View Full Version : Would You Accept This?
My wife has to go to Glasgow for a work conference and wondered if you thought this was an acceptable situation, as it's not to me.
Being that we live in the sticks and that the conference starts at 10am she has to travel down the day before, she's actually getting a lift to Elgin and going to stay with her sister and then the both of them..(her sister works for the same company and also has to attened the conference)..will be taking the train through to Glasgow very early the next morning, returning to Elgin that night and then getting the bus home to Wick the next day.
Now here is the thing that is kinda making my blood boil, her work will not pay her for the time she has to spend traveling to this conference, they mark the two days travel down as her days off for that week so she gets paid nothing for the traveling, she'll get paid for attending the conference, but that's only about 6 hours, a shift at her work is normally 10 hours, so not only does she make less money than she would for a normal days work but she has to give up her days off for travel.....would i be right in thinking that this is bang out of order?
It's certainly not the way work related trips for training/conferences worked when i worked for a national plumbers merchant, we got paid for our time travelling, and the travelling time certainly wasn't classed as a 'day off'
And i'd just like to add that my wife new nothing of this post until after i did it, so to all the gossips and drama queens at her work who are having a hairy fit over it, running around like headless chickens and contacting head office, if you have anything to say then direct it to me, my number is easy available, because apart from being the subject matter my wife is not connected with this post or my opinion of the companys working practices.
No I wouldn't.
My employer would pay travelling time in this instance, plus we have an overnight allowance if needed.
Does she have a union she could consult ?
No I wouldn't.
My employer would pay travelling time in this instance, plus we have an overnight allowance if needed.
Does she have a union she could consult ?
No, there has never been any mention of a union for her work, i'm sure there will be a union for the trade she works in, but it's certainly not something that her employers ever give any information on.
Gene Hunt
27-Apr-09, 13:27
That is out of line really.
If I have to go on a course I get expenses for the duration of the course and the day before and after for travel time. Get the company to put it in writing and then send an e-mail fighting your corner. I personally would take the tack that if my company wanted to me attend on my time off they should pay for it with a request that if they disagreed then they should explain in writing.
I would imagine they have it all tied up and sorted in her contract. I would advice her to get in touch with the union and check it out with them.
Basically they are asking for x amount of hours of her time free or expecting her to use AL.
Either are unfair.
Invisible
27-Apr-09, 13:52
If it's a mandatory conference for her work then why doesn't the work pay for it. To loose two days pay because of it is wrong.
Your wife has to decide whether attending conference will be beneficial to her (in my experience they don't) If she does not feel she needs to go, don't go.
I do not think any national company would discipline her for failing to attend a conference which she is not getting properly paid for
Whenever I have to go on a course or visit HQ I get a generous fuel allowance plus overnight accomodation paid for by the company-I am never out of pocket. The company you're wife works for is taking the proverbial.
anneoctober
27-Apr-09, 14:23
twenty years ago, I would have said yes sir no sir. Today I would politely decline their "offer"..............:eek:
I certainly wouldn't accept that Gizmo, anytime I had to go off to any conferences etc I was always paid travel time plus accomodation plus expenses for food etc..... I would be asking for expenses etc or I wouldn't be going.....[disgust]
That is incredibly wrong of them to do that.
If she has to use her own time to do something that the business wants she needs to be paid for it. My gf had to go to Orkney to support a supermarket getting opened there and travelled for a ridiculous amount of time, which of course she got paid for.
Also, if there is a union and the workplace isn't giving enough or any information about that is illegal, a worker is allowed to have a support group for their queries/needs.
sevenfortyseven
27-Apr-09, 14:45
Its bang out of order! She needs to get on the case.
northener
27-Apr-09, 15:29
Personally, i'd make sure I didn't attend the conference if the company was being so unreasonable.
No doubt Mrs Gizmo will be expected to toe the line to show she is 'committed to the company' - and other nauseous soundbites. It's galling to think that narrow minded Corporate gits like this still exist in the slime at the bottom of the business worlds' barrel.
If the company makes a demand such as this, it could be argued that it is an unreasonable request as it forces the employee to expend their own time and money on the companies business. Any decent employment lawyer could rip them to shreds on something like this.
However, if this is a request from the company, then the employee should be able to decline with out much of a problem.....so find out exactly what the company statement is on attendance on this conference - and get it in writing.
If Mrs Gizmo decides she does not want to cause any conflict in these troubled times, here's an example of what someone could do to avoid conflict:
1:Employee informs company that they will travel down to conference the previous evening.
2:Employee becomes 'sick' that evening just before setting off.
3:Employee informs company of sickness the very first thing the next working day (which is, conveniently, the day of the conference).
4:Employee feels much better later on that day and goes into (or reports being fit for) work the next day (the day they were due to be travelling back).
5:This will annoy the company as it will be bloody obvious why the 'sickie' took place...yet they cannot discipline or put in writing any grievance about this absence providing it was reported in at the first opportunity and the employee does not have a record of doing this previously. And it would send a clear message out to them pointing out that not everyone is going to roll over everytime they click their fingers.[disgust]
Ruthless, but in my book with some firms you have to put the boot into them otherwise they'll treat you like a doormat.
Kevin Milkins
27-Apr-09, 16:40
It does not sound that your wife is being treated fairly by her employer as they are expecting her to do something that they require and are not willing to pay the full dibs.
Just say "sorry I can't afford to do that" and let them decide how much they would like her to go to there conference.
It would be funny now if there was no conference and Mrs Gizmo was just planning a shopping trip to Glasgow with her sister and needed an excuse.:lol:
Surely they can't force her to go if she dosen't want to, especially as she will be out of pocket if she does. If I was her I would refuse to go unless I was paid properly.
I used to work for a company and whenever one particular employee had to go to another depot, mysteriously in came the sick line, not just for the few days previously suggested but sometimes the sick leave extended for months, all on full pay, and back fit and well before the full pay expired.
I know it is slightly off subject, but NHS Highland travelling expenses scheme decrees that anything over a two hour journey to attend a clinic first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon will also enable a B&B overnight for up to £27.50 per person. Mileage rate is 15 pence a mile at the moment.
I wouldn`t give up my days off or holidays to go on a course.
My wife has to go to Glasgow for a work conference and wondered if you thought this was an acceptable situation, as it's not to me.
Being that we live in the sticks and that the conference starts at 10am she has to travel down the day before, she's actually getting a lift to Elgin and going to stay with her sister and then the both of them..(her sister works for the same company and also has to attened the conference)..will be taking the train through to Glasgow very early the next morning, returning to Elgin that night and then getting the bus home to Wick the next day.
Now here is the thing that is kinda making my blood boil, her work will not pay her for the time she has to spend traveling to this conference, they mark the two days travel down as her days off for that week so she gets paid nothing for the traveling, she'll get paid for attending the conference, but that's only about 6 hours, a shift at her work is normally 10 hours, so not only does she make less money than she would for a normal days work but she has to give up her days off for travel.....would i be right in thinking that this is bang out of order?
It's certainly not the way work related trips for training/conferences worked when i worked for a national plumbers merchant, we got paid for our time travelling, and the travelling time certainly wasn't classed as a 'day off'
And i'd just like to add that my wife new nothing of this post until after i did it, so to all the gossips and drama queens at her work who are having a hairy fit over it, running around like headless chickens and contacting head office, if you have anything to say then direct it to me, my number is easy available, because apart from being the subject matter my wife is not connected with this post or my opinion of the companys working practices.
Is that the company rules or the mangers rules.? first thing i would have asked the manager is how am i going to get there were im i going to stay let them by the tickets and book the hotel and i most certainly would not stay at a relatives to save the company money.And if your travel down do u travel in normal working hours or in overtime.
But my question to you has your wife been told to fill out a timesheet marking that time down as a day off? because i would put a timesheet in for traveling and see what they say.
Were i work they stopped us getting overtime for driving down to glasgow for training and meetings so we just travel down now in normal working hours and thats all there is to it.
The idiot managers were we work seem to think its more acceptable to let u drive down in company time the day before hand put u up in hotel pay your food bills rather than let u travel down in the morning getting 2.5 overtime for driving.
But my question to you has your wife been told to fill out a timesheet marking that time down as a day off?
This place doesn't work with time sheets, it works with shifts on a weekly rota basis and her days off change weekly, her days off were rota'd to coincide with her travel days as...'that's just the way they do it'...apparantly!, i suppose that's what happens when you have no union representation to stick up for an employees rights, the on site management are just brainwashed with unfair company policy usually handed down by the area manager, they are so used to it that they actually think it's acceptable and right.
i think that is disgusting, she should be paid travel time and expenses.
the on site management are just brainwashed with unfair company policy usually handed down by the area manager, they are so used to it that they actually think it's acceptable and right.
What are the odds the area manager wouldn't do it?
That they changed your wife's shifts so that she would be travelling on her days off is irrelevant. She will be on company business on those days and should be paid for it.
Can she go higher than management and ask if they think it is acceptable ?
What are the odds the area manager wouldn't do it?
That they changed your wife's shifts so that she would be travelling on her days off is irrelevant. She will be on company business on those days and should be paid for it.
Those are my thoughts exactly.
Well, this post has created a bit of controversy at her work and she has now been told that she no longer has to attend the conference, but at this time she hasn't been given a reason why yet.
I am glad she doesn't have to go, I honestly don't see how any employer could expect someone to give up two days of their own time for work :confused
Perhaps it is time the staff joined a Union to represent them and negotiate pay and conditions annually. Not everybody needs to join if they don't want to (even if it is just you) but they would be better to as they will back them when needed. You can join via a local representative or just sign up directly online. There are several Unions out there depending on the type of employment but one of the biggest is Unite.
http://www.unitetheunion.com/
Perhaps it is time the staff joined a Union to represent them and negotiate pay and conditions annually. Not everybody needs to join if they don't want to (even if it is just you) but they would be better to as they will back them when needed. You can join via a local representative or just sign up directly online. There are several Unions out there depending on the type of employment but one of the biggest is Unite.
http://www.unitetheunion.com/
Thanks Tony, i'll pass on the info to the missus
ciderally
28-Apr-09, 18:58
Perhaps it is time the staff joined a Union to represent them and negotiate pay and conditions annually. Not everybody needs to join if they don't want to (even if it is just you) but they would be better to as they will back them when needed. You can join via a local representative or just sign up directly online. There are several Unions out there depending on the type of employment but one of the biggest is Unite.
http://www.unitetheunion.com/
thanks for this link...bring back the unions i say
Amy-Winehouse
28-Apr-09, 20:24
My wife has to go to Glasgow for a work conference and wondered if you thought this was an acceptable situation, as it's not to me.
Being that we live in the sticks and that the conference starts at 10am she has to travel down the day before, she's actually getting a lift to Elgin and going to stay with her sister and then the both of them..(her sister works for the same company and also has to attened the conference)..will be taking the train through to Glasgow very early the next morning, returning to Elgin that night and then getting the bus home to Wick the next day.
Now here is the thing that is kinda making my blood boil, her work will not pay her for the time she has to spend traveling to this conference, they mark the two days travel down as her days off for that week so she gets paid nothing for the traveling, she'll get paid for attending the conference, but that's only about 6 hours, a shift at her work is normally 10 hours, so not only does she make less money than she would for a normal days work but she has to give up her days off for travel.....would i be right in thinking that this is bang out of order?
It's certainly not the way work related trips for training/conferences worked when i worked for a national plumbers merchant, we got paid for our time travelling, and the travelling time certainly wasn't classed as a 'day off'
And i'd just like to add that my wife new nothing of this post until after i did it, so to all the gossips and drama queens at her work who are having a hairy fit over it, running around like headless chickens and contacting head office, if you have anything to say then direct it to me, my number is easy available, because apart from being the subject matter my wife is not connected with this post or my opinion of the companys working practices.
Thats rather sad, in this day & age that yer wifes company( I know who they are, but wouldnt expect anything but from that shower) expect one of their employees to give up on their days off & not pay them for the hours that she is losing out on.
My company are good that way, I get meals, travel, & a days pay whenevr I do a course( which is quite often).
I often feel it quite sad if her workmates are contacting head office when it could one day affect all of them, shame on you all for being grassers- [disgust]
The company I work for, pays for us to attend meetings,Training etc, so cant really complain.
Thats bang out of order, if you want your staff to grow then you have to pay to give them "Wings".
If She refused then the company would look at it as "Unwilling to expand her skils" wheras they expect her to expand her skills in HER own time!
As dizzee Rascal says-BONKERS!!!
that is very unfair of the employers. they should be paying fares, meals and time off in leu. Citizens Advice bureau could advise you. If i have to go to a meeting at 10 am or earlier, my accomodation is paid for, the night before, plus meals and petrol. If I am away working for 6 hours or more i get a lunch allowance.
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