The Mock Turtle

Fantastic news, Olive! Well done.

Well done, Olive!

emma_p wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:28 pm 14 days self quarantine so might be tricky for an induction. But the list is updated every 2 weeks: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/release/dc-h ... er-21-2020

Thanks, Emma.

I’ll take it up with HR tomorrow as I have a call with them. Essential work related travel is apparently allowed but essential isn’t defined. It says conferences aren’t essential for example which makes sense. I know a lot of food manufacturers are considered essential at the moment as Mr O’s office and factories were amongst the first to open and international travel has been allowed because of this.

ETA: gah! I feel really stressed by this now.

Congratulations Olive!

Sorry, I didn’t mean to stress you!

It sounds like you’d be able to go as food manufacturing is obviously essential but prob worth mentioning to HR.

emma_p wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:56 pm Sorry, I didn’t mean to stress you!

It sounds like you’d be able to go as food manufacturing is obviously essential but prob worth mentioning to HR.

God, no sorry - I didn’t mean that. You’re not stressing me! It’s the perils of starting a new job during covid that’s proving to be the stressful part.

I’ve received my induction plan and basically I can travel between the hotel and office and that’s it. It’s walking distance which is handy.

There’s a max of 6 people in each day so we can all distance and the plan is that there are 4 of us in every day (boss, SD, new bloke S and me) as the core group. Then various people come in to spend time with us.

We’ll be having dinner in the office each evening as we can’t go out and whoever is in the office that will also stay and join for they evening.

It’s going to be so weird. I’m not looking forward to dinner with everyone every night but at it’s early and I might try and squeeze in a morning or evening walk.

I’m also unsure of what to wear for my first day as I go straight from the airport to the office and I’m on an 8am flight which means leave the house before 6am. I’m also debating if I can get everything I need into a carry on.

Argh. How many days will it last? You’d think they’d give you the option of eating in your hotel if you want to. (I mean, I get having dinner together on the first couple of days, but if it’s any longer than that it could get a bit much.)

4 nights. Monday - Thursday.

I’m hoping that when I’m there they’ll actually give us the option rather than make it mandatory. I assume they don’t want us to feel like we’ll be stuck in our hotel room each night - which actually sounds perfect to me.

I also wonder a bit whether it’s to stop us breaking quarantine and they’re trying to be responsible.

It might be worth raising it yourself on day 3 or something. A bit of peace and quiet and some room service might be just the ticket!

Loads of DC restaurants are doing delivery so you should try to sack them off at least one night to order from somewhere amazing!

I've been applying for jobs again. Taking two weeks off has made me realise how much work is dragging me down. Yes, they have been great about Covid, but they have been less great about the transition of the finance functions to a shared service and where I sit with that. I applied for an apprenticeship yesterday so I could possibly change career, for a teaching assistant position. I'd always wanted to be a teacher, but that needs a degree and I don't think I could stay where I am for 6 years while I get one part time around work so this would be a good compromise. I doubt I'll even get shortlisted as I'm terrible at completing application forms and talking about myself and it would be a bit (lot) tight with finances. I've applied for some other jobs over the past couple of weeks but I've not heard anything in response to those; I realise now isn't really the best time to be job hunting but I need to do something as the feeling of dread is back and I've only been back two weeks.

Sorry to hear that Skips - it is just so difficult at the moment. Fingers crossed that you are able to find something that you can enjoy and "afford"

Well, I actually had a call from the college and I passed their interview so my pack has been passed to the school, I was told I should hear this week but I've not yet had any contact from them. It would be ideal (assuming we can make the money aspect work) as it's only 11 minute walk from home.

I'm still applying for other roles, I had one rejection and nothing at all from the others. I had another run in with the hugger at work - he called me after I spoke up in a meeting and tried to intimidate me so I had a call with my manager who is on my side, but I don't want to work like this. I had to come home from the depot today as there were three of us sat on one bank of desks in an inside office with no fresh air - I asked for more visibility on who is going to be in the office and that was what the call was about (he was surprised I said anything as he'd offered to move me somewhere unsuitable for me to do my job). I'm not going to work late to make the travel time up as I don't think it's unreasonable to want to reduce office contact time if we don't need to be there.

I’m sure with your Brownies/guides experience, you’d be snapped up as a TA! Phone the school tomorrow!

Good luck, Skips!

Good luck Skips!

A job has come up in my field which I’m pretty much made for. The issue is that it’s in London. I’m definitely not going to move to London, but I would be perfectly willing to do some remote working and then come onsite for a few days every other week or so. My Instinct (and my inner mediocre white male) tells me to apply and then negotiate hard if I get offered it, but I’m wavering about whether it would be better to raise the possibility of remote working before applying as it is a dealbreaker (if they want me in the office more than 1 day a week then I won’t do it). I should just apply right?

Definitely apply and cross the location bridge when you come to it. Given the current climate it would be perfectly reasonable to expect office working to be the exception if a job can be done remotely, so I would forge ahead on that basis. Good luck!

Apply and cross that bridge when it comes to it, Chicky.

Definitely apply and then have the chat when it comes up, Chicky. Good luck!