So, the new banding structure was, barring some details that need hammering out, agreed upon, and we've had "assessments", to see where we fall in the new amended pay scheme... The one who was being massively underpaid for the level of his work got the pay rise!!! Would have been nice if they'd backdated it like 6 months, when we feel like he started working at that level, but it's great news ahead of Christmas at least because of all the insane overtime we do in December, hahasangi39 wrote: ↑21 Oct 2023 02:01 Thanks muchly, peoples
Only a minor update: So, sort of one above new TL (who's taken on some of the more complicated stuff, like all this noise) had a meeting with us on Wednesday morning. We were in there for about 80 minutes going over everything. Mostly just catching them up to speed with everything
Well, about 3 hours later they come back through saying "oh, well head of HR* and Managing Director** are ready to have a meeting with you all now if you want to head through". Bit of a surprise after 7 months of nothing, but I think they basically decided "time to be proactive, go above HR and drag Managing Director into this directly"
*who's the most useless person on the planet
**who is honestly great, as far as MDs go. I think he just made a bit of a mistake taking a step back
That meeting lasted about 75 minutes and honestly... I'm kind of mad about it. We aired the issues, worked towards a solution, have a timescale for a follow up meeting, and came up with a brief outline for a resolution. In just over an hour. After a team meeting earlier that day. Why did this need take seven months to get to?
Managing Director honestly seemed like he wanted to work towards something that everyone was happy with. Also understanding that they're a business person, we might not get everything we're after, and they might be very good at putting on a performance that merely suggests that, but they seemed to respond well to material that we provided (which, again, fair, they're a business person, and apparently a very visual learner)
Head of HR? Oh my god, I've never seen someone try to dig themselves out of a hole so much for so long. "Banding hasn't been abandoned". Okay, so what is the current banding structure? "Oh, I'll have to research that over the weekend". Yeah, you've been here for two years now, and you knew you were coming into a meeting about banding. Why did you not prep for this? If it's not been abandoned, why is it going to take you four days to find out what the bandings are? Why did you ask one of the people on our team what band they were in?
I mentioned that the previous TL didn't know what our pay was, and HR person replied "no, that's not true, we're very transparent about pay with managers", to which "sort of one above new TL" replied "no, sometimes we have been kept in the dark over the past few years". While I admit I did (accidentally) throw old TL under the bus (I'm sorry, I assume everyone tells everyone the same thing about everything and that "lying" isn't the default), but hearing that come out afterwards, in front of the MD was just golden. From talks with the team about what was said in one-on-one meetings last week, it was very "well, I was told this", "oh? I was told this", "but I was told this though". Apparently that was because head of HR had come to the conclusion that "well, some people don't really speak up in a group meeting, so I thought one-on-ones would be better for everyone"... despite this being raised as an issue by the whole team... and no-one actually asking any of us whether we wanted a group meeting or individual ones. For some in human resources, this person is terrible at resourcing humans. Either that or it's actual sneakiness and not incompetence. But never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity, you know?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanyway, we're effectively building the old pay structure back up from the ashes of the old one (you know, the one that was never abandoned?), but trying to be robust about it. I spent about half of Thursday going through job descriptions, task lists, old banding documents, trying to make something that seemed reasonable, working with my brother for feedback, getting some back-and-forth on it, until we landed on structure that was, more or less, the same as the old one, but a little bit more robust. One of the flaws with the old structure was, for example, a £2,000 range in one the second of the four bands, but beyond "increasing familiarity with processes" there was no defined metric for what "increasing" meant, which even we argued could potentially lead to situations of "well, I'm really chummy with the TL, and they're going to give me an extra grand a year" and there'd be no reasonable way to figure out if that was fair or not
So we passed on the proposal/brief for a new structure, and got a meeting in two or three ways to follow up on it (and we're not waiting on HR person to figure out what the current bands are, we've just said "this is what we think they are. You agree or not?") and hopefully we'll get some more progress
Honestly, biggest thing for me is that one person gets a significant pay rise. He started two years ago, and turns out he's on literally like 3p an hour more than someone who just started 3 months ago (absolutely no offense meant to new starter, they're getting screwed over right now too under the current system, and we want them dragged up with us. We value the work and the effort), despite the fact he can do literally every single job everyone else on the team can do. Sure, he has areas where he falls behind, but also areas where he excels (pun intended, he's damn handy with a spreadsheet, and has streamlined a good half-dozen processes, including ones that help with training), but we recognise that that's what happens when you work as a team. But, nah, he's on "new starter" wages. If anyone deserves a positive outcome from this, it's him
Upside, MD wants a new banding structure in place by end of November, with performance reviews in January/February to work out where everyone fits in that, but has said that if anyone's completely out of line with it, he wants pay adjusted as soon as
Big upside, it was nice to see HR being told to pull their finger out
The Sixth Conversation Thread
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
You can tell the same lie a thousand times,
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
It's been 11 weeks... In 1 week, I should be able to pick up the keyssangi39 wrote: ↑23 Sep 2023 16:31So, looking to rent somewhere has just turned into "made an offer on a house to buy" somewhat suddenly Started out as a joke from my brother about "gentrifying the place" that turned into "wait, actually though, can I afford a mortgage?"sangi39 wrote: ↑14 Aug 2023 15:32 After a little over nine years of living with my mum and my brother (after marriage ended, neither of us could afford the rent on the flat on our own, so we both had to move back in with family), I can finally (I think!) move out on my own
I've got two houses to go view on Wednesday and I'm excited and nervous. It'll be the first time ever (having just turned 34) that I'll be living on my own. It's a lot further away from work (33 miles instead of 12, but I can cut that down by stopping off and getting a lift in with my brother for that last 12 miles), and obviously will mean for paying for everything on my own, which right now, with the cost of literally everything going up like crazy, is a little bit terrifying, but I've tried to be sensible about the decision
As long as I stick to my budget (I've budgetted hard!) I should be okay and hopefully can eat up at least some price/rent/bill increases, but is very, very nerve-racking
Turns out the place I was looking, i.e. Darlington in County Durham (I'm sure some users on here know the town. Sal might, and I think Frislander or Decem, while not active on here now, might have been from around there)... yeah, it's doable. Is it the nicest place to live? Eh, but I also live in a village right now that's got like 1000 times fewer people and 25% the population density, so there's bound to be more people, more traffic, more crime (at the very least in absolute terms), more noise, etc. but the house prices there are like 40%-50% what they are around here with much better access to things like shops, doctors' surgeries, public transport (bus and train), and it moves me closer to a bigger chunk of my friends (although it does massively up my travel costs for work)
And renting would work out markedly more expensive than paying back a mortgage, even though it shifts the burden of maintenance and repairs onto me, as opposed to a landlord (but it also means I have more choice about how those repairs and maintenance works get done, and balance that against cost on my own terms). Also means that, for example, I can't be given two months' notice before being kicked out because landlord decided they want to sell the house (sad part, the place I've made an offer on is a former rental property, so I can only imagine someone was asked to move out...)
So, that's a development. Waiting to see if the offer is accepted, then need to see if I can get the mortgage I was after, then contracts, then move I guess. Very excited, but super nervous
The offer was accepted, the mortgage broker and solicitors have been fantastic and helpful as hell (I'm sure I've asked them a ton of stupid questions, lol), but the sale should be complete on Friday 15th
I have one day off from work, the 16th, to pick up the keys, grab as much of my stuff as I can, and chuck it through the front door, and then I'm not off again until the 29th. That gives me time to get in contact with the local council, banks, car insurance people, DVLA, etc. to let them know I'm moving, and to sort of water, gas, and electric bills, and to start shopping around for everything I need (I literally own a bed, one chest-of-drawers, an old computer desk that's acting as a book case, and several reptile tanks... I need everythign), and then try really hard to book a week off right at the start of the year to try and actually properly move and get everything sorted
I think for most of January, I'll be still pretty much living here, rather than at new place, but there's an actually proper date to all of this now. Still very excited, but super nervous (actually more nervous the closer it gets, lol. I spend so much time looking at budget stuff now hoping that once all the numbers are settled, I can actually still do this)
You can tell the same lie a thousand times,
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Be glad you're not doing the "move in to new home in morning, have to move out of old home completely and forever by evening" thing. That is... stressful.
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Incredibly! Back in August 2010, I graduated from uni, then got married, and then two days after the wedding we had to move 135 miles, and we had to do it in one go (including two reptile tanks and three lizards). My friend over in Canada, though? He, his wife, his daughter, their two dogs, and two cats, had to move from Edmonton, Canada, to Victoria, about 840 miles, and the contract on the old place ran out the day the contract on the new place started, so that was stressful as hell for them. They spent two days driving, because only he had a licence at the time, so needed a break, and they were just dead once they finally got unpacked
You can tell the same lie a thousand times,
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
-
- cuneiform
- Posts: 175
- Joined: 24 Oct 2022 04:34
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Ugh, Skyrim and its game-breaking glitches. Tonight, Nchardak.
Ugh, the ex who always bit the hand that fed despite buying her the teeth that let her do that.
Ugh, the ex who always bit the hand that fed despite buying her the teeth that let her do that.
- Man in Space
- roman
- Posts: 1310
- Joined: 03 Aug 2012 08:07
- Location: Ohio
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Legal name change submitted.
Twin Aster megathread
AVDIO · VIDEO · DISCO
CC = Common Caber
CK = Classical Khaya
CT = Classical Ĝare n Tim Ar
Kg = Kgáweq'
PB = Proto-Beheic
PO = Proto-O
PTa = Proto-Taltic
STK = Sisỏk Tlar Kyanà
Tm = Təmattwəspwaypksma
AVDIO · VIDEO · DISCO
CC = Common Caber
CK = Classical Khaya
CT = Classical Ĝare n Tim Ar
Kg = Kgáweq'
PB = Proto-Beheic
PO = Proto-O
PTa = Proto-Taltic
STK = Sisỏk Tlar Kyanà
Tm = Təmattwəspwaypksma
-
- mongolian
- Posts: 3933
- Joined: 14 Aug 2010 09:36
- Location: California über alles
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
For those of us who live in California, Oregon, or Washington State (Dormouse, KaiTheHomoSapien, yours truly, etc.), we just reached 2024.
Happy 2024, everybody!
Guzhiet bam zes blat-hol!
enjoy-IMPRTV two thousand twenty-four
Is the world ready for 45-year-old Millennials?
Happy 2024, everybody!
Guzhiet bam zes blat-hol!
enjoy-IMPRTV two thousand twenty-four
Is the world ready for 45-year-old Millennials?
♂♥♂♀
Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels
My Kankonian-English dictionary: 90,000 words and counting
31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
Squirrels chase koi . . . chase squirrels
My Kankonian-English dictionary: 90,000 words and counting
31,416: The number of the conlanging beast!
-
- cuneiform
- Posts: 175
- Joined: 24 Oct 2022 04:34
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Cubed hashbrowns and ground meat. 2024 totally doesn't get better.
-
- cuneiform
- Posts: 175
- Joined: 24 Oct 2022 04:34
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
So today's the day I find the ZBB no longer lets you view posts without being a member.
- WeepingElf
- greek
- Posts: 538
- Joined: 23 Feb 2016 18:42
- Location: Braunschweig, Germany
- Contact:
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
At first I thought the ZBB forums and posts had gone away entirely, but then I tried to log in and it worked, and everything was in place. Apparently, this is a measure against excessive bot traffic that had brought the board down after Christmas.Knox Adjacent wrote: ↑01 Jan 2024 13:17 So today's the day I find the ZBB no longer lets you view posts without being a member.
... brought to you by the Weeping Elf
My conlang pages
My conlang pages
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Guest access to the forums was removed because the forum kept experiencing internal server errors on every page which seemed to be caused by an excessive number of guests.Knox Adjacent wrote: ↑01 Jan 2024 13:17 So today's the day I find the ZBB no longer lets you view posts without being a member.
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Ohhh, that's what happened, okay. I saw a post in the "Pruning maybe?" thread a couple of days ago, so figured it was just the site being funny when I went to check it earlier today (unlike with the CBB, where I'm always logged in if I have the site open, I mostly view the ZBB without logging in), and I guess Zomp either hadn't added "LOG IN to view posts" to the tagline, or I just plain didn't see it (knowing me, it's the second one, lol). Glad it's not fallen overAhzoh wrote: ↑01 Jan 2024 18:55Guest access to the forums was removed because the forum kept experiencing internal server errors on every page which seemed to be caused by an excessive number of guests.Knox Adjacent wrote: ↑01 Jan 2024 13:17 So today's the day I find the ZBB no longer lets you view posts without being a member.
You can tell the same lie a thousand times,
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
-
- cuneiform
- Posts: 175
- Joined: 24 Oct 2022 04:34
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Ahhhhh. Too bad the board won't let me register either, but mebbe that'll get fixed.
- Creyeditor
- MVP
- Posts: 5123
- Joined: 14 Aug 2012 19:32
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
You need to write an email to Zompist in order to get tge secret code. Apart from that it should work, right?
Creyeditor
"Thoughts are free."
Produce, Analyze, Manipulate
1 2 3 4 4
Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics
"Thoughts are free."
Produce, Analyze, Manipulate
1 2 3 4 4
Ook & Omlűt & Nautli languages & Sperenjas
Papuan languages, Morphophonology, Lexical Semantics
-
- cuneiform
- Posts: 175
- Joined: 24 Oct 2022 04:34
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Roundabout to find the email to beg the code on Zompist, not Verduria, but find it I did. Cool, I overlooked that part. Thanks.
- WeepingElf
- greek
- Posts: 538
- Joined: 23 Feb 2016 18:42
- Location: Braunschweig, Germany
- Contact:
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
It apparently was of no use - the ZBB has fallen, perhaps forever.
... brought to you by the Weeping Elf
My conlang pages
My conlang pages
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
I'm partly able to access it. I'm getting the 500 Internal Server Error fairly consistently, but most of the time clicking a link does still successfully direct to a new page, although sometimes it's slow to do so, or is missing icons (similar to what Raphael said over there in the "pruning maybe?" threadWeepingElf wrote: ↑03 Jan 2024 22:20 It apparently was of no use - the ZBB has fallen, perhaps forever.
I'm assuming Zomp is working on fixing it somehow, so I guess it's just a case of wait and see. If it goes down permanently, I imagine that could be a fairly big shock, at least to conlangers who still make use of forums
You can tell the same lie a thousand times,
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
- Arayaz
- roman
- Posts: 1376
- Joined: 07 Sep 2022 00:24
- Location: Just south of the pin-pen merger
- Contact:
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
Could mean a lot of new members here!sangi39 wrote: ↑03 Jan 2024 23:00I'm assuming Zomp is working on fixing it somehow, so I guess it's just a case of wait and see. If it goes down permanently, I imagine that could be a fairly big shock, at least to conlangers who still make use of forumsWeepingElf wrote: ↑03 Jan 2024 22:20 It apparently was of no use - the ZBB has fallen, perhaps forever.
Proud member of the myopic-trans-southerner-Viossa-girl-with-two-cats-who-joined-on-September-6th-2022 gang
2c2ef0 Ruykkarraber family Areyaxi family Arskiilz Kahóra Makihip-ŋAħual family Abisj
my garbage
she/her
2c2ef0 Ruykkarraber family Areyaxi family Arskiilz Kahóra Makihip-ŋAħual family Abisj
my garbage
she/her
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
W...Wha...What happened?
Is it archived?
Is it archived?
Re: The Sixth Conversation Thread
It's still running, and at least three users have been able to post in the past few hours (from what I can tell), it just seems to be running so slow, somewhere in the background, or running into an issue, that every so often it's unable to either load images/icons or access a page. I don't think there's necessarily anything to worry about (the ZBB has run into similar issues before over the past couple of decades, from what I can remember). Usually Zomp manages to work out the issue and it's all sorted until something else beyond his immediate control trips it up again
You can tell the same lie a thousand times,
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.
But it never gets any more true,
So close your eyes once more and once more believe
That they all still believe in you.
Just one time.