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AIBU?

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Original poster

what cunts what utter utter cunts

152 replies

earplugsahoy · 25/12/2014 19:27

I am not being unreasonable.. I am sat in floods of tears.

My DH just received a text from a friend asking if he has seen the news.. His company has gone into administration as of yesterday and announced in the news this afternoon on Christmas day

He had no idea, noone even the manager's had any idea.. There has been rumours going round and some suspicious activity but noone expected this.

One big manager left this week, and changed his mobile number (funny that)

The news quote from the administration says significant job losses over the next few days, i feel bitterly angry that the fat cats in their nice cars have kept this to themselves until after Christmas so not to lose all the staff

Dh was offered a job last month and i convinced him not to leave as it fits all our needs etc

OP posts:
saintlyjimjams · 25/12/2014 22:21

Bloody hell bunnyjo. I really hope your DH sees some of that cash

OfficerVanHarkTheHeraldAngels · 25/12/2014 22:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hissy · 25/12/2014 22:36

if there is anything to come out of this, it's the high profile nature of the failure, coming as it has on christmas day, added to this the numbers of people affected, the unions are spitting blood, and the press will cover it because of the human angle, if there is a chance to find a buyer/do something, this publicity will help.

if this business had gone down in mid Jan, I doubt it would have made any high profile news.

KidLorneRoll · 25/12/2014 23:15

If it's any consolation, these things are normally kept as quiet as possible in order to attempt to retain customers. If people knew the business was in trouble, they would stop using it and then any chance that may have existed for the company to pull through would have gone.

It's undoubtably a shitty thing to do, but the people at the top have probably had just as crap a time of it as well.

WrappedInABlankie · 25/12/2014 23:30

So sorry to hear this.

I had a delivery from mamas and papas last week and it wasn't city link so I asked why and the driver told me then they were going into administration but it's being kept hush hush, it's awful

Original poster
earplugsahoy · 26/12/2014 00:05

I just don't get it,

Just seen on the news that any wages after the 31st December cannot be guaranteed,

But surely they have to follow redundancy process? And the statutory law?

OP posts:
lavenderhoney · 26/12/2014 08:10

They can't garuntee wages because there is no money. And after the administrators have been paid, the lawyers, any HMRC bills, creditors there will not be much to go round. Maybe as little as 10% of amount owing. They won't be able to say til it's wound up. Could take months.

googoodolly · 26/12/2014 08:51

If they've gone into administration, there won't be any money to pay the wages with Sad

LIZS · 26/12/2014 09:02

EY have been brought in to freeze and value the assets, recoup any outstanding invoices and try to find a buyer for the company as a going concern. However even if successful they may not keep everyone on . Employees wages will be fairly high priority on the debtors and will be paid out prorata if there isn't enough within the assets to cover the whole bill. Redundancy shortfalls can be made up out of government funds, hwo long had your dh been with them ? Could your dh get onto the company in case the vacancy or any other job comes up. He needs to get ahead of the others who may inevitably follow in the next few weeks. Sorry it was such awful timing but I would suspect pre-Christmas business had been hoped to keep things going.

Nomama · 26/12/2014 10:34

They have money to pay all owing overtime and have promised to pay it. Wages after the end of the month won't be able to be guaranteed, it will then be up to the administrator - so they have done what they can to ensure workers get paid all that is currently owing, adding to the company debt!

They seem to have tried... but it is horrid timing and, having been through it, is awful to struggle through, especially when everything useful seems to be closed.

Abouttime · 26/12/2014 10:54

I work for one of the other big4 firms doing admins & redundancies.

Pm me with any specific questions.

Your DH will be entitled to 1 week redundancy pay for every year worked (over 2 years & max weekly amount is £463).
He will also be entitled to claim notice pay (pilon) for every year worked (over 1 year).
Any accrued holiday & back wages will also be paid subject to statutory limits.

These amounts will come from the Insolvency Service. First payment is4-6 weeks after the completed RP1 firm is received by them. EY will give u this form.

Bunnyjo · 26/12/2014 10:55

To be honest, I'm not sure that applies to DH as he was a self employed courier with them. I hope to God it does as that will mean he hasn't worked at a direct cost to himself. I guess we will find out more soon...

EdithWeston · 26/12/2014 10:57

"But surely they have to follow redundancy process? And the statutory law?"

You cannot guarantee any payment if the company is insolvent (and administrators cannot find any way to keep it running to sell as going concern). But yes, the law on insolvency and priority debts must be followed.

When there is no money, there is a government scheme to cover redundancy payments to staff, but thr amount it offers may not more as much as the company would/should have offered had the redundancy occurred under other circumstances.

It's crap timing, but I can see why there could have been genuine hopes that a good Christmas season might save a delivery company.

Given the apparent undersupply of delivery slots this Christmas (other firms having to suspend/reschedule some orders) then I do wonder why this company did not seem able to get enough business.

GaryShitpeas · 26/12/2014 10:58

I've read about these ABSOLUTE CUNTS this morning

Awful absolutely awful Confused

Bruiserbereftofsoftness · 26/12/2014 11:03

What a crap thing to happen and a crap time to hear it.

So sorry for you and yours OP.

Abouttime · 26/12/2014 11:06

Bunny if your DH only works for CL he will have a preferential claim against the company. The insolvency service usually pay out subject to statutory limits.

He should be able to claim holiday & arrears of pay.

BathshebaDarkstone · 26/12/2014 11:09

What utter twunts. Flowers

Bunnyjo · 26/12/2014 11:15

Thank you, Abouttime. He did only work in CL. Fingers crossed that means much of his £3200 owed will be paid via the Insolvency Service.

Andrewofgg · 26/12/2014 11:20

The unions can spit enough blood to fill an elephant's arteries - if the company is bust, the company is bust, and that's the long and the short of it. There is some limited help for employees from the taxpayer - but nothing for the self-employed franchisees with a liveried van, nothing for the other creditors (some of them probably in a small way of business and likely to go under too).

As for timing: once the directors are clear that there is no chance, they must move at once, Christmas or no Christmas, or they can be made personally liable for subsequent debts.

PerpendicularVincenzo · 26/12/2014 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Happyringo · 26/12/2014 11:59

This happened to my DH last year. They were invited to a conference call and told there and then that they were all immediately redundant with no pay and probably no salary for that month as the company was in administration. I was on the final part of mat leave we had no other income. A similar thing happened to my brother months later.

It seems employment law actually offers employees very little protection. We had to apply for state redundancy pay, via the link that someone shared upthread - that was at least reasonably quick (once the company had actually confirmed the redundancy in writing) so do use them OP.

To the people saying the company didn't go bust on purpose - no of course they didn't. But they very cynically had all these people working right up to Christmas Eve knowing full well they weren't going to pay them for it. Now that is cunty.

HermioneWeasley · 26/12/2014 12:07

The directors must have had reason to believe they coukd still continue. I've been senior in 2 companies that were at risk of going bust -within hours in fact, but we managed to pull through. With a fractionally different story we would have gone under but by the skin of our teeth, managed not to.

legoqueen · 26/12/2014 12:32

The timing is shocking - & to find out in that way is outrageous. Hope your DH finds something quickly Flowers

Original poster
earplugsahoy · 26/12/2014 12:32

Hi all,

My DH got an email from work this morning, basically telling us what we have heard in the news.

He then got a phone call from his manager, they are all going in on monday morning and they said the administration people will be explaining things then.

He is office staff so it looks like he will be asked to wind things down.

bunny he has been asked to phone all his agency staff and tell them not to come in on monday,his manager is calling all the sub drivers to tell them not to come in.
If you send me a message with your email bunny i will forward you it

OP posts:
Bunnyjo · 26/12/2014 12:40

Thank you, earplugsahoy. Will PM you. DH has been told that EY have confirmed the BACS for Tuesday has already gone through, so we should see that payment... Then we need to apply to the IS for the rest.

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