# For Older Members 55+



## chocko (Nov 9, 2008)

For the Older members . When you started work did you work a week in hand ?

My boss said WIH started approximately 40 years ago .


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

When I started at ICI in 1970, we had to work a month in hand as we were monthly salaried.


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

Nope! I got my £6 10s at the end of the week, less my national insurance contribution of course!!! :swoon:

Mike


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Roger the Dodger said:


> When I started at ICI in 1970, we had to work a month in hand as we were monthly salaried.


 Week in hand meant that if you started on the first of the month, your first weeks pay would be paid on the fourteenth.

Month in hand would, by the same rational, mean if you started on the first of January you wouldn't get paid until the last day of February? Or am I talking $h!te ? (As usual) :baby:


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

WRENCH said:


> Week in hand meant that if you started on the first of the month, your first weeks pay would be paid on the fourteenth.
> 
> Month in hand would, by the same rational, mean if you started on the first of January you wouldn't get paid until the last day of February? Or am I talking $h!te ? (As usual) :baby:


 Exactly. And it was very hard going to work for two months before getting paid. But you did that first months money back when you left.


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## KevG (Dec 15, 2008)

First job was as a boy soldier paid weekly grand sum of £1 and £1 in the POSBI. That lasted 6 months then went into grinding wheels paid a fiver weekly no week in hand, 17 saw me change into the textiles £14/10 starting, week in hand that would have been around 1970. Always worked in hand since.

Kev


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## Steve D UK (Sep 28, 2016)

I started work as an apprentice mechanic at a Vauxhall/Bedford main dealer in 1974. 32p/hr so a weekly wage of £12.80. A week in hand too. Not good on first week but double bubble when you leave!


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## Teg62x (Dec 28, 2016)

My first pay was £9 a week as an apprentice shipwright at the MOD, served my time, got bored and joined the army at 20. Did my 22yrs, then immediately signed up again haha still in teaching and recruitment now. Due to retire for good in two years.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Teg62x said:


> still in teaching and recruitment now.


 So is my nieces husband.


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## Teg62x (Dec 28, 2016)

WRENCH said:


> So is my nieces husband.


 who is he with wrench?


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## Robden (Apr 2, 2016)

Not a week in hand but got £3 7/6d a week as an apprentice (5 years) in the print..........Made up for it later though.


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## Leberkäse (Feb 11, 2017)

Yip I certainly did, at the time it felt like the longest 2 weeks of my life waiting for my first pay packet.

When I got home with the princely sum of , I think twas about 7 quid , my mother promptly took half of it for my board ! ffs I was gutted.


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## Delta (Dec 16, 2015)

Yep, I worked a week in hand - started an apprenticeship in 1972, first pay packet £7.45 if I remember rightly.

Left the company after 26 years and another 19 years later I'm back there contracting


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## Barry Mclean (Nov 3, 2016)

I left school on a Friday and started my apprenticeship as a mechanic on the following Monday. My first wage was £14 a week towards the end of my apprenticeship I decided it was not what i wanted to do for the rest of my life I left and became a nurse in a Mental hospital. A massive change I know I did work with quite a few other men who also had an engineering background. One of the benefits of the job I loved was the benefit of being able to retire at fifty five with a pension there was no way I would have been able to achieve that if I had stayed on the tools.


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

I ran my own business, debt collection was my biggest headache. I always believed in the personal touch. In 20+ years I only have one unrecovered debt of £280, so I didn't do to bad. Large company accountants who use stalling tactics to withhold payments, forget/don't care, that wages have to be paid out of what they owe, and 120 days plus seems "acceptable". I have gone, sometimes, for months, without a wage in order to cover staff, rather than go into overdraft.


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## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

WRENCH said:


> I ran my own business, debt collection was my biggest headache. I always believed in the personal touch. In 20+ years I only have one unrecovered debt of £280, so I didn't do to bad. Large company accountants who use stalling tactics to withhold payments, forget/don't care, that wages have to be paid out of what they owe, and 120 days plus seems "acceptable". I have gone, sometimes, for months, without a wage in order to cover staff, rather than go into overdraft.


 This was a regular occurrence during the late 80's-early90's.

Recall the Directors (family) going 12-14 months once without drawing a salary, happy to say all staff got paid & no redundancies.


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## marley (Dec 22, 2012)

Yes I certainly worked a week in hand, when I left school in 1976!


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## Benzowner (Nov 11, 2009)

Left school in 1967 and worked a month in hand to receive a grand total of £17 for a months work, but luckily no tax deducted so was reasonably well off. Certainly beat my 10/- paper round


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## marley (Dec 22, 2012)

Thinking about it?

Im pretty sure, I am working a week in hand now?!

I get paid every 4 weeks, been working here for 25 years this year...but I "think"! Im a week in hand now?

Will find out in about 3 years when I retire!!!


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## SBryantgb (Jul 2, 2015)

Started my apprenticeship in 1975 and the £12ish per week was paid a week in hand.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Steve D UK said:


> I started work as an apprentice mechanic at a Vauxhall/Bedford main dealer in 1974. 32p/hr so a weekly wage of £12.80. A week in hand too.* Not good on first week but double bubble when you leave!*


 That was the general principle of "week in hand" - - :thumbsup:

Another phrase from the past - -

"Job and Finish"

meaning you'll get paid in full, and you can go home as soon as you finish the job!


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## Turpinr (Dec 18, 2017)

Started at Leyland Motors as a craft apprentice on the (Monday) 20th of August 1974.

My wage was just under £11 but as it was only 4 days, £8-30.

Because the wage was so low we didnt pay tax, national insurance or pension.. the goverment paid it

It would have been a week in hand, paid in a brown envelope, on a Thursday.

Happy days.


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## Steve D UK (Sep 28, 2016)

mel said:


> Another﻿ phrase from the past - -
> 
> "Job and Finish"
> 
> ﻿ meaning you'll get pai﻿d in full, and you can go home as soon as you finish the j﻿ob!﻿


 A.K.A. Job and knock.


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## Delta (Dec 16, 2015)

My first job was car cleaning at a car sales, £5.00/40 hour week and yes, week in hand.


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## Caller. (Dec 8, 2013)

Yup, a week in hand when starting work as a trainee surveyor. That paid peanuts until qualified and I never really got started. A year later I joined the Civil Service and it was a month in hand and that was a real bugger. The strange thing is they gave a loan to help you out!


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## bowie (Mar 12, 2005)

yep, a week in hand £7.67 a week in 1976 tyre and exhaust fitter.


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## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

Like wise also a week in hand working as an apprentice for what was Post Office Telephones back in 1971.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

My first job in 1976 as a fireman (firefighter) £225 per month before deductions for a 48 hour week.

My first monthly pay cheque was about £148 after deductions £47 income tax, £10 NI, Pension £20

Didn't have to work a month in hand and got paid at the end of my first month.


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## Kev7950 (Sep 5, 2017)

No, I got a 42 pound per week!!

I thought I was a millionaire lol


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I left college in 1973 and went to work for Woolworths as a trainee manager, I think I got paid sixteen quid a week. My memory may be at fault here. :wink:

Working for Woolworths as a senior NCO was just like being with my dad.

I chose a different path.


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## Bonzodog (Aug 29, 2018)

Started work as apprentice electrician in 1967, paid £7.00 a week in arrears.


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