Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 February 2007 20:59:36
I've been "on call" this week. The theory behind providing 24 hour cover is in case of an "emergency" which usually means something like a pigeon flying around in a supermarket which can only dealt with outside normal trading hours. However, one company (who will remain nameless, but are a very large supermarket chain) seem to think that the out of hours callouts can be used for every trivial thing they can find. If mouse droppings have been found behind a pallett in the warehouse, it really doesn't need someone to call at 11 pm to look at them. I've been in the business on and off for a few years now, so I know what a mouse dropping looks like thankyou very much, and this is the sort of thing that can wait until morning.
It wouldn't be so bad but when I joined the company, I was told that I would be on call one week in every seven. However, due to various changes, I now find myself on call one week in every four, which means that once a month I have to put my life on hold to be at the beck and call of this chain of supermarkets who are the only people who ever seem to use the out of hours service.
Now, I don't mind long hours or working late. Quite the opposite as the extra money comes in useful. What I don't like is the fact that I have no control over the situation. Having been called out every night this week, I have had to miss a choir rehearsal, choir committee meeting and my local branch Labour Party AGM. On top of all that, I was out of the house at 5.30 this morning (yes, on a Saturday) to do a job that took me all of 15 minutes.
Maybe this will all change soon. I have my ADI Part 2 test on Wednesday, and if I pass, the Driving School boss would like me to start again at the beginning of March. I've had to wait a year for the opportunity to do this all over again and, much as I have (mostly) enjoyed what I'm doing at the moment, now that there is light at the end of the tunnel, I feel a mixture of excitement and frustrtation.