only a year after the completion of the course to ensure that I got at least some of the benefits. If you intend to stay after you get the certs then stress this to your boss.

You can't expect an employee to pay for a course out of his/her own pocket. Maybe the cost of exams, which is refunded after a while but paying for training courses in a relevant field is more or less a given.

aaf

eoin_s wrote:

Yes, you will have to show that the course you want to do will directly impact positively on your day to day job.

Well, I'm an IT Technician. We're an IT rental company. My duties involve an excellent knowledge of hardware and software. I want to do the A+, then maybe Network+/Server+ and then CCNA. All the courses listed are relevant to my position. Will be discussing all the above with my boss in the morning as he won't be back in the office till then. Thanks for all the advice so far.

Kinetic^

aaf wrote:

Well, I'm an IT Technician. We're an IT rental company. My duties involve an excellent knowledge of hardware and software. I want to do the A+, then maybe Network+/Server+ and then CCNA. All the courses listed are relevant to my position. Will be discussing all the above with my boss in the morning as he won't be back in the office till then. Thanks for all the advice so far.

just looking to see how you got on.

aaf

Keyser Soze 69 wrote:

just looking to see how you got on.

Said it to one of them just after lunch as I was on my way out the door to do a job. Haven't had the chance all week as we're pretty busy. I asked for the extra time I've worked to be sorted out and asked that any future overtime worked be sorted too. Suggested some kind of timesheet/flexitime. Asked for an increase in mileage rates due to rising fuel costs over last year. Asked for pay review. And finally, asked to be put on A+ course starting in 2 weeks time. He didn't say very much but agreed that I was right to ask for all that. He said he'd discuss it with the other guy. Guess I'll find out tomorrow what I'll get. Will post results here. Was unbelievably nervous when I was talking to him and he saw that. Very hard thing to do especially when it's a small father/son business.

Kinetic^

Fair play,if you hadn't have asked you never would've found out so it was a good move, at least you know where you stand now.

aaf

Looks like I'm going to start looking for a new job! He finally came back to me today with the following:
1. Salary rise of 2k but I'll have to learn the admin side of the job now that the other guy is retiring. That's an insulting offer considering I asked for 5k and didn't know I'd effectively be taking somebody else's workload aswell.
2. Raised my mileage costs from 50c to 60c ( I don't get any car allowance on top of that)
3. He's willing to pay for the course, half up front and the other half after another 12 months and if I leave in that 12 months, he wants the money back
4. We've agreed to keep timesheets from now on which is fine by me.
5. With regards the 2-3 wks overtime I've worked, I'm not getting anything. He doesn't agree that I'm owed that as there is no documentation to back it up. Somedays, I'm let go 30-60 mins early if it's quiet but I factored that into the equation and he still has a problem with it. I've been given 1 half day in lieu of extra time worked since I started here and that's it. I worked over 3 hrs overtime last week alone starting at 6.30am one morning and I got no time off in lieu of that.

If anyone knows of a company who are currently looking for a relatively well experienced IT Technician who has a BSc Degree and PG Dip, let me know. I can't work here much more if that's how he values his employee.

AARRRGH

aaf wrote:

Looks like I'm going to start looking for a new job! He finally came back to me today with the following:
1. Salary rise of 2k but I'll have to learn the admin side of the job now that the other guy is retiring. That's an insulting offer considering I asked for 5k and didn't know I'd effectively be taking somebody else's workload aswell.
2. Raised my mileage costs from 50c to 60c ( I don't get any car allowance on top of that)
3. He's willing to pay for the course, half up front and the other half after another 12 months and if I leave in that 12 months, he wants the money back
4. We've agreed to keep timesheets from now on which is fine by me.
5. With regards the 2-3 wks overtime I've worked, I'm not getting anything. He doesn't agree that I'm owed that as there is no documentation to back it up. Somedays, I'm let go 30-60 mins early if it's quiet but I factored that into the equation and he still has a problem with it. I've been given 1 half day in lieu of extra time worked since I started here and that's it. I worked over 3 hrs overtime last week alone starting at 6.30am one morning and I got no time off in lieu of that.

If anyone knows of a company who are currently looking for a relatively well experienced IT Technician who has a BSc Degree and PG Dip, let me know. I can't work here much more if that's how he values his employee.

I actually think his response is reasonable. I would have been well surprised with your 5k raise.

Don't overvalue yourself. As you said, you are an IT Technician. There are a million other "IT Technicians" (who already have qualifications out there.) And seriously do not believe the salaries you see on recruitment websites. If they are according to a recruitment agency, it's highly likely they're false (or more likely, the job doesn't actually exist - they just want your CV.)

I'd think strongly about leaving before you do - at the start of this topic you seemed reasonably happy there. Now you have a raise, increased petrol allowance, and a college course paid for.

Zaph0d

You could look on his offer in a more positive light. You could also look at it as his initial neogotiating position.

Also you seem to have analysed everything from your perspective: a list of things that you want, when you might find get further by considering what your boss wants. What can you give him that won't cost you much?

aaf wrote:

Looks like I'm going to start looking for a new job!

You should always be looking for a new job. I apply for a job every three months or so no matter how happy I am at work. It just makes your negotiating position so much stronger and more realistic.

1. Salary rise of 2k but I'll have to learn the admin side of the job now that the other guy is retiring. That's an insulting offer considering I asked for 5k and didn't know I'd effectively be taking somebody else's workload aswell.

Maybe there is something to be learnt doing the admin side that could be valuable to you in future jobs. Don't dismiss it out of hand. It seems strange that you could be asked to do two jobs if you can't fit your own job into 40 hours as it is. Have you put this to your boss? What is his understanding? Did the last guy do nothing?

2. Raised my mileage costs from 50c to 60c ( I don't get any car allowance on top of that)

you got what you asked for

3. He's willing to pay for the course, half up front and the other half after another 12 months and if I leave in that 12 months, he wants the money back

As I said earlier in the thread, this would be my attitude if I were the boss. I think this is a good offer. If you do leave in a few months he will have just paid for you to leave for a more lucrative job. Nobody has offered to pay for training for me in years.

4. We've agreed to keep timesheets from now on which is fine by me.

This is good for both of you. He won't undersetimate your working hours and will feel he can manage you better.

5. With regards the 2-3 wks overtime I've worked, I'm not getting anything. He doesn't agree that I'm owed that as there is no documentation to back it up. Somedays, I'm let go 30-60 mins early if it's quiet but I factored that into the equation and he still has a problem with it. I've been given 1 half day in lieu of extra time worked since I started here and that's it. I worked over 3 hrs overtime last week alone starting at 6.30am one morning and I got no time off in lieu of that.

I would chalk this up to experience. I can understand how you feel and I don't think the boss is handling it very well, but if you do overtime for someone and you don't document it, you're in a very weak position. Never ever do this again.

Never begin a job without a written agreement of the terms of the job even in a letter or an email because its so hard to resolve differences after the fact.

Once the duration of the agreement is over, it's time to renegotiate the terms. If you don't bother doing this and let it slide, you are robbing yourself.

If you can't get the agreement you want then leave but there's no point in taking the process personally. If an offer is lower than you can get elsewhere then it's too low, not 'insulting'. And if your boss wants to pay you less than you judge your market rate, prove him wrong by working elsewhere, rather than feeling he doesn't value you. He's not your girlfriend after all.

penexpers

aaf wrote:

5. With regards the 2-3 wks overtime I've worked, I'm not getting anything. He doesn't agree that I'm owed that as there is no documentation to back it up. Somedays, I'm let go 30-60 mins early if it's quiet but I factored that into the equation and he still has a problem with it. I've been given 1 half day in lieu of extra time worked since I started here and that's it. I worked over 3 hrs overtime last week alone starting at 6.30am one morning and I got no time off in lieu of that.

That's perfectly fair. Is there anything in your contract about overtime?

Kinetic^

The offer on education was a reasonable one and good considering they're paying for it up front.

The overtime is pretty bad but if you've nothing in writing then you're screwed.

Mileage is good. The raise IMO is humiliating, did he say when it would be reviewed again.


You need to get all of this in writing asap.

windy

i think you've got some pretty bad advice here.....

1st they came back with pretty much everything you have asked for. Overtime is something paid to shift/production line workers not professionals (obviously if they are taking the p*ss its a different matter), plus if its not in the contract and documented.......

Finally, IT technicians are not in short supply (and thats me being politically correct) so be careful you can secure a better role before moving.

best of luck

DublinWriter

aaf wrote:

1. Over the past year, I have managed to work up between 2-3 weeks overtime (working late + worked lunch hours). It has been said before that we'd work out some time off in lieu of extra hours worked but it has never happened.

As a 'salaried' worker, overtime doesn't come into it. Usually there's a bit of give and take, especially with small companies. However, if you feel that they are taking the yellow-stuff with you, you need to make your point more forcably with them and don't be backward about coming forward. Is there an annual review process in place?

I wouldn't suggest to them to that paying for courses would be compensation for 'overtime', as most companies wouldn't bat an eyelid about doing so as it's as much to their advantage than yours. Normally, most companies have an agreement in place where if you quit in a the two years after getting training that you pay the cost of that training.

aaf wrote:

4. I use my car every now and again for jobs and I would like an increase in the mileage compensation that was agreed when I first joined. Petrol costs have jumped between 10c-15c since I first started. Currently I am on 50c/mile so I'd be looking for 60c/mile - a 10c increase.

Call Revenue or check their website. The rates paid by Revenue to their own employees are the standard on which most companies in the private sector reemburse their employees for milage.

aaf wrote:

I am currently on < €30k/yr so I was going to ask for a €3k raise.

That's not too shabby for a tech if you don't mind me saying, and certainly a little above the average. On an annual basis, your increases should not be below either the National Pay Agreement (3% now I think) or the rate of inflation.

aaf wrote:

I'm going to discuss the above with the father later this afternoon so any advice on the above would be great.

Negotiation is a fine art! Try and stay positive while negotiating (everyone hates a whinger!) and always have a 'walk away' provision, i.e. prepare for the worst case scenario and how you would react to it.

Civilian_Target

I agree - his response is pretty close to what you asked for. But I'd still apply for a few other jobs at the same time - he might realise that you're worth more to him then. If you're keeping a timesheet as in 4. then your extra admin tasks will be factored in very easily.

And as far as I know, IBM in Dublin are recruiting - so that could include IT Technicians. Good luck...

aaf

Sorry for dragging this up again, but I've a few more things to get off my chest Managed to locate my original contract and here's the most relevant paragraph from it:

The hours of work will normally be from 9.00am to 5.30pm with an hour for lunch, Monday to Friday. However, it may be necessary to occasionally work outside these hours in which case compensation will be made by time off in lieu or overtime payment.

The following is taken from the oasis.gov website:

The introduction of Organisation of Working Time (Records) (Prescribed Form and Exemptions) Regulations, 2001 means that all employers are required to keep detailed records of start and finishing times, hours worked each day and each week and leave granted to employees.

This has never happened which is why I have been screwed over. A harsh lesson. As I already stated, I've worked up between 2-3 weeks overtime and have not been compensated. My boss has refused to address this in a professional manner which is the point I'm most annoyed about. The new timesheet system will avoid this issue in the future.

With regards a salary raise, going from a 3 man company to a 2 man company is going to have repercussions on my job description and workload. Having done my job to the best of my abilities and not had any complaints from clients or my employers in the past year, I would've thought that a decent raise would've been 3-4k. With only 2 of us working now, I would've thought a bigger raise would've been due. Nothing has been put in place for future pay/performance reviews and I had to bring all of this review stuff up myself.

With regards the training courses, I was going to do a course on a wed from 5pm-10pm which would've meant getting off work early but I just found out that due to insufficient numbers, this course will not go ahead. When I told my boss about this course, he said I could get off early but work comes first. Fair enough. He then told me that he's doing a masters himself and would be leaving the office at lunchtime every tuesday. One rule for him and another for me. He's on double my wages and without me, there would be no company. Just doesn't add up. BTW, the last year has been a record year for the business. All this has left a sour taste so I'm looking for another job. I know it's not slave labour but with only two in the job, I expected to get a bit more out of it. Just wanted to get that off my chest and see what experiences you guys have had re overtime and raises.

RicardoSmith

Been there got the T-Shirt never again etc. Everyone does this at some point. No matter who you are dealing with, even if its you Mum, its always best to have a record of your hours and a rough guide what you do on a daily basis. Its a hassle, yes, but its being professional and you never know when you'll need the info. That lesson learnt where do you go from here.

Well you have to make a judgement call if you think you are going get any concessions from your employer. If you are then great. If not then don't burn your bridges, always be nice and professional. But I would secure another job before doing anything about leaving. New jobs can fall through even at the last minute. I would also try and reclaim some of your lost time by taking half days back, or even full days etc.

But get it clear in your head, if your employer values what you do, they'll make concessions. If they don't they won't. Its usually a simple case of economics, that they know they can get someone else, probably cheaper. Its a harsh truth to realise sometimes.

Cake Fiend

I also think you're aiming too high here. You're on above-average pay here as it is, considering you're only in the job a year and have little qualification, and considering the aforementioned healthy supply of technicians/admins - there are 18-year-olds with an MCSEs out there doing your job. A 5k raise after one year is far too optimistic IMO. Also, in my experience, a year is not a long time to go without review in a small company.

Also, overtime arrangements should always be made clear in advance, and you are usually responsible for keeping track of any overtime worked. It's not clear from your post whether the overtime was by your own choice or specifically requested by the employer, but unless you have at least a vague pay/time off agreement regarding overtime, you can't expect much for it, especially in a small company where a bit more give and take is expected.

All in all, I think you've done well out of the arrangement so far, the only downside I can see with the new arrangement is the extra workload (although basic admin work is 90% thumb-twiddling, 10% hard graft).

As a side note, I think it's bananas to take a course for basic certs such as the A+. If you get your employer to pay several thousand for tuition and exams, he'll feel you owe him for it (a contract extension seems to be the norm). I'd recommend self-study for basic exams (CompTIA, MCP, etc) so that you can either keep your job-hopping options open, or get the employer to pay for a more significant course, like your CCNA.

aaf

Sico wrote:

I also think you're aiming too high here. You're on above-average pay here as it is, considering you're only in the job a year and have little qualification, and considering the aforementioned healthy supply of technicians/admins - there are 18-year-olds with an MCSEs out there doing your job.

I have a BSc.Degree in IT and a PostGrad Dip in IT and a few years exp in technician roles!

Sico wrote:

Also, overtime arrangements should always be made clear in advance, and you are usually responsible for keeping track of any overtime worked. It's not clear from your post whether the overtime was by your own choice or specifically requested by the employer, but unless you have at least a vague pay/time off agreement regarding overtime, you can't expect much for it, especially in a small company where a bit more give and take is expected.

Overtime was definitely not my choice. Working late on site and long trips all over the country from which I was arriving home at 10pm and back in for 9am the following morning was definitely not my call. Lesson learned re overtime and keeping track of time worked. However, as I already pointed out, by law, the onus is on the employer to keep track of hours worked by employees but I will of course be keeping track of time worked that my boss has to sign off at the end of each month. What's the situation when you work through lunch? It happens a good bit when I'm out of the office. If I'm on a long trip, I might grab a sandwich at the company's expense but taking a full hour for lunch on those occasions is just not viable. Do I put that into my timesheet?

Sico wrote:

All in all, I think you've done well out of the arrangement so far, the only downside I can see with the new arrangement is the extra workload (although basic admin work is 90% thumb-twiddling, 10% hard graft).

Which is why I'm disappointed with the raise.

Sico wrote:

As a side note, I think it's bananas to take a course for basic certs such as the A+. If you get your employer to pay several thousand for tuition and exams, he'll feel you owe him for it (a contract extension seems to be the norm). I'd recommend self-study for basic exams (CompTIA, MCP, etc) so that you can either keep your job-hopping options open, or get the employer to pay for a more significant course, like your CCNA.

Agreed, self study is thw way to go for basic certs like the A+ but I've found it near to impossible to find the time to sit down and do it. I play football on Sundays and train twice a week. I give Adobe Photoshop lessons once a week after work (which I've had to postpone a few times due to working overtime!) and I also do alot of nixers building and fixing PC's etc so time is at a premium for me. That's why I thought actually having to go to a learning centre to do a course would've worked out better. However, I'm going to have to do the A+ the self study route now anyway but that means I'm not tied to my job now in anyway as they won't be paying for it.

RicardoSmith wrote:

Well you have to make a judgement call if you think you are going get any concessions from your employer. If you are then great. If not then don't burn your bridges, always be nice and professional. But I would secure another job before doing anything about leaving. New jobs can fall through even at the last minute. I would also try and reclaim some of your lost time by taking half days back, or even full days etc.

I already tried to discuss the overtime I have worked over the past year with my employer and he's having none of it. I won't be burning any bridges though. I'm not like that. I have been and always will be professional in my approach to business even if the other parties aren't approaching it the same way.

Zaph0d

aaf wrote:

He then told me that he's doing a masters himself and would be leaving the office at lunchtime every tuesday. One rule for him and another for me.

Correct. That's the way work is. If you don't like it, you can start a company and become the employer and set your own rules. Then you can find out what it's like to never know from month to month how much money you're going to bring home.

He's on double my wages

This looks like jealousy. Never worry about what your boss earns because it is irrelevant. Say your boss offered you another €10K to stay on condition that he paid himself an extra €100K, would you refuse on principle? I would take €1 even if my boss got €10 million extra.

and without me, there would be no company.

without you he would hire someone else.

I know it's not slave labour but with only two in the job, I expected to get a bit more out of it.

No point in regretting the past. You can stay happier by only expecting to get out of a job what you've agreed in the contract plus some experience. At the end of the year it's up to you to negotiate a new contract based on your perceived value to the company and your perceived market rate. If you can't get what you want then move on.

Changing job after a couple of years is a great feeling. It's a positive thing and gives you a chance to get broader experience. If I were you I would only leave if I thought I wasn't learning anything new on the job or I hated it or I believed I was being paid well under my market rate. I would then give the boss loads of notice like 3 months and offer to train someone in. Training in a replacement is easy money. Doing this means that leaving presents no hassle to him and in the future he can be a client of yours.

Resentment is a waste of energy and will only hold you back.

Cake Fiend

Zaph0d wrote:

If I were you I would only leave if I thought I wasn't learning anything new on the job or I hated it or I believed I was being paid well under my market rate.

I agree here - practical experience in this field is worth more than a degree or diploma.

RicardoSmith

Sico wrote:

I agree here - practical experience in this field is worth more than a degree or diploma.

The market will only pay what it percieves to be the market rate. Look at the CPL survey. Thats a good guide.

aaf

Well, I would say that 95% I could do with my eyes closed while the other 5% that I don't know, I find out how to do it if needed for an upcoming job like a few weeks ago, I had to setup a temp internet cafe in the RDS (worked late that day aswell ). I'm going to start looking for a new job. I'll soon find out my market value after a few interviews.

Zaph0d, if you saw how this guy operates, you wouldn't believe it. He's extremely tight with money which is fair enough if you're a small company but this guy takes the p**s sometimes like if we're gonna be short a laptop for a job, he'll use his own broken PII laptop from home on which the screen will not remain upright on it's own, it has to be leaning against something and if something goes wrong and clients are ringing up, I've heard him blame me even though it's totally his fault like forgetting a piece of hardware or the equipment not being up to spec. That's what I mean by him not being very professional. Now it sounds as if I'm bitching but I feel as if all you lot think I'm being resentful and jealous but I'm not. I wouldn't want this guys life at all. He's definitely on a set amount every month which is almost double my wages and yes, sometimes that fact gets to me but it's his company so he can pay himself what he wants I suppose but sometimes the way I'm treated isn't very professional like if a client rings in at 5.15 with a problem, he has no hesitation in telling them that someone will be in immediately to fix the problem without asking me first and then he'll say that he can't do it himself because of so and so. This is the unprofessional way I'm treated and I want out. Well, now I am getting bitchy so I'll just say, I will be looking for a new job but I'll take my time and get the job I want. I won't be burning any bridges in the meantime and will continue to do my job to the best of my abilities. Oh, when he gave me the 2k rise, he said that he mightn't have that in place till the end of next month, wtf!

Zaph0d

aaf wrote:

Zaph0d, if you saw how this guy operates, you wouldn't believe it... extremely tight with money...heard him blame me even though it's totally his fault...not being very professional....client rings in at 5.15 with a problem, he has no hesitation in telling them that someone will be in immediately...when he gave me the 2k rise, he said that he mightn't have that in place till the end of next month, wtf!

I once had a boss like this and after a couple of years I gave up and left. In retrospect I feel I could have handled it better. If your boss is constantly pushing you over the boundaries of your contract and not allowing you equal leeway in return, then you have to be assertive but polite about it or else it will just get worse.

Have you tried at all to find ways to help him get what he wants? I'm guessing he wants better margins, faster paying customers, big clients, a growing business etc. Are you coming to him with ideas for how he can get these things? This is often the route to getting what you want from your boss.

homeOwner

I think you should be happy with what you have negotiated with your boss as regards to the pay rise and the milleage increase.

Regarding the overtime, I think you need to be more assertive. You cant do much about the overtime you have done in the past year but going forward, if I were you, I would take time in lieu as per your contract.

If he complains, refer him to your contract, if he still refuses tell him you are not working any more overtime until an arrangement is worked out. Its all well and good him telling you to keep timesheets - that does nothing but record the hours - you need to find out how he intends to honour your contract as regards overtime.

If you are as important to him as you believe, he will allow you time in lieu within reason. You cannot expect to leave early in a crisis but on a slow morning you could come in late or take a long lunch. It sounds to me like there is more work than one person can handle and really he needs two people. You seem to have been very accomodating to the need for overtime and he needs to realise you have to be compensated in either more money to reflect your importance to the company even if it is above the industry norm or time in lieu. I would however start looking for another job in case he stands his ground and lets you go! As an employee you have rights and its up to you to make sure you are not being exploited. Stand your ground and take the time in lieu.

WizZard

Zaph0d wrote:

I once had a boss like this and after a couple of years I gave up and left. In retrospect I feel I could have handled it better. If your boss is constantly pushing you over the boundaries of your contract and not allowing you equal leeway in return, then you have to be assertive but polite about it or else it will just get worse.

Have you tried at all to find ways to help him get what he wants? I'm guessing he wants better margins, faster paying customers, big clients, a growing business etc. Are you coming to him with ideas for how he can get these things? This is often the route to getting what you want from your boss.

Somehow I don't think this guy is going to want to hear improvement suggestions form employees. I've worked for people like this, and was firmly told my place when I offered advice like that.

@aaf: I would find things that you have to do if he keeps trying to send you on jobs at 5.15pm
Your contract states 5.30pm. Now as has been already pointed out a little overtime is normal in IT roles, constantly. However if you feel that he is asking too much then make yourself unavailable for late evenings etc.

I would also have a word with him about using you as a scapegoat. That's not on. That would annoy me more than anything as it show a lack of respect.

Anyway, I would advise you to get a new job. You do not seem happy, and you are getting bitter (which is understandable - I've been there, I'm not insulting you or anything like that) with your employers which does not lend itself to a happy working life.
Being happy with what you do is the most important, however the odd raise does help!

aaf

Cheers guys, I'm resigned to the fact that I'll have to get a new job to be happy again. Having looked over my contract again, I feel alot happier about what I'm entitled to and what I can discuss with him.

WizZard wrote:

@aaf: I would find things that you have to do if he keeps trying to send you on jobs at 5.15pm
Your contract states 5.30pm. Now as has been already pointed out a little overtime is normal in IT roles, constantly. However if you feel that he is asking too much then make yourself unavailable for late evenings etc.

There's only so many lies I can come up with! Yes, I do have commitments outside work and hobbies that are effected by working late. I'm keeping timesheets now and come the end of the month, I'll have worked up about 8-10 hrs overtime so we'll see what arrangement we come to then.

Zaph0d wrote:

Have you tried at all to find ways to help him get what he wants? I'm guessing he wants better margins, faster paying customers, big clients, a growing business etc. Are you coming to him with ideas for how he can get these things? This is often the route to getting what you want from your boss.

He doesn't involve me in any decisions like those. As far as he is concerned, I'm the techie and that's it. Most times, I'm not even consulted on hardware purchased! With him, money is the be-all and end-all, even if it means upsetting clients which is beyond me as everyone knows that the customer comes first. He's always breaking promises and I don't know how we have as many clients as we do. Take this morning, he promised a client we'd be on the job and 8am and we arrive in at 10.30am! Now, they weren't ready for us when we did make it in and weren't upset in the least but that's not professional at all. I'll keep you all updated and thanks for the advice