A new agency want me to do a 7 hour assessment day (unpaid).
Problem is I’ve been offered work that night and for as long as I want. And the rate is very good. If I go on the assessment I pay £20 diesel for nothing. As opposed to the job which will net me £150ish for a nights work.
Now as the assessment is days I could do it. But would they expect me to put my card in?
I’ve asked the agency and they got very funny about it and said I’d agreed and that I have to do the assessment now. But I can’t see them turning down regular good money for the possibility of work…
So what’s the normal practice? I want to do what’s in my interests here for once. And am not interested in driving there to be told I need to use my card for assessment drive and then get an infraction or lose out on money.
WTF do you want to work 7hrs in the day and then do a night shift?
Your PHD must be going to [zb] by now.
I’m more interested in if I have to put a tacho card in.
And I’m on a break from studying. Which is why I’m looking for more work. It’s a long story due to equipment issues. So i’ve taken some time off.
I don’t want to do a 7 hour day and then nights. But this week i have been given 1 days work. Which is not great when you are trying to earn a reasonable amount. So I thought that having more options was sensible.
A 7 hour ‘assessment’ - i.e, a shift, doing work… unpaid is taking the ■■■■. Tell them to ■■■■ off. And if you for some reason don’t, then yes, you’ll be required to use your tacho card.
They got funny about it and said you’d agreed to it so you’d have to do it is another way of saying they’ve booked you to do work for their client, and now they’re panicking they might not be able to cover the work. You can be sure as ■■■■ they’ll be charging their client for it. Sounds like a bunch of shysters to steer well clear of!
You need to bare in mind that all modern digi tacho’d vehicles record info not only on the drivers card but on the head unit itself too, therefore it stands to reason that a company and assessor would expect you to put in your card so that there is no period of “driven without card” recorded on their truck which they would have to account for…
Also it proves to the assessor that you can at least insert the thing correctly, which may well form a small part of the actual assessment
If I had you for assessment and you asked if you need to put the card in then I’m sorry but that would be the end of the assessment. Sounds harsh but that is absolute basic knowledge
If it’s driving which it will be then yes you need the card in unless you want Mr. / Mrs / Undefined gender of VOSA officer to get very upset with you.
If it’s not driving then it’s “other work” and so you still can’t work the night shift. Btw, you forgot to add the £40 for cans of red bull to stay awake!
I want to do what’s in my interests here for once.
Since 7 hour unpaid really means “we’ve got a shift which we can’t cover so we’ll get Sammy to do it for free and keep the cash”, then my response would involve a lot of uses of the term [fb]. As for “you’ve agreed” the response would be similar along with I’ll also be ringing the client to tell them how they seem keen on their drivers seriously flaunting the law…then find another agency.
Steve-o:
If I had you for assessment and you asked if you need to put the card in then I’m sorry but that would be the end of the assessment. Sounds harsh but that is absolute basic knowledge
Which is why I’m asking on here. I’m relatively new and don’t know what the score is with that sort of thing. I’ve never done an assessment before.
I’m not going to work for free which will stop me working for good money. It just doesn’t make sense.
Anyway - thanks everyone who answered. I would have done the assessment as it would have given me a foot in the door for a ‘big’ company - but another big company are willing to pay me to work so I’ll do that instead.
sammym:
A new agency want me to do a 7 hour assessment day (unpaid).
.
Do mugs actually do this?? No wonder this job is on its legs when [zb] will work a day for free!!
I went in to do an hour site induction and driving assessment that ended up being a 4hr delivery and collection with the assessor sat in the passenger seat. Phoned agency, got paid min 8hrs.
Work for free for 7 hours unpaid? Assesment or not err not a chance underpants,really what they are saying will you work for 7 hours for nowt then add on £150 night shift you can’t do that’s for arguments sake £10 an hour if you were working for the assesment company that’s £70 plus £150 so you do the assesment for 7 hours you stand to lose £220 or £31.42 an hour.
Daytrunker:
Work for free for 7 hours unpaid? Assesment or not err not a chance underpants,really what they are saying will you work for 7 hours for nowt then add on £150 night shift you can’t do that’s for arguments sake £10 an hour if you were working for the assesment company that’s £70 plus £150 so you do the assesment for 7 hours you stand to lose £220 or £31.42 an hour.
More than that.
I might fail the assessment and have no work. At the moment come 10pm on Monday night I’ve got a job lined up which pays. Which I could lose if I did the free assessment.
The night job isn’t ideal. It’s a 20mile commute each way. And it’s got some handball involved. And I also don’t know how I feel about working exclusively nights for a few weeks. But it’s better than working for free.
Your right paid work anytime also working gives you more than money you get experience which all goes to getting a job you want instead of a job you have to take,all done it its the crap bit of being a newbie but has to be done.
Like everyone you will look on the newbie section in a few months time and see a post about someone else in the situation your in but it makes a job you want to do worth it putting up with crap from the start.
As a student, you’re probably used to the idea of internships, personally I think they should be illegal but that’s not the point. Fair enough having an assessment for an hour, you don’t expect to be paid for a job interview after all. But it doesn’t take 7 hours to determine if you’re competent.
sammym:
A new agency want me to do a 7 hour assessment day (unpaid).
.
Do mugs actually do this?? No wonder this job is on its legs when [zb] will work a day for free!!
I have been asked to do 6 hours unpaid for Tesco next Monday (on agency) however once I work my first week its added to that
And what if you are not asked back after the first day? You have just worked a day for free.
Why not demand 6 hours pay for a 6 hour assesment?
Actually thinking about it why does it take 6 hours to prove you can drive?