ballaughbiker

Read on another forum (twitter) that someone here on holiday had to change their foot pax return due to a rail strike day being called since their booking. They tried to find alternative bus travel from Heysham to a remote bit of the Peak District (Edale), which proved impossible at a weekend, so were forced to change their booking to a day earlier. This caused a 43% increase in their fare which they pleaded to no effect. Paraphrasing the SP (whom I normally defend) "Read the t&cs to which you agreed. A rail strike is not our fault and you need to claim our rebooking change charge from the rail companies". They appealed in writing which was also rejected. This is a very poor look for what's left of our tourism. Sure, if people just 'change their minds', that is their choice and option and an extra charge is appropriate, but when a national rail strike forces the change ? C'mon SP. FFS .... ! Please realise that social media can be a powerful positive or negative force depending on your attitude to customer service.

Indeed, it was way over the top as was accessing private property "just to check" those subject to quarantine were actually at home with zero indication whatsoever that they had not been.

We only know about this case because it went to tribunal. One wonders how many cases get 'settled' to avoid both public and off-island scrutiny. I know of two cases over the last 30+ years where decent, ethical, able and hardworking clinicians were treated very badly indeed by the employer both due to, imo, middle managers with way too much executive power linked to too little managerial experience. It is also my opinion that one of these cases involved a degree of victimisation and vexatious behavior by the clinical middle manager involved who had a known departmental track record of managerial concerns going back years. I understand that both cases resulted in significant settlements at public expense to (one assumes) avoid tribunal where the Manx public (and UK media) would have been shocked at how one of these clinicians in particularly was treated during the due process.

I'm not commenting on this judgement but I hear the employer has 'previous.' I remember back in the late 80s or maybe 1990, a para-medical professional's union placed an advert in a national professional journal warning potential applicants about a post that had become vacant here due to the dismissal of the previous incumbent. The ad encouraged potential applicants to phone this union for a briefing before applying and I was tasked with finding out what it was about. Apparently this highly paid and very well respected professionally registered employee had been allegedly unfairly dismissed and that the offending line manager (also registered with their appropriate council) was still in post. I understand that a significant settlement was eventually made to the dismissed employee which was kept from the public. I know of at least one more case (remarkably for same post but different line manager this time) where a significant secret payout was made to the professional to avoid, I assume, having to go to tribunal. NB .. again this was kept from the public.

I knew I was doing something wrong. Never had one day off ill when I worked for them. Just asked the one in the house that still does. A handful (well <10) of days off ill in 30+ years. To get that average of 12.5/year some must be having weeks off each year so that will involve agreement of a GP. 😉

Yep me too but being old, I'm not quite as blasé. My son had a similar idea of covid to you until last week when he finally caught it. You're only good until you're not good but it seems the chance of a significant reaction to Covid appears to be waning.🤞

I hope you're not suggesting a "Darren" ?

Anti -teacher ideology ? Not much ...😄

You actually wouldn't have heard about this one IF the disparaging tone of the majority of your (and other's) posts on this thread hadn't indicated some degree of anti teacher ideology. Perhaps you haven't considered that some kids 'have to' be cared for much more than most imagine which is why they are some of the most challenging in the island. She is just getting on with it because somebody has to. I'd stop digging .. 😉

Yeah. I know one teacher at work today despite having a suspected lateral tibial condyle fracture (sustained at work a couple of weeks ago) . Oh and she's in her mid 60s and 'just getting on with it' dealing with some of the island's most challenging children for mediocre reward. We know you are 'sick of hearing about these teachers' and think they don't work until state retirement age but this inconvenient example has only been mentioned to balance your apparent ideology.

So they generally take advantage of the option to pull 'sickies' for minor illness do they ? Or was that just to trigger ?

The numpty decision to change the pension arrangements is a major factor in this.

Spain (Andalucia) 10% VAT France split 5% and 20%

I know you posted this simplistic crap weeks ago but IF it had any truth to it, you'd think they'd be queuing down the road and round the corner for such a job instead of leaving in their droves. or was it just your 'little joke' with its 😀 ?

That works both ways