Page 2 of 2

Re: Help! Suggestions for those who need to get back to the

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 5:46 pm
by Sharen Crane
snowytheboy wrote:I see in the news this morning that Dan Snow, the tv presenter, is organising boats to bring stranded people from Calais to Dover (a sort of mini Dunkirk).
Didn't quite go to plan though did it! I think he managed to get 20 people back home according to the One Show last night. Still at least hemade an effort. Hey Roy4Eyes why aren't you flying people home, you could have made a fortune? :wink:

I have a Canadian work colleague who is currently stranded in Winnipeg, luckily she had been visiting family so she hasn't suffered too much! However she has telephoned today and has been told that the plan is to repatriate British citizens before foreign nationals (even those who have jobs to come back to), so it is unlikely she will be back at work this week. Even more bad news for her is that she either has to take extended leave or take it as unpaid leave! :roll:

Re: Help! Suggestions for those who need to get back to the

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:46 pm
by Graham
I don't understand why your colleague would expect to be paid whilst on her extended holiday?

Re: Help! Suggestions for those who need to get back to the

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:21 pm
by maddi
Graham wrote:I don't understand why your colleague would expect to be paid whilst on her extended holiday?

I think that it is an interesting point Graham and certainly one we have been discussing at work whilst waiting to see how our organisation is going to handle it.

We have some mixed views as you can imagine, some friends/colleagues on traditional package holidays are having exactly what you or I would call and extended holiday. They are in the same hotel, receiving all the same services, enjoying the facilities and the only requirement on them is to be available to go when the reps advise them - my cousin's facebook status reads "Sipping another all inclusive margarita by the poolside, waiting for a flight home - it is a hard life!"

On the other hand independent travellers (who do not own the property abroad) are having a daily nightmare of spending the day trying to contact the airlines, ringing the airports, spending time (and money) in internet cafes for news, running low on money, having to move hotels, find launderettes/buy more undies, entertain kids in 'low rent' motel style airport hotels, ringing their workplaces, the dog kennels, with mounting expense whilst also thinking that if they are also 'docked' a fortnight's wages for this "holiday extension" - they could come home to some real issues financially. My brother is having this problem with his wife and kids - they are currently 'stuck' in Nevada and they are desperately miserable.

So as an organisation how do you make a decision on this? Obviously not on a case by case basis as that would lead to a tribunal but as a blanket decision - hmmm - just glad I don't work in HR - but on that note the decision is a way off as the top HR person is well ....... currently 'stuck' in Corfu :D

Re: Help! Suggestions for those who need to get back to the

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:32 pm
by Gary/Gaynor
I certainly wouldn't announce anything on Facebook about me sipping Margritas,must be tempting though :D even though it unavoidable. I think it is down to individual employers whether they pay you or not OR I would have thought take out of your holiday entitlement according to some lawyer o the BBC this morning that seems to be the assumption This is a situation that has never happened before so It will be interesting to see what claims go in and the long term affect.
Gaynor

Re: Help! Suggestions for those who need to get back to the

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:33 pm
by Sharen Crane
My colleague is not expecting to be paid Graham nor did I say she was. What I said was she has a choice of either taking extended leave or unpaid leave!

The NHS are treating it as they would bad weather, so for example if you are unable to get in to work because you have been snowed in then you are expected to take the time as annual leave, unpaid leave or, with the agreement of your manager, work the time back! That said, this really is extenuating circumstances so to lose two weeks salary is a little unreasonable and to work back almost 80 hours, given that she is not a British Citizen she is not coming home any time soon, is going to be nigh on impossible!

Re: Help! Suggestions for those who need to get back to the

Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:24 pm
by Graham
Sharen - you said that is was 'even more bad news for her' which implies she is upset that she is not going to be paid. She has enjoyed a two week holiday visiting her family so why should she not be required to use up two weeks of her holiday allowance?

The NHS is obviously different, but for a small employer, staff holidays are a large cost. If your staff do not turn up to work you either lose productivity or have to pay for temps, and I do not see why people would 'expect' their boss to pay them when they are not there.