The totally off-topic thread

[anat0l]

Should I continue to work hard or do enough to justify the salary they are paying me? The company does not want to reward better performers.

Maybe they can sense your contempt, so they are reluctant to pay you more if they are sinking funds into a depreciating (unappreciating?) asset.

I guess if they also sense you are retiring soon, they may have little incentive to pay you more, unless you had some grand scheme to work beyond retirement age. Or, you were somehow irreplaceable. My suspicion is that if the company you work for actually lacks the salt you make them out to be, once the expertise like you goes, those in charge will swiftly cash out their "get out" plans and leave the transitional mess to the crack team that succeeds them, which by that time the predecessors have made off with a nice handshake and washed hands (and with any luck, a written reference).

Besides, you said you work for an insurance company, so they should know a thing or two about risks and how to screw people at minimal self cost. What makes you think they treat the employees with any less contempt compared to their clients? Let's not forget that most of your management likely has degrees in some Business Management or MBAs, where their training has likely been centred on the idea that the degree of business success is usually and solely measured on profit and the bare minimum on any other imperative factors (and employee happiness is barely an imperative factor). From what I can hunch from the grumblings, HR aren't all that much better and seem to work only in theory and/or inside a vacuum.

As the Russian joke goes, "They pretend to pay us, so we pretend to work!"



In my line of work, you need to like what you do to stay in (or rather, at least, don't hate it). The money certainly isn't fantastic, especially as a new graduate. If you don't like what you do in this kind of job, no amount of money is realistically an incentive enough for you to stay in it - you'll either leave on your own volition, be shown the door by force... or worse still, you'll leave in disgrace, possibly as a criminal.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Totally outplayed by Bangladesh. One of these days we will pick a cricket team for the conditions but I guess there's not much left.

I have this feeling though that we'll win and that will be one of the biggest injustices of all time. Like chipping in for birdie from the bunker on the 18th hole when the leader of the major chamionship is on the green in regulation.

I read your posts on cricket with great amusement, JohnK. It's nothing like golf, it's cricket. Cricket. I don't think you understand the game.

 

[rainbowgirl]

Please tell me more about caramel m and ms. Sorry, have no idea how to spell that correctly. It's getting late and I'm going to bed.

 

[JohnK]

How many 457 workers are there in your workplace JohnK

At least 30 or 40 staff on 457 visas. Perhaps more. A few have also come and gone.

 

[whatmeworry]

At least 30 or 40 staff on 457 visas. Perhaps more. A few have also come and gone.

Do you know the federal government now spends 10 billion on IT, which is almost as much as Newstart.

 

[JohnK]

I read your posts on cricket with great amusement, JohnK. It's nothing like golf, it's cricket. Cricket. I don't think you understand the game.

What's there not to understand about cricket? I grew up playing the game. I understand enough to know that Australia has been thoroughly outplayed but the #9 Test nation in the world. If Australia loses the game they will drop to #6 ranking in tests which would be the lowest ranking they would have ever held.

But looks like luck going our way again and may get out of jail.

 

[Hvr]

Don't you just hate that! When I was doing some course work for a masters I would get an easy (essay?) back with a couple of circles around typos. My aim was to present a piece with absolutely no errors and I did in ? once, until I checked after I got it back and saw that I had spelled my first name wrongly in the header. :shock:

I can proof read documents and find errors in others writing. Often, after others have declared it perfect.

 

[drron]

Don't rob a convenience store in LOTFAP-

 

[love_the_life]

I can proof read documents and find errors in others writing. Often, after others have declared it perfect.

I did go back and fix it quickly though so you must have picked it up in the first few seconds. Either that or something weird is happening.

 

[love_the_life]

Canberra very smokey this morning. Looks like the burn off out at Kowen has been blown in and settled as it's now very still. Not good for asthmatics.

 

[Quickstatus]

Decided to sign up for an Optus account to access Premier League and other sports. Only a slight increase in cost for what I pay now with Telstra, which I consider acceptable for what's on offer.

They've emailed asking for confirmation of ID, including a copy of my DL, and mortgage agreement.

I think that's a bit out there for the sake of $40 a month. Not a chance in hell I'll be providing details of my financial agreements with any third party.

essentially you are entering into an agreement where Optus is a credit provider. Additionally a telecommunications provider as wel. ID checks for both situations are mandated in law.

Just look up the 100 point ID - there is a range of acceptable forms of ID. They want to confirm where you live?

 

[Pushka]

essentially you are entering into an agreement where Optus is a credit provider. Additionally a telecommunications provider as wel. ID checks for both situations are mandated in law.

Just look up the 100 point ID - there is a range of acceptable forms of ID. They want to confirm where you live?

That's what credit checks are for. Companies like Optus do not need to know the intricacies of how that credit score was calculated. They can take or leave the score.

 

[blackcat20]

Please tell me more about caramel m and ms. Sorry, have no idea how to spell that correctly. It's getting late and I'm going to bed.

They are delicious, so much so that it's probably a good thing you can't get them in Australia....

 

[Quickstatus]

That's what credit checks are for. Companies like Optus do not need to know the intricacies of how that credit score was calculated. They can take or leave the score.

I don't know if Optus do or don't need to for credit check - a credit card alone is not creditworthiness but I think they would for ID check.

 

[Pushka]

I don't know if Optus do or don't need to for credit check - a credit card alone is not creditworthiness but I think they would for ID check.

They ask for Drivers licence with every contract. Thats fine. I've never been asked for mortgage details which is what has been asked for in GarretM's post. I'd refuse to give that to them. That's what the credit check is for.

 

[Hvr]

I did go back and fix it quickly though so you must have picked it up in the first few seconds. Either that or something weird is happening.

Something weird is happening, the errors are still showing.

 

[Quickstatus]

They ask for Drivers licence with every contract. Thats fine. I've never been asked for mortgage details which is what has been asked for in GarretM's post. I'd refuse to give that to them. That's what the credit check is for.

Drivers license is not enough. its only 40 points. Dont need mortgage papers - some other document with same address as the proposed Optus service address is also valid. Just offer council rates notice, medicare card, utility bill, car rego. Not everyone has a mortgage.
Passport and DL is usually enough but credit providers like Optus might also want something to say you live at the address where you want the Optus service

https://www.instantchecks.com.au/100points.aspx

 

[Pushka]

Something weird is happening, the errors are still showing.

It's like love_the_life's old polar bear avatar showing when you quote her posts even though the 'new' one shows in her original posts.

 

[Pushka]

Drivers license is not enough. its only 40 points. Dont need mortgage papers - some other document with same address as the proposed Optus service address is also valid. Just offer council rates notice, medicare card, utility bill, car rego. Not everyone has a mortgage.

https://www.instantchecks.com.au/100points.aspx

It's all I have to show them. But in any case I think we are talking at cross purposes. GarretM has been asked for mortgage details and I've simply said in response that I'd refuse that request as it's not necessary.

 

[JohnK]

Maybe they can sense your contempt, so they are reluctant to pay you more if they are sinking funds into a depreciating (unappreciating?) asset.

I guess if they also sense you are retiring soon, they may have little incentive to pay you more, unless you had some grand scheme to work beyond retirement age. Or, you were somehow irreplaceable. My suspicion is that if the company you work for actually lacks the salt you make them out to be, once the expertise like you goes, those in charge will swiftly cash out their "get out" plans and leave the transitional mess to the crack team that succeeds them, which by that time the predecessors have made off with a nice handshake and washed hands (and with any luck, a written reference).

You are probably right but I feel it goes deeper.

I'm not alone when it comes to whinging about salaries. There are others who are being treated the same. And the company knows they have the upper hand as the market is very depressed. They find it difficult to attract people here so they overpay when hiring.

In saying that I'm not going to stir the pot. I have another 7 years to work. Here is as good as anywhere.