Should I quit my job today?

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  On 5/6/2011 at 2:18 PM, Babar said:

IMO, stealing a computer 1) doesn't represent a 6 months wage 2) is calling for trouble.

sure but if they do not have money you will not get some by suing them. There is an infinite number of people before you that get the money until nothing is left

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:19 PM, BCM said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 1:51 PM, funkaholic said:

if i did leave and they started making money in a month

 

so the place isn't even making any fucking money?? jesus man, get the hell out of there - they will NEVER pay you. believe me. get a real job with a salary that is agreed before you start.

Yeah but there is no need to just up and leave or burn any bridges. Tell them you can't stay working for free anymore, that you will do 2 days a week, that you will work for them again if they get some investment. If you go to a job interview while you are doing some other relevant work experience they will think of you very highly.

also, it's a complete waste of your time - all the time you spend buggering about there, you could be spending trying to find a bit of freelance work (yay money!), or doing on line tutorials to broaden your skills

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:27 PM, Coalbucket PI said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:19 PM, BCM said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 1:51 PM, funkaholic said:

if i did leave and they started making money in a month

 

so the place isn't even making any fucking money?? jesus man, get the hell out of there - they will NEVER pay you. believe me. get a real job with a salary that is agreed before you start.

Yeah but there is no need to just up and leave or burn any bridges. Tell them you can't stay working for free anymore, that you will do 2 days a week, that you will work for them again if they get some investment. If you go to a job interview while you are doing some other relevant work experience they will think of you very highly.

yeah, i wasn't suggesting you tip over your desk and fuck off...that would be pretty cool though. but yeah, tell your boss you can't work for nothing any more and try to organise some part time work at an hourly rate or something.

They're probably breaking the law, as in the UK any 'work' must be paid. An unpaid internship effectively means you're allowed to shadow somone else, but you shouldn't be 'working'. Of course in practice this isn't what happens.

In theory you can sue your employer for 6 months wages. My understanding is that this hasn't happened much yet as a) it's a fairly recent change in the law and people don't know about it b) it's still a bit of a grey area so limited precedent c) people are understandably reluctant to sue employers even after their internship has finished, as they're often working in industries such as the media where reputation/networking/who you know are important and nobody likes a trouble maker.

My advice would be to sue Jonathan Yeah? for absolutely everything.

what's the magazine called anyway?

the main question is: sue for what? if they do not have money to even pay their employees what to sue for?

oh they'll have some money somewhere...you can bet the boss isn't working for nothing.

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:39 PM, BCM said:

oh they'll have some money somewhere...you can bet the boss isn't working for nothing.

Or he could be putting everything he has into a struggling business and you could destroy his life.

As a young, eager gentleman just starting off with a blank resume, my advice would be to take your computer and walk off. Your company will notify the authorities and you will be arrested, possibly even charged with a felony.

This looks very good to prospective employers.

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:45 PM, acidphakist said:

As a young, eager gentleman just starting off with a blank resume, my advice would be to take your computer and walk off. Your company will notify the authorities and you will be arrested, possibly even charged with a felony.

 

This looks very good to prospective employers.

no if they do sue him for this it will end in some settlements in front of court. I asked a lawyer about it back then

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:44 PM, AcrossCanyons said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:39 PM, BCM said:

oh they'll have some money somewhere...you can bet the boss isn't working for nothing.

Or he could be putting everything he has into a struggling business and you could destroy his life.

if this is true then he/she's obviously crap at business and will fail anyway. magazines are notoriously difficult to get off the ground, especially these days - it's pretty much a non-starter with all the competition from the internet. there is of course the business model based around advertising revenue that is in many cases successful - but if after six months they still have no money, I would hazard a guess they never will. most of the successful magazines out there have been established for years and have a following already. trying to establish something new in that marketplace (and make it successfull) is so hard it's almost not worth the effort.

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:58 PM, BCM said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:44 PM, AcrossCanyons said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:39 PM, BCM said:

oh they'll have some money somewhere...you can bet the boss isn't working for nothing.

Or he could be putting everything he has into a struggling business and you could destroy his life.

 

if this is true then he/she's obviously crap at business and will fail anyway. magazines are notoriously difficult to get off the ground, especially these days - it's pretty much a non-starter with all the competition from the internet. there is of course the business model based around advertising revenue that is in many cases successful - but if after six months they still have no money, I would hazard a guess they never will. most of the successful magazines out there have been established for years and have a following already. trying to establish something new in that marketplace (and make it successfull) is so hard it's almost not worth the effort.

I concur. Printing is fast becoming a dead end.

Agreed, I've seen a lot of magazine startups fail. And I've had nothing but bad experience with people that don't pay correctly or make promises.

The computer is a G4, it's worthless, don't take it. And if you're new on the market you might want to keep this company as a reference. So I'd just quit in a civilized manner, they might even offer you a contract upon leaving.

  On 5/6/2011 at 3:14 PM, Ego said:

Agreed, I've seen a lot of magazine startups fail. And I've had nothing but bad experience with people that don't pay correctly or make promises.

 

The computer is a G4, it's worthless, don't take it. And if you're new on the market you might want to keep this company as a reference. So I'd just quit in a civilized manner, they might even offer you a contract upon leaving.

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:44 PM, AcrossCanyons said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:39 PM, BCM said:

oh they'll have some money somewhere...you can bet the boss isn't working for nothing.

Or he could be putting everything he has into a struggling business and you could destroy his life.

That's often the case, but there are a lot of Jonathan Yeah? types in London. Don't pay your interns anything, bag all the revenue for yourself without doing anything other than a load of coke.

There's also social mobility issues about unpaid internships. There's a reason why even at the guardian 90% of the staff writers are from two public schools.

you shouldn't be looking for reasons TO quit, you should be looking for reasons NOT to quit?!

if they're not paying you and you're not contracted in any way, what do you owe them? obvs like people are saying if you want to use them on your resume/for reference don't burn any bridges, and tell them you have to leave and go down to 1/2 days per week, if that.

you're not being paid = you tell THEM what you're doing, not the other way around. doesn't this seem obvious?

  On 5/6/2011 at 3:23 PM, Lady kakapo said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:44 PM, AcrossCanyons said:

  On 5/6/2011 at 2:39 PM, BCM said:

oh they'll have some money somewhere...you can bet the boss isn't working for nothing.

Or he could be putting everything he has into a struggling business and you could destroy his life.

 

That's often the case, but there are a lot of Jonathan Yeah? types in London. Don't pay your interns anything, bag all the revenue for yourself without doing anything other than a load of coke.

 

There's also social mobility issues about unpaid internships. There's a reason why even at the guardian 90% of the staff writers are from two public schools.

Yes. My cousin is increasingly irate in that it seems only rich kids can afford to work unpaid internships.

didn't read any of the thread, but if you're an intern, you shouldn't have needed to be there longer than three months. that being said, though, if you're an intern, it looks a lot better on your resume if you completed, rather than quit, your internship. it's a tricky spot to be in. i'd talk to your boss about the likelyhood of pay, suggesting he offer you a very specific date at which you'd start getting paid. if he can't do that, then i'd definitely bounce.

i bet i'd have a stronger opinion if i read this thread though. dammit

I can't remember if I read the thread already and I might not have been paying attention when I read the first post, but if there is a computer involved, take it, and set fire to a bridge if you see one.

You should definitely leave but do so in a professional manner. Have a meeting with bossman and explain that at this stage of your life you need to start earning income, putting bread on the table, and all that happy horseshit. This way you're either parting on good terms, or, if they realize that they really need your services, forcing the issue on them paying you.

I have a few IRL friends in design and it just seems like a brutal industry to work in with way less work out there than workers - you either need to work your ass off, be really talented, have/make connections, and be in the right place at the right time. Shit, you probably need all of these just to eek out a living.

That's because graphic design is a "cool" subject that everyone wants to study.

Become a copywriter instead. It's not glamorous and it won't get you "the babes" at warehouse/loft parties, but by God we're in demand. And if you're good, so's the money.

  On 5/6/2011 at 5:24 PM, Coalbucket PI said:

I can't remember if I read the thread already and I might not have been paying attention when I read the first post, but if there is a computer involved, take it, and set fire to a bridge if you see one.

i work right next to a bridge, i'll start collecting some wood.

  On 5/6/2011 at 5:34 PM, Iain C said:

That's because graphic design is a "cool" subject that everyone wants to study.

 

Become a copywriter instead. It's not glamorous and it won't get you "the babes" at warehouse/loft parties, but by God we're in demand. And if you're good, so's the money.

i'd rather slug it out to be a designer, its what i've wanted to be since i was 14 or so.

im now working 3 days a week, so i now have to time to look for part time work and/or a new job. as for money, he said june is when he can talk realistically about a wage as some deals should of been signed off by then.

thanks for the advice watmmerz

You aren't working if you aren't get paid,you are just volunteering. I mean how the fuck can you even live if you don't get paid? You don't have rent/food/whatever to pay???

It's basic society dude. You work. Money comes in for the exchange of service. Don't be a wuss fearing your employer, show some respect

i know an employed graphic designer. He works at a video editing company. The owner of company is marrying his sister. Hes really not that great a designer to be honest.