It's hard work being a working woman???

This week my human is working 6 days in a row. OK it probably doesn't even equate to being a 'proper working woman'. …...........Actually it probably does.............

In 1981/82 my human worked in a 9-5 job, where she had an hour and a half for lunch (and was given luncheon vouchers – remember them?) and two 15 mins breaks a day (with free coffee & biscuits). ….........So she actually only worked 30 hours a week and it was the best paid job she's ever had in her life.

My human LOVES her job at the'St Ives Harbour Pool Club' but she only does 5 hour shifts because she has me to look after. She's doing a bit extra this week and 6 days a week equates to 30 hours. Normally she only works 4 days a week!!

Does anyone remember 1998/99 when the 'working time directive' came into force? It was supposed to protect low paid workers from being exploited. Duh!!! If anyone wanted to work more than 48 hours a week they had to sign an 'opt out clause'. Obviously everyone who works in hospitality full time, works way longer hours than that. And then there was that ridiculously stupid rule, that if you'd done a nightshift then there had to be at least 10 hours between that and your next shift…........

Seriously?!! Everyone knows that most receptionists in a hotel work the morning shift which is approx 7/8am – 3/4pm and then the afternoon shift is until 10/11pm. And then if you work the afternoon shift, you do the morning shift the following day. Duh! It's just how it works.
Hospitality has always been a very low paid job, but at least 25 years ago if you worked in a low paid job you got fed.

The 'working time directive' changed things forever.,,,,,,,,,,,,, Workers no longer got paid breaks or got fed. (Though that might have been something to do with everyone having allergies & specific dietary requirements?) – In the 1970/80s, you got fed at work but you just had to eat what was put in front of you.

Rewind to 1978. My human worked the summer season (and the following weekends for a couple of years) at the 'Bruntsfield Hotel' in Edinburgh as a 'housemaid' (posh name for a chambermaid). She worked 9am-3pm and got paid £1ph. At 10.30am she had a break of 15 mins for a coffee and if there was anything left over from breakfasts, ie rolls, bacon, eggs, etc she was allowed to eat it. At 12.30-1pm it was lunch time and she had a proper lunch. It was whatever the chef decided to give the staff. Nobody had any dietary requirements or allergies.
And at 2.45pm the Chambermaids housemaids sat downstairs in the staffroom, drinking coffee, whilst Mrs Ferguson (she was a bit a scary) inspected the rooms. And yes, the humans did have to go back and re-clean them if they weren't in tip top condition. Obviously Ann's rooms were obviously always in tip top condition so she got to drink a lot of coffee. Lol!!

…..............Sooooooo 6 hours of 'paid' work was actually only 5 hours of work. And the humans got fed.

These days, you've actually got to work for 6 hours before you are even allowed a break?? And you don't get fed or have any breaks????

My human is working in the best job ever. She only works for 5 hours at a time and she can also have something to eat on shift. How fabulous is that??!! There's actually not many places that feed their staff these days.

OK RANT OVER

#livingthedream

Oh and if anyone is interested, this is a photo of me at the walkway at Asda in Hayle.  I had to wait while Ann went shopping but I did have a very nice walk before.

Toodles. xxxx