Glenn Quagmire
13-12-2006, 12:17 AM
Hi all
Recently I took a stop-gap job in a small factory. It was ok, the pay was crap but it kept my head above water so I rode it out til a better (and subsequently, my current) job came along.
I was working at the factory for almost 2 months when I left - and it was made clear to me at the start of the employment that I would be on a 90 day probation, although there was nothing in writing to confirm this. In any case, my understanding of such a probation is the employer can get rid of me without notice in that time should he feel I'm not doing a good enough job and I'd be free to leave without notice too.
Anyway, my current job came calling and I was told they'd need to me start within a few days. I accepted the job but found out my employer was really unhappy at me leaving that way. So much so that my pay was delayed by 48 hours as they sent me a cheque instead of paying it in to my bank account which caused me serious inconvenience - I had failed direct debits hit my account as the funds weren't there. Had they told me my pay wasn't going in, I could have made seperate arrangements.
The above isn't the issue however.
The building is little short of a death trap. It's mainly wooden on 2 floors. The upper floor has no fire escape other than a wooden ladder leading down from a trap door and at the bottom of the ladder is a gas main.
In my opinion, the Health and Safety people would go nuts if they saw the place. Whilst I was working there it never really bothered me as I assumed the windows on the top floor would open - 2 days before I left, I found out they'd been nailed closed for years due to the threat of burgulars.
So now I'm presented with a dilema. Do I inform the H&S about the place? I'd love to say it's because I'm concerned for my former colleagues but in all honesty, my real motivation would be revenge on my ex-boss for the way he screwed with my pay. OK I could tell myself to not be so childish but then again, there is a very real risk.
On one hand if I contacted the H&S, I'm sure the place would be closed down immediately and my former colleagues would be out of work. On the other hand if something isn't done about that place, maybe they'd pay with their lives.
So what do you lot think, should I report my ex employer?
Recently I took a stop-gap job in a small factory. It was ok, the pay was crap but it kept my head above water so I rode it out til a better (and subsequently, my current) job came along.
I was working at the factory for almost 2 months when I left - and it was made clear to me at the start of the employment that I would be on a 90 day probation, although there was nothing in writing to confirm this. In any case, my understanding of such a probation is the employer can get rid of me without notice in that time should he feel I'm not doing a good enough job and I'd be free to leave without notice too.
Anyway, my current job came calling and I was told they'd need to me start within a few days. I accepted the job but found out my employer was really unhappy at me leaving that way. So much so that my pay was delayed by 48 hours as they sent me a cheque instead of paying it in to my bank account which caused me serious inconvenience - I had failed direct debits hit my account as the funds weren't there. Had they told me my pay wasn't going in, I could have made seperate arrangements.
The above isn't the issue however.
The building is little short of a death trap. It's mainly wooden on 2 floors. The upper floor has no fire escape other than a wooden ladder leading down from a trap door and at the bottom of the ladder is a gas main.
In my opinion, the Health and Safety people would go nuts if they saw the place. Whilst I was working there it never really bothered me as I assumed the windows on the top floor would open - 2 days before I left, I found out they'd been nailed closed for years due to the threat of burgulars.
So now I'm presented with a dilema. Do I inform the H&S about the place? I'd love to say it's because I'm concerned for my former colleagues but in all honesty, my real motivation would be revenge on my ex-boss for the way he screwed with my pay. OK I could tell myself to not be so childish but then again, there is a very real risk.
On one hand if I contacted the H&S, I'm sure the place would be closed down immediately and my former colleagues would be out of work. On the other hand if something isn't done about that place, maybe they'd pay with their lives.
So what do you lot think, should I report my ex employer?