Many years ago I worked for a well know high street opticians
who will make you glasses in an hour.

I worked for them for about 5 years and was a well trained and knowledgeable member of staff.

Everyone on the shop floor joined the company on £1 over minimum wage. You then went on three training courses over the years and gained an extra 50p an hour for each course you passed.

So lets imagine that when I join the company the minimum wage is £6 and hour, I then get paid £7 an hour. Over the course of 4 year I go on the training courses and get paid £8.50 an hour.
And that's it. There are no more courses and there is NO cost of living pay increase. There is no further way to increase your wages.
Now as well as that being shit, the bigger problem is that someone else, who knows nothing can join the company, say two years later and start on the wage of minimum wage + £1. Now assuming the minimum wage has go up with inflation, to for example £7, that new person is on damn near the same wage as you.

Not long after I realised this the company decided to create an intranet for some unknown corporate reason. There was a section where you could ask questions. It was meant to be about the actual job but I decided to ask why I was expected to take what amounted to a pay cut every year.
I was taken to one side by the manager one day who said that they knew the message had come from our store and that I was the only person she could think of who could have sent it.

I never did get an answer, or a pay rise. For all I know they still do this.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sat 25 Feb 2012, 22:23, 15 replies)

This isn't corporate idiocy.
Whoever came up with this should be knighted for services to business. Chances are, they probably have.

Back on your knees, prole!
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Sat 25 Feb 2012, 22:32, closed)

The Q is about corporate idiocy, not employee idiocy.
(Simian Typewriter Supplies Pty. Ltd. is house hunting in the neighborhood of infinity, Sat 25 Feb 2012, 22:32, closed)

I think that paying well qualified staff
the same as some numpty who has just walked through the door is really rather damn idiotic.

I did already know I was leaving before sending the email.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sat 25 Feb 2012, 22:44, closed)

The courses you did weren't worth shit, just so you know.
Unless it's a BSc in Ophthalmic Dispensing or better, you're still just a till monkey.
( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Sat 25 Feb 2012, 23:12, closed)

Oh I know they were shit
especially as I had worked for two other high street opticians in the past and had been on all their training courses too.
I only went on them because it was the only way of getting any more money.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sat 25 Feb 2012, 23:16, closed)

I wouldn't worry, I got put on said dispensing degree and I was still only earning £10500 a year.
Other fun facts for folk: the cost price of a designer (i.e. upwards of £150) pair of glasses will usually come to about £30 for parts at the most, and probably about £5 for labour if the labs I've worked in are typical examples.
Live up north, near the border? Hop over into Scotland. Free eye test ahoy (or it used to be, anyway).
( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Sat 25 Feb 2012, 23:17, closed)

Or, once you are over 40
Just say your dad had glucoma. There is no way they can check up.
Just gen up on the symptoms.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sat 25 Feb 2012, 23:49, closed)

Glaucoma?

(Blahh, Sun 26 Feb 2012, 0:58, closed)

I know what you mean,
but they didn't see it.
(ToMeToYou is bumming a Unicorn on, Sun 26 Feb 2012, 2:34, closed)

That's the bastard.
I care not as because I'm a minus 10 I get my tests free anyway.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sun 26 Feb 2012, 16:58, closed)

Ha ha
£30 for parts?

Try about £4. That's the good ones. The cheap ones are about a quid.
(username failed moderation, Mon 27 Feb 2012, 11:03, closed)

Well played on showing that you know fuck all, here.

( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Mon 27 Feb 2012, 16:19, closed)

You're right
My brother in law, who I have worked with on an ad hoc basis for the last 10 years only sold quarter of a million pairs of glasses last year.

What would I know?
(username failed moderation, Tue 28 Feb 2012, 9:53, closed)

I think we are confusing wholesale and retail here.
Play nicely and stop willy waving.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Tue 28 Feb 2012, 23:03, closed)

ha ha ha
BraynDedd doesn't have a willy
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 11:49, closed)