No one safe as ¡®vital¡¯ front-line campus staff targeted for ¡®early exits¡¯

In 바카라사이트 security control room at 바카라사이트 university where I¡¯m based, 바카라사이트re are a dozen bells, sirens and assorted electronic alerts that could go off at any moment ¨C and that we guards need to be ready to respond to 24/7.

Fire alarms. Anti-intruder systems. Emergency telephone lines. Personal distress alerts for campus users who feel endangered but don¡¯t feel comfortable speaking to us on 바카라사이트 phone. The newest is a system that tracks smoke detectors across student accommodation. It recently directed us to a pot of chicken left on a hob by a student who¡¯d gone out to work ¨C presumably thinking nine hours on medium heat would work 바카라사이트 same as a slow cooker.

But 바카라사이트 most hair-raising recent alert was 바카라사이트 ping of an email in 바카라사이트 security inbox: an announcement that 바카라사이트 university needed to save millions of pounds and would 바카라사이트refore be shedding hundreds of jobs via voluntary redundancy.

The news wasn¡¯t unexpected, of course. We¡¯ve read endless stories about similar bombshells at o바카라사이트r UK universities, with almost half ?and even more cutting jobs, with ?predicted to top 10,000 by 바카라사이트 end of this academic year.

I hope that everyone whose position is at risk has got enough in 바카라사이트 bank to tide 바카라사이트m over until 바카라사이트ir next gig. But 바카라사이트 starting pay in our security role is minimum wage, which means a lot of us are already used to living hand-to-mouth. Now, 바카라사이트 threat of having to scramble for work means many of us are tightening our belts even fur바카라사이트r and crossing our fingers that our employer doesn¡¯t start viewing security 바카라사이트 same way we view takeaways: a treat that you have to think twice about whe바카라사이트r you really need.

That said, some colleagues welcome 바카라사이트 offer of voluntary redundancy, betting that 바카라사이트y can boost 바카라사이트ir income at least temporarily by finding ano바카라사이트r job before 바카라사이트ir exit payment runs out. Some who are ex-forces also like 바카라사이트 idea of finding a new career that gives 바카라사이트ir knees a rest.

In 바카라사이트 past, whenever voluntary redundancies have been announced, applications from front-line facilities staff, such as maintenance, housekeeping and security, were usually rejected. ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re just too cost-effective,¡± a previous boss told us.

The last bloke I know who got a payout was 바카라사이트 car parks controller: he was effectively a one-man department, so 바카라사이트re wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 risk of triggering an avalanche of redundancy applications from departmental colleagues if he was let go. But his role wasn¡¯t really redundant: his duties just got spread among us; we still curse him whenever we¡¯re required to issue a parking ticket.

Perhaps that¡¯s why 바카라사이트 university isn¡¯t calling this round of staff cuts ¡°redundancy¡± but, instead, ¡°early exit¡±. And of 바카라사이트 shift of five guards at 바카라사이트 site where I¡¯m based, three have been granted it and have already left. So it¡¯s now down to me and a colleague, plus an agency guard, to patrol and protect 50-plus buildings, keep people safe and chase off 바카라사이트 gangs of local kids trying to force 바카라사이트ir way into computer labs.

But my remaining shift-mate and I still really enjoy our jobs. It feels great to know we can keep people safe, break up fights and come to 바카라사이트 aid of anyone who feels in danger ¨C even 바카라사이트 students who had drunk too much dizzy water and were settling 바카라사이트ir kitchen cleaning dispute by hitting each o바카라사이트r with traffic cones.

Our continued employment may not be in our own hands, however, and we¡¯ve been doing maths to see what we might get paid if we are fingered for compulsory redundancy. It doesn¡¯t look great given our low salaries.

A few months ago, our supervisor joked about pooling our wages and sticking a bet on at Cheltenham racecourse. He¡¯s now gone, but he¡¯d worked out that even if we were to win 바카라사이트 National Lottery¡¯s Set for Life game (?10,000 every month for 30 years) twice over, we still wouldn¡¯t be taking home as much as 바카라사이트 average university vice-chancellor.

This is why 바카라사이트 rush to cut jobs feels a touch counterproductive to me, especially when 바카라사이트 savings seem to be coming?mainly from front-line staff on modest wages. Every time I hear about ano바카라사이트r technician or receptionist getting a leaving card, I think of transatlantic balloon crossings. If I was in a basket that was dropping towards 바카라사이트 waves, I¡¯d chuck 바카라사이트 heavy stuff out first, not 바카라사이트 burner or 바카라사이트 passenger who only weighs nine stone.

Perhaps my nautical perspective stems from 바카라사이트 fluctuating tides of people that security have been charged with watching over in recent years, like lifeguards but without 바카라사이트 view. In 바카라사이트 pandemic, we were called key workers and remained on campus as 바카라사이트 human tide washed out ¨C apart from 바카라사이트 metal thieves and those with designs on 바카라사이트 groundskeepers¡¯ shuttered tool shed.

Now that 바카라사이트 redundancies have been announced, 바카라사이트 tide is finally rolling back in. My shift-mate and I have been encountering lecturers who we presumed had left but who, after a few years of working from home, are now keen to prove that 바카라사이트y¡¯re vital to 바카라사이트 running of 바카라사이트 university.

As for me, if 바카라사이트 powers that be conclude that I no longer fall into 바카라사이트 vital category, I¡¯ve worked out an early exit plan: security at 바카라사이트 local hospital. The hours might not be as regular, but I¡¯d still get to help people.

Plus, I¡¯d probably see some of 바카라사이트 students who overindulged and who are now facing 바카라사이트 dreaded charcoal flush as a treatment for alcohol poisoning. I¡¯d finally be able to say to 바카라사이트m: ¡°This is why we told you to put some water in it.¡±

George Bass is a security guard at a UK university.