I blame brexit and the tories.
The U.K. Gig Economy
- Thread starter Marty1
- Start date
I blame brexit and the tories.
cupid_stunt
Where's the bloody sun?
All drivers had to go for a drug and alcohol test yesterday morning before work - 6 drivers failedand were finished on the spot.
Apparently one driver who failed had just bought a new van.
Just say no kids.
The question is, what did they fail on? Having a spliff the night before?
Sounds like an easy way of culling drivers after the pre-Xmas rush.
I should have mentioned it in the post but - the reason for the drug and alcohol test is because my logistics company are (for whatever reason) changing name so, everyone including the boss had to fill in new job application forms and the drugs and alcohol testing is part of that process.
We were advised of this about a week ago and the test results are shown to you before anyone else is informed of a pass or fail - basically you piss in a container then sit in a room with the test guy as the test indicates pass or fail. The alcohol test is like the road side one where you blow into an alcohol detection device.
Speaking to my accountant earlier today he told me about new HMRC rule IR35 which may or may not come into effect this year, apparently it may be delayed a year until after Brexit.
Might have this wrong but from what I gather, if you contract more than 70% of your services to one company you could be classed as an employee of that company.
I asked how that could affect myself as a delivery service provider for Amazon and my accountant just laughed saying the likes of Amazon will no doubt find some loophole way around this like they always seem to do
www.gov.uk
Might have this wrong but from what I gather, if you contract more than 70% of your services to one company you could be classed as an employee of that company.
I asked how that could affect myself as a delivery service provider for Amazon and my accountant just laughed saying the likes of Amazon will no doubt find some loophole way around this like they always seem to do
Understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
Off-payroll working rules for clients, workers (contractors) and their intermediaries.
ruffneck23
front left
IR35 has been around for quite a while, and has been the bane of many a contractor.
I must have got the wrong end of the stick then, maybe it’s proposed changed to IR35 then?
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
Hermes parcel delivery depot a shocking mess in leaked photos from depot
A worker at the depot, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed the issues shown in the pictures are a daily occurrence.
They added: “It’s horrific, nobody cares, I’ve seen people playing football with customers’ parcels.”
Packages are taken back to the depot, where they are “flung” onto the conveyor belt ready for transit, says the worker.
They added that staff are expected to collect up to 900 packages a day.
Such a large amount will often not fit in vans safely and carefully, claimed the worker.
But, they are loaded in anyway.
www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk
A worker at the depot, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed the issues shown in the pictures are a daily occurrence.
They added: “It’s horrific, nobody cares, I’ve seen people playing football with customers’ parcels.”
Packages are taken back to the depot, where they are “flung” onto the conveyor belt ready for transit, says the worker.
They added that staff are expected to collect up to 900 packages a day.
Such a large amount will often not fit in vans safely and carefully, claimed the worker.
But, they are loaded in anyway.
'Playing football with parcels' - leaked photos at Hermes depot show what really goes on
Delivery company Hermes has launched an investigation after shocking photos emerged of packages strewn in the back of one of its vans and scattered…
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
Some of the clothing/uniform items that employers using agencies for temp staff want those staff to provide for themselves is ridiculous.
"Must have black leather closed top shoes, no trainers, converse, ballet pumps. Black tailored trousers, no skirts. White shirt with stiff collar and BLACK buttons. (sorry, wtf?) No logos on any item of clothing. Layer up underneath that uniform because you will be working outdoors. 5 hour shift, £8 per hour, £40"
(And you'll be trying to make your way home on the night bus because the shift finishes at 3am or something daft)
Oh another one, a certain south london nightclub requires casual bar staff (including barback, who tend to end up covered in beer by the end of the night) to wear navy jeans, and spotless white logo-free trainers - you could end up spending your entire shift pay on another pair of white trainers for the next shift (what they should require is non-slip safety footwear in any fucking colour you have)....
"Must have black leather closed top shoes, no trainers, converse, ballet pumps. Black tailored trousers, no skirts. White shirt with stiff collar and BLACK buttons. (sorry, wtf?) No logos on any item of clothing. Layer up underneath that uniform because you will be working outdoors. 5 hour shift, £8 per hour, £40"
(And you'll be trying to make your way home on the night bus because the shift finishes at 3am or something daft)
Oh another one, a certain south london nightclub requires casual bar staff (including barback, who tend to end up covered in beer by the end of the night) to wear navy jeans, and spotless white logo-free trainers - you could end up spending your entire shift pay on another pair of white trainers for the next shift (what they should require is non-slip safety footwear in any fucking colour you have)....
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hash tag
Books, not bombs
I was in Calder's @ Waterloo earlier in the week and bought Riding For Deliveroo by Callam Cant. Another take on the gig economy, this time from a push bike riders experience, though moped riders are touched upon.
At first it seemed politically heavy, touching on Marx and Engels but now seems to be getting down to experiences. Not sure if it's better or worse than the van drivers lot; it certainly sounds grim. It could even be extracts from his thesis.
www.huckmag.com
www.waterstones.com
At first it seemed politically heavy, touching on Marx and Engels but now seems to be getting down to experiences. Not sure if it's better or worse than the van drivers lot; it certainly sounds grim. It could even be extracts from his thesis.
Fighting Deliveroo: how to resist in the gig economy
‘Either we fight or we’re fucked’ — In his new book, writer and former-Deliveroo rider Callum Cant discusses the gig economy, ethical consumption, and the…
www.huckmag.com
Riding for Deliveroo by Callum Cant | Waterstones
Buy Riding for Deliveroo by Callum Cant from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.
www.waterstones.com
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
Honestly really the agency that Nate works for is not bad in the grand scheme of things - it's a bit faceless (all done by phone app), but always pays on schedule, tends to have plenty of work, and seem to treat employees reasonably fairly. Compared to the one he used to work for, which often messed up his pay, frequently double-booked him or insisted he work back to back shifts, and phoned him at any and all hours night and day with no regard for the fact that he might have just come off a long shift (which they ought to know) and be asleep!
What type of work does Nate do?
hash tag
Books, not bombs
Is it the gig economy that is all bad. I mate I was out with recently is employed. He receives a monthly bonus if his team does well.
Striving to help his team meet that goal he recently put his back out. He admits he breached health and safety and it
was his own stupid fault. So how much peer pressure was he under from his team or his employers to meet the targets.
Not only that, he has been signed off sick for a month. Because he has been signed off for a month, he has NO pay!
Striving to help his team meet that goal he recently put his back out. He admits he breached health and safety and it
was his own stupid fault. So how much peer pressure was he under from his team or his employers to meet the targets.
Not only that, he has been signed off sick for a month. Because he has been signed off for a month, he has NO pay!
Is it the gig economy that is all bad. I mate I was out with recently is employed. He receives a monthly bonus if his team does well.
Striving to help his team meet that goal he recently put his back out. He admits he breached health and safety and it
was his own stupid fault. So how much peer pressure was he under from his team or his employers to meet the targets.
Not only that, he has been signed off sick for a month. Because he has been signed off for a month, he has NO pay!
Amazon driver or similar?
Yeah, it’s a brutal ‘job’ - we’ve had two drivers finished last week - Amazon told our firm that they wouldn’t be offering those drivers any more routes (apparently due to poor performance), click their fingers and - you’re gone.
We’re now getting WhatsApp updates throughout the day showing every drivers current progress - if your name is in yellow you are behind, red is classified as ‘at risk’ (6 or more drops behind) - total pressure cooker.
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UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
That's horrific.
Doing an ‘X’ route today, start work between 10.30/11am, though I’ve had to go to Amazon depot to be informed I’m doing this route today, so I’m now back home - I’ll have driven approx 24miles already just going back and forth to Amazon depot before I actually start route - how is that efficient or good for the environment considering there will be about another 10 drivers doing the same on X routes?
*X routes are routes for parcels that have been delivered late to the depot so can’t be assigned to regular routes and are a mixed bag - sometimes they are easy with low drops or a pile of shit where you’re out late, fingers crossed.
*X routes are routes for parcels that have been delivered late to the depot so can’t be assigned to regular routes and are a mixed bag - sometimes they are easy with low drops or a pile of shit where you’re out late, fingers crossed.
hash tag
Books, not bombs
will the deliveries become more difficult Marty1 I wonder. I've been reading consumer advice stuff about people who sign for their delivery only to find the box is empty. The general recommendation was for people to open package and check contents before signing for it. How many will start doing this? Will you be given allowances for it? Fearing the worst...
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
I think that kind of shit is pulled by ebay sellers, be very suprised if it happened from Amazon. Plus they may be dicks to their staff, but in my experience their customer service is really good.
Drivers usually notice empty packages before they are delivered and it’s only the white with blue Amazon/Prime logo liveried soft packet types that get shipped with no contents - we spot them as one of the packet ends is usually open - not particularly common - we just mark it down as a damaged package - as soon as that is actioned the customers order is auto- reordered for next day delivery.
Never come across standard (cardboard) parcels arriving with no contents in the years I’ve being doing this job.
Yeah, X routes (were) a bit of respite from standard parcel routes.
Unfortunately they are currently shelved as Amazon have put our start time back so that these late arriving parcels can be absorbed into normal routes, which inevitably means we finish later with more parcels to deliver - but this is Amazon so being constantly fucked over is nothing new.
Well, today Amazon have provided us drivers with face masks! I’m not going to lie but I’m finding wearing one quite a novelty (obviously it’s a welcome PPE addition to the rubber gloves they also supply).
These masks are disposable types so not sure what level of protection they offer but they fit well.
These masks are disposable types so not sure what level of protection they offer but they fit well.
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izz
Increased Leisure Citizen
Have actually wondered about this for delivery people and I'm glad you've been given something.
So - I’m parked up outside of Amazon depot waiting for text to go in and you’d think there was a warehouse rave going on inside - low bass loud rumbles, some sort of EDM going on.
Amazon do this to quicken the pace for workers inside and drivers to speed up their load time.
228 fucking parcels to deliver today and I’ll not get to my first drop until around 11am if I’m lucky.
Bit overcast here but forecast says sun may come out later.
Amazon do this to quicken the pace for workers inside and drivers to speed up their load time.
228 fucking parcels to deliver today and I’ll not get to my first drop until around 11am if I’m lucky.
Bit overcast here but forecast says sun may come out later.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
I'm vaguely interested in the 228 parcels bit Marty. This seems about average for you these days (and I know it is actually more on par with Christmas or Black Friday). But you can't mean 228 drops because that would not be possible. So how many drops is it out of interest? And how many miles a day would that be on average?
Ive stopped for some lunch.
Here’s where I’m up to so far:
Drops showed this morning as 170 but bear in mind that one drop can sometimes be a multi-drop where you deliver to more than one address in the same street (piggybacks as we drivers refer to such).
So yes, my route today was 170 drops (excluding piggybacks), 228 parcels.
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