Suella Braverman says “rough sleeping is a lifestyle choice”.
In a small number of cases that will be true. There are those out there who will not accept the rules of available accommodation regarding such things as alcohol, drug use or pets. If they make that decision it is a lifestyle choice. Nobody has everything exactly the way they want it. In life a choice is made as to whether 'x' or 'y' is acceptable and decisions made on the basis of the answer be is 'Yes' or 'No'.
My wife who is now retired met up with a couple of her former colleagues today and, as she expected, she got all the tales of woe about the workplace. One would be unbelievable had she not been told the person involved, this person has always got away with murder. This individual works part time, but fixed days and hours each week. Apparently she called the office to say she wouldn't be in due to a home emergency (everything is an emergency in her life), but would make up the time. Her line manager checked a few days later and saw that she made up 4 of the 6 hours due on the following Saturday. Her line manager questioned why she had only made up 4 hours and the answer? "I made them up on Saturday, and Saturday is time and a half"! The underlying problem is that she is a good mate of the department manager and goes to her when she wants anything rather than to her line manager.
KT53 said: "I made them up on Saturday, and Saturday is time and a half"!
She should have done them on a Sunday at double time
I remember getting triple time once for working off-site on Chas and Di's wedding day. In these days of the gig economy I think businesses (encouraged by current Govt) are doing their utmost to deny any premium payments for extra hours.
@steephill I worked on IT for one of the banks over the Millennium when they were all paranoid about IT system meltdowns. We were paid to babysit the systems on 12 hour shifts and being paid over £50 per hour for literally doing nothing. No system so much as hiccupped. One guy on our team wasn't impressed when the manager phoned him at 4am supposedly to make sure everything was OK. The company had provided camp beds so they expected people to kip the night away. The manager was viewed before that as bit of a ...... and that just confirmed opinions.
I recall often going in on a Saturday and/or Sunday, and being reminded that it was time and a half. However, if I had to do extra work in the evening or overnight, it was assumed to have been an emergency (regularly), and therefore got nothing extra. I never complained, since I enjoyed the work, but my wife wasn't too pleased about phone calls at any time, night or day. Particularly the night time ones, because at the time, the only phone was downstairs, and I slept heavily. She had to answer it. Then get me!!
My wife said yesterday "the washing machine is making a funny squeaking noise". We got the local repair people out ( v good used them before) . Standard call out £85 now but if we repair you only pay for parts. Man came this am he was there all of 30 secs. " You need a new machine, unless you want to pay £1000, for a new drum" The machine is a Miele, a direct replacement for what we have will cost about the same, ok it's nearly 15 years old but even so. He also said don't buy another one the quality isn't the same as it used to be, yet Which still place them among their top best buys (with the caveat that they are expensive).
We buy Bosch @Allotment Boy and had to replace ours a couple of months ago, also 15 or so years old and the drum had gone. We got the new one on offer and the shop offered a special deal on insurance and maintenancee delivery including free delivery of the new and removal of the old for recycling.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
We used to buy Bosch, but similarly were put off as quality had gone down. SD had them ( washer and drier separately) in last house nothing but trouble. Seems to be pot luck now. If you get a good one keep it as long as possible.
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Luxembourg
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/04/fury-as-braverman-depicts-homelessness-as-a-lifestyle-choice
'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw'
However, if I had to do extra work in the evening or overnight, it was assumed to have been an emergency (regularly), and therefore got nothing extra.
I never complained, since I enjoyed the work, but my wife wasn't too pleased about phone calls at any time, night or day. Particularly the night time ones, because at the time, the only phone was downstairs, and I slept heavily. She had to answer it. Then get me!!