Working for Ringway

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Big Nick
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Working for Ringway

Post by Big Nick »

Does anybody have direct experience of Ringway and what they do for road management?

I ask because they are advertising for Control Room staff in their Hertford office (managing Hertfordshire road network) and I would like to get a feel for what sort of company they are to work for.
AtoB
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by AtoB »

Big Nick wrote: Thu Jul 21, 2022 23:12 Does anybody have direct experience of Ringway and what they do for road management?

I ask because they are advertising for Control Room staff in their Hertford office (managing Hertfordshire road network) and I would like to get a feel for what sort of company they are to work for.
Would that be Ringway or Ringway Jacobs? - you can try the Glassdoor website for employer reviews on both of these
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by WHBM »

I haven't been into Ringway for a while, having started visiting when Dixon Atkinson owned and ran it from a little office in Horsham, but they always seemed reasonable. The whole setup between Vinci, Eurotec, Ringway, et al is complex, but one thing Vinci do is let their subsidiaries get on with things themselves, as with other French mainstream organisations, and unlike comparable German ones who are much more into micro-management.

One thing to bear in mind is such management contracts are fixed term, they may be extended, or it may go to somebody else. The staff are normally all able to TUPE across, although some (often the best) are offered new opportunities staying with the previous organisation elsewhere. History shows such contracts don't last for ever.
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by Conekicker »

WHBM wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 13:24 I haven't been into Ringway for a while, having started visiting when Dixon Atkinson owned and ran it from a little office in Horsham, but they always seemed reasonable. The whole setup between Vinci, Eurotec, Ringway, et al is complex, but one thing Vinci do is let their subsidiaries get on with things themselves, as with other French mainstream organisations, and unlike comparable German ones who are much more into micro-management.

One thing to bear in mind is such management contracts are fixed term, they may be extended, or it may go to somebody else. The staff are normally all able to TUPE across, although some (often the best) are offered new opportunities staying with the previous organisation elsewhere. History shows such contracts don't last for ever.
I'd be very wary of being "one of the best" and not TUPEing across to the winner of a contract. Happened to me and dozen or so colleagues in the mid 90s. We were loyal to the firm and stayed with them. Within a month we all received threat of redundancy notices due to a change of senior management. Shows you what loyalty counts for, if nothing else.

Most of us jumped ship and went to the contract winner, losing several years worth of continued service as well. Another minus point for being loyal.

Once bitten, twice shy. I became loyal to the job and most definitely not the employer.

Edit: Never had any dealings with Ringway but I'd imagine they are the same as the rest of the civil engineering fraternity - good when things are on the up, ruthless at other times.
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Big Nick
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by Big Nick »

A little research shows that Ringway have the Herts contract until September 2024. They got that under much criticism in 2019. Hopefully they've done better since.
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by darkcape »

No direct experience but not heard bad things about them up in the Midlands
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Re: Working for Ringway

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Big Nick wrote: Sat Jul 23, 2022 21:48 A little research shows that Ringway have the Herts contract until September 2024. They got that under much criticism in 2019. Hopefully they've done better since.
I'd have thought there would be tupe of staff in the event of someone else winning the contract next time around. Hertford is a nice town, although traffic in the morning and evening rush hours isn't wonderful.
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by mikehindsonevans »

They have a presence up here in Cheshire. Looks to be road cleaning in this case and road gully emptying.
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Big Nick
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by Big Nick »

I have got the job as a Control Room Operator based at Hertford County Hall. :D

I start there at the end of the month and it's going to be a real change. I can drive to work with my music playing, no more rugby scrum on the Tube. My travel costs and times will both be halved and it's a nice office environment without customers in my face.
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by rhyds »

Big Nick wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 20:15 I have got the job as a Control Room Operator based at Hertford County Hall. :D

I start there at the end of the month and it's going to be a real change. I can drive to work with my music playing, no more rugby scrum on the Tube. My travel costs and times will both be halved and it's a nice office environment without customers in my face.
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Re: Working for Ringway

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At the big house on the hill no less! Congratulations. When I was in Hertford very much enjoyed the occasional lunch or after work drinks at the White horse at the bottom of the hill. Not been in years so can't vouch for if the food is still good.
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by trickstat »

Big Nick wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 20:15 I have got the job as a Control Room Operator based at Hertford County Hall. :D

I start there at the end of the month and it's going to be a real change. I can drive to work with my music playing, no more rugby scrum on the Tube. My travel costs and times will both be halved and it's a nice office environment without customers in my face.
And most of the traffic will be heading the other way! Saying that I suspect there will be some others employed at County Hall who live to the south of it.

Congratulations! We do let people from Essex in - my Mum was born there and has now been in Herts for 58 years.
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by Chris5156 »

Big Nick wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 20:15 I have got the job as a Control Room Operator based at Hertford County Hall. :D

I start there at the end of the month and it's going to be a real change. I can drive to work with my music playing, no more rugby scrum on the Tube. My travel costs and times will both be halved and it's a nice office environment without customers in my face.
Congratulations! I’ve been to the archives at County Hall in Hertford and it’s a lovely building in very pleasant grounds - looked like a really nice place to work.
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Big Nick
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Re: Working for Ringway

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c2R wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 08:30 At the big house on the hill no less! Congratulations. When I was in Hertford very much enjoyed the occasional lunch or after work drinks at the White horse at the bottom of the hill. Not been in years so can't vouch for if the food is still good.
Chris5156 wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:50 Congratulations! I’ve been to the archives at County Hall in Hertford and it’s a lovely building in very pleasant grounds - looked like a really nice place to work.
Thanks to all for your support. I'm a little nervous as this is my first job change in 10 years and I've been with that bunch since 2005. But not to worry, there's another SABRE member already working there :D

The 'big house on the hill' :lol: isn't too far off what it looks like from the front. Looks lovely inside and out, nice Neo-Georgian style with a cloister wall opening onto a green courtyard. :) https://goo.gl/maps/Ci3qicKa33hoHZYL7

Then you go through and find the 1970s concrete office block at the back :shock: https://goo.gl/maps/twHz6HhL17vQE3f79
But behind that is the large car park which currently has plenty of space while the council staff work from home.
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Re: Working for Ringway

Post by WHBM »

Good luck to you ! Interesting post.

Presumably lots of scope for overtime if the M25 gets blocked ...
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