End of an Era!

[jonesfam]

Sometimes things move very quickly & totally upset the stability of ones life.
For the past 29 years (with the exception of a couple of years in the middle) I have lived & worked in Doomadgee, I have generally & usually really enjoyed it & have become used to the way of life here.

Monday morning my Boss phones me, "You know that Supermarket in Cloncurry we have been looking at?" he askes.
"Yep, you asked my opinion of it a few weeks ago."
"Well, we are buying it, we want you to manage it, you will start on the 10th of October, OK?"

I think I may have said a few swear words, shown some lack of logical thought, stuttered, coughed & spluttered but, said OK, I will do it!
"Good." He says "And buy the way a new manager for the Roadhouse will be there on the 1st of October for you to train and one other thing. When you go to Cloncurry you have 6 months to improved it, OK?"
So, he knew I would say "YES" having already hired my replacement here, bit cheeky.
Oh, and No Pressure Then!

I now have a few weeks to finish implementing some major new system upgrades I have been working on, pack up my personal stuff & clean the house, train a new manager, learn all I can about the Cloncurry Supermarket before I get there, trailer stuff, dogs & cat to Cloncurry & not get stressed during all this. Not to mention I have not managed a large Supermarket for 10 years & when I get there I will have to change all the systems over to our company.
No, I'm not nervous about it at all!!

The up side to all this is that I will be living with SWMBO & the kids again (I think that is an up side?) & Cloncurry is more main stream & almost considered civilized. I will have to adjust a bit to handle civilized I think.

I will miss Doomadgee & it's people, river, country. I am also worried that at 63 taking on a big new job is pretty dumb, but I am so looking forward to getting my teeth into it.[bigwhistle][smilebigeye]
Jonesfam

[Saitch]

This may be a good way to wind down, leading to retirement age.
Oh, do you get to keep the Prado?

[NavyDiver]

New challenges to keep your mind fresh. Clearly a highly trusted/valued commodity in your company [thumbsupbig]

[Hogarthde]

Ah Jonesfam you will love it, bitumen roads , traffic considerate, friendly coppers, no tourists, no govt,agencies poking about, plenty of pubs to choose from for an evening relaxation , and at three score plus three you are just in the prime of life.

All the best my boy!

[V8Ian]

Woolworths in the Curry will offer no competition, or have they finally abandoned town and that's your new venue?

[jonesfam]

In answer to the above questions.
I am still negotiating my new/changed contract but it looks very much like the Prado is going with me.

The Woolies in Curry was taken over by IGA a few years ago, the one we are buying is the Foodworks. Smaller & I will have to work hard to bash up the IGA.

May be they are sending me because no one else is silly enough.

During the Season you can't move in Curry for tourist who don't know how to park.

4 Pubs & the Bowels Club + SWMBO's cooking, I might have to start exercising.

I have no intention of retiring until I can not work anymore so I may/should have a few years left in me.

Jonesfam

[V8Ian]

A bowels club? That sounds like a stinker. [tonguewink]

The bowling club used to be the poshest joint in town.

[JDNSW]

Looking forward to hearing about the changes in your life!

[DiscoMick]

Nice town Curry. Met some very helpful people there.
They obviously think highly of you and reckon you can improve the Food works.
There is a lot of work for managers who can be parachuted in to revive failing businesses.
I know a bloke who does it for bowling clubs.
There is a relation in our family who is based in Turkey and gets sent onto cruise liners with 3 months to bring the food and beverage up to standard. He gets paid handsomely in US$ into a New York bank account.
So, make this work and you never know where you could end up.

[superquag]

Well Done you. !

[jonesfam]

It's a funny old world.
I think I posted that our company buying the Cloncurry Foodworks fell over.
But for a couple of years the owner of said Foodworks has been chasing me to manage it for him.
I have/had always refused because I was happy with what I have been doing & like Doomadgee & maybe was feeling comfortable.
Anyway, the past couple of weeks, or a bit longer, have been a bit full on with one of our kids having a lot of issues & SWMBO has asked for more support from my end.
So, I phoned the Cloncurry Foodworks owner & asked if:
1. was he was serious?
2. When could we have a talk?
After much discussion with the owner, SWMBO, the kids & my inner self I have decided it is time.
I wrote & sent my resignation today, very nice - one doesn't want to burn one's bridges, & I finish in Doomadgee on the 6th of January.
SWMBO is ecstatic, the kids are good with it & I probably need renewed motivation & challenges.

My current Boss & the Board are OK with it saying they were amazed I lasted 9 years.
BTW this will be the 4th time I have almost got to long service leave but never quite made it.

SWMBO & I had a very long conversation regarding living together full time again, it has been basically 10 years since we have done so, & that was very involved with us both realizing there will need to be some adjustments to put it lightly but, I am looking forward to it.

The new job should be OK, nothing I haven't done before, most the stores I have gone into have been at a pretty low standard so up should be easy.

Anyway, upward & onward & long live change.
Jonesfam

[Saitch]

Good luck with it. Although, going by your previous correspondence, I sure it will be more good management.

Does this mean that you'll be rid of the Prado? [smilebigeye]

[V8Ian]

Good luck with it. Although, going by your previous correspondence, I sure it will be more good management.

Does this mean that you'll be rid of the Prado? [smilebigeye]
They might forget he's got it. [bigrolf]

[jonesfam]

The Prado, which I still don't really like, will stay in Doomadgee for who ever takes over from me.
With the new job I get a Triton Ute! Covered in Foodworks signage.
How the mighty have fallen?

When I do my final, moving, trip to Cloncurry it will be in a Hyundai Getz with a Rottweiler, 2 cats & my luggage.
Jonesfam

[incisor]

When I do my final, moving, trip to Cloncurry it will be in a Hyundai Getz with a Rottweiler, 2 cats & my luggage.
Jonesfam

enjoy that !

[bigsmile]

[4bee]

A bowels club? That sounds like a stinker. [tonguewink]

The bowling club used to be the poshest joint in town.

Careful, it could be a slippery slope, colourful perhaps but a breeze for you & from what little I know of you Paul I reckon you will **** it in. Once all the initial turmoil is over that is.

Best wishes.

[V8Ian]

2023, year of the big smoke, for Paul!
At least it will be easier to catch up with you, mate. [smilebigeye]

[scarry]

Once you get to Cloncurry, you might not need the Rottweiler[biggrin]

Anyway,i hope it all works out.

[4bee]

Once you get to Cloncurry, you might not need the Rottweiler[biggrin]

Anyway,i hope it all works out.

But Paul may still need his missus.[bigrolf]

[jonesfam]

So, after much faffing about, several delays & a couple of false starts I will finally leave Doomadgee (Doomcity?) tomorrow afternoon.
I finished work last Monday, though I have been over a few times to sort bits & bobs, & spent the week packing & cleaning the house.
Unfortunately, due to rain & rivers being up, I will have to fly to Mt Isa then SWMBO drive over to pick me up from the airport.
Also, due to the rain etc, I will probably have to come back to Doomadgee once the rivers go down to get the dog, cats, trailers & stuff, though a couple of staff have said they could bring them down once the roads open.

After about 26 years in Doomadgee, in 3 stints, it will be a culture shock & a major change but am I worried?
Hell Yes!
But life changes & I don't want to die wondering.
Next time I post will be from Cloncurry, once the kids sort the Wi-Fi on this computer.
Start the new job on February 6, looking forward to a bit of time off.
Jonesfam

[RANDLOVER]

It's a funny old world.
I think I posted that our company buying the Cloncurry Foodworks fell over.
But for a couple of years the owner of said Foodworks has been chasing me to manage it for him.
I have/had always refused because I was happy with what I have been doing & like Doomadgee & maybe was feeling comfortable.
Anyway, the past couple of weeks, or a bit longer, have been a bit full on with one of our kids having a lot of issues & SWMBO has asked for more support from my end.
So, I phoned the Cloncurry Foodworks owner & asked if:
1. was he was serious?
2. When could we have a talk?
After much discussion with the owner, SWMBO, the kids & my inner self I have decided it is time.
I wrote & sent my resignation today, very nice - one doesn't want to burn one's bridges, & I finish in Doomadgee on the 6th of January.
SWMBO is ecstatic, the kids are good with it & I probably need renewed motivation & challenges.

My current Boss & the Board are OK with it saying they were amazed I lasted 9 years.
BTW this will be the 4th time I have almost got to long service leave but never quite made it...............

You might have a claim to LSL on my reading of this:

General principles
The difficulty for employers is anticipating whether the circumstances of a particular employee will be considered by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (the Commission) as falling within the set criteria. The general thrust of case law on this point is that employees ceasing work for reasons beyond their effective control are entitled to the benefit.

The words 'domestic or other pressing necessity' have been interpreted to encompass a broad range of scenarios, including:

a pregnant employee leaving work to take on the responsibility of home duties;

an employee forced to leave work to take care of a sick spouse, or take care of children;

and

Narrower test
This is an extremely broad interpretation, anticipating both existing domestic arrangements, as well as proposed or future arrangements. A more conservative test, which appears to have been accepted generally, involves the following questions:

1. Was the reason claimed for resigning:
the employee's illness or incapacity?
a domestic or other pressing necessity?

2. Was the reason claimed for termination genuinely held by the worker and not simply a rationalisation?

3. Although the reason claimed may not be the sole ground that actuated the worker in his [or her] decision to terminate, was it is the real or motivating reason?

4. Was the reason such that a reasonable person in the circumstances in which the worker found himself [or herself] placed might have felt compelled to terminate his [or her] employment?

Resignation and Pro Rata Long Service Leave (findlaw.com.au) (https://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/1545/resignation-and-pro-rata-long-service-leave.aspx#:~:text=The%20Queensland%20legislation, resigning%20for%20any%20other%20reason.)