What's happening at your workplace?

[Absolutely]

With all the dire statistics being reported in the media at the moment, thought it might be interesting to get some frontline reports of our own.

I am in civil infrastructure construction and work in the mining, public and private sectors Australia wide.

Right now we have come off a record year in 2008 and our order book remains strong and is growing, across all sectors. The level of enquiries is also very strong. I have talked to others in my business, suppliers/competitors/partners and they are all fairly relaxed just now.

Based on our current position, I'm still predicting robust profitability for 2009. The outlook seems to be OK.

What's it like in your industry and workplace right now?

 

[investorpaul]

Good idea for a thread.

I work for a property development and investment company. For 2009 we are already delaying/cancelling developments and redevelopments, selling non core assets to raise cash, refinancing loans alot earlier (and finding it increasingly difficult to do so), renegotiating leases to lock tenants in for longer, getting personal guarantees and larger bank guarantees where possible and focusing on leasing all vacancies ASAP.

We where not highly geared we are just doing the above for extra security, in 12 months time we will hopefully be able to pick up some bargain investments from those who will suffer.

 

[Sith1s]

Hi guys,

I am in Industrial Recruitment. (warehouse, drivers & factory hands)

For 2009 we have budgetted to double our casual workforce as we predict that most employers will be moving back to a casual & more flexible workforce.

Has been a slow start to the year though with most of my clients not having their budgets yet and have been quite slow so far. Predictions are that they wont pick up till late Feb - Early March

 

[Sean K]

Sort of in the tourist industry at the moment. Forward sales for small group travel are off 20% plus and deteriorating fast.

 

[Sir Osisofliver]

I'm with a Financial Planning (and other activities) firm. We are very much boutique and outside the box of the standard FP firm and at present we are swamped with work. Probably around July we will be looking for additional planners, brokers, buyers agents and admin staff.

I will most likely also be trying to get a PA to assist me running a large unit trust within four months.

No applications or PM's please.

Sir O

 

[mattlaw]

I work for a regional financial planning firm with a majority of our client base coming from farmers and miners. We havent really felt the brunt of the mining layoffs yet but i am sure it is coming. We are really focusing on personal insurance and mortgages to pick up the slack from the investment side

 

[fodder-oz]

I work for MS in IT and the annoucment today of 5000 lay offs has every one on edge. That being said working in Support our business is being moved to China so its only a matter of time before people go.

 

[ck13488]

working casually in a WES owned supermarket...each week sales have been up (~4-5%) on last year surprisingly, the store did its biggest daily sales in the week leading up to xmas. i suppose people always need to eat dont they : i have noticed an increase in the amount of homebranded items people are buying over traditional namebrands.

was also working as a labourer building large scale precast concrete panel sheds for the last 6 months of 08 and work was drying up so i went back to the supermarket. i thought the work avaliable would only decrease with the sheds as obviously there is a large lead in time before any construction starts...

back to uni now to study commerce...where i have a traineeship lined up already in insolvency/administration...aparently the industry is growing:

 

[CanOz]

We're a large multi-national food processor in Northern China and its been business as usual. We have mostly a domestic focus and so far sales are still as planned. We are keeping a close eye on the situation and we are cutting costs wherever possible. Manager's and up will have a salary freeze until the new fiscal year, travel has been reduced and its only coach class from now on for Sr.Execs.

Cheers,


CanOz

 

[sam76]

i make pornos.

work is good.

 

[nomore4s]

i make pornos.

work is good.

Is it hard getting up for work everyday?

 

[Sir Osisofliver]

Is it hard getting up for work everyday?

Don't you mean lying down?

So Sam how is the gay and bi pron market doing anyways?

Sir O

 

[tayser]

We're expanding actually - a new tester, new senior support personal and two new front end developers.

 

[Sith1s]

Is it hard getting up for work everyday?

I think he meant it in a different context, well that's the way i took it

I would assume it might be if the said partner is anything like some of the clips my mates have on their phones