So after interviewing for the Commercial Guard role I have been told I passed the interview impressively and am currently awaiting my start date for training with January a possibility.
I'm over the moon with this news and hope that I get my start date sooner rather than later.
Just wondered if anybody on here could fill in some of the blanks for me from the interview as there were a few things I forgot to ask or felt best to leave to a later date.
Firstly we did discuss the shift rotation, I understand as expected this will involve both very early starts and late finishes and will be a rolling pattern allowing you to work out your shifts way in advance, but can anyone give me a better insight into this as in what are the usual working hours of the shifts and how does it work with weekends? I'm assuming you work some weekends and have some as days off on the rolling pattern? Also they said a shift should be 8-9 hours but never more than 12, I'm guessing this is due to delays and so forth, so say your shift ran the maximum length of 12 hours do you get extra pay or is this just part and parcel of the role, if so that's fair as I know the salary is extremely generous and that's probably partly to accommodate flexible working with the shift lengths but I'm just curious as to how exactly this works.
They mentioned there is no sick pay during training which is fair enough, but do you have a sick pay entitlement once qualified? I ask this as I know they are conscious of fatigue and if you've had a bad nights sleep and dont feel capable of performing your role they would prefer you to call in sick but obviously if you are then not paid it puts pressure on you to come to work, I know this as my current job does not pay sick pay unless very longterm and even then its limited, so there is tremendous pressure to drag yourself in no matter how unwell.
I never discussed pension? Can anyone give any details, is it a pretty standard company pension?
I didn't want to ask too much about perks in the interview obviously but as a SWR employee I know you are entitled to a certain amount of discounted travel using services under the First umbrella. Can anyone give me a idea of exactly how this works? I think I remember hearing travel is free on SWR for myself and 2 family members and then its discounted on all other railway/travel services?
I'm over the moon with this news and hope that I get my start date sooner rather than later.
Just wondered if anybody on here could fill in some of the blanks for me from the interview as there were a few things I forgot to ask or felt best to leave to a later date.
Firstly we did discuss the shift rotation, I understand as expected this will involve both very early starts and late finishes and will be a rolling pattern allowing you to work out your shifts way in advance, but can anyone give me a better insight into this as in what are the usual working hours of the shifts and how does it work with weekends? I'm assuming you work some weekends and have some as days off on the rolling pattern? Also they said a shift should be 8-9 hours but never more than 12, I'm guessing this is due to delays and so forth, so say your shift ran the maximum length of 12 hours do you get extra pay or is this just part and parcel of the role, if so that's fair as I know the salary is extremely generous and that's probably partly to accommodate flexible working with the shift lengths but I'm just curious as to how exactly this works.
They mentioned there is no sick pay during training which is fair enough, but do you have a sick pay entitlement once qualified? I ask this as I know they are conscious of fatigue and if you've had a bad nights sleep and dont feel capable of performing your role they would prefer you to call in sick but obviously if you are then not paid it puts pressure on you to come to work, I know this as my current job does not pay sick pay unless very longterm and even then its limited, so there is tremendous pressure to drag yourself in no matter how unwell.
I never discussed pension? Can anyone give any details, is it a pretty standard company pension?
I didn't want to ask too much about perks in the interview obviously but as a SWR employee I know you are entitled to a certain amount of discounted travel using services under the First umbrella. Can anyone give me a idea of exactly how this works? I think I remember hearing travel is free on SWR for myself and 2 family members and then its discounted on all other railway/travel services?