Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be seriously pissed off with my workplace?

36 replies

NapQueen · 03/01/2017 20:32

They are moving me from salaried onto hourly paid, which is having a knock on effect on my income. They've offered everyone a bridging loan which I feel I have no choice but to accept as dh and I cannot cover the bills with the new amount (just for January as once the next month comes it'll be normal wage again).

Loan repayments are then split over 3 months (including the month the loan is given).

The trouble is I am also job hunting and have an interview this month. Should I get the job the outstanding loan due will be taken from my final wage. So massively reduced income that month, added to the fact that new job will probably not pay me straight away.

I feel really really stuck.

OP posts:
VeryBitchyRestingFace · 03/01/2017 20:39

Can you not use an overdraft/CC instead?

redexpat · 03/01/2017 20:40

Cross that bridge if and when you come to it. Keep applying for other jobs. Try and reduce outgoings. See if youre eligable for tax credits.

QueenLaBeefah · 03/01/2017 20:41

Bloody hell. Is that even legal? Can your contract just be changed like that?

Original poster
NapQueen · 03/01/2017 20:43

Unfortunately it is legal. They are doing it to everyone who is salaried apart from senior management.

Our outgoings are relatively low as we both have low incomes (18k each), and we receive tax credits as we use childcare so get some help towards that.

The following month I will get the full months pay but with a 3rd of the loan out of it to repay. By April I will be back on a proper full wage.

It's a shame that this transitional period is also across the time where I will be potentially leaving.

OP posts:
Original poster
NapQueen · 03/01/2017 20:44

VeryBitchy we are already in our overdraft as we haven't recovered from 6 months SMP yet.

OP posts:
QueenLaBeefah · 03/01/2017 20:53

Sounds really shit but I think the best thing to do is to take the hit financially and get the fuck out of there. Clearly couldn't give a crap about their workforce and they'll no doubt pull similar stunts from now on in.

Original poster
NapQueen · 03/01/2017 20:58

It's awful. I've been here for a decade and the place is doing all sorts of crazy restructuring and stuff

OP posts:
mytimewillcome · 03/01/2017 21:01

I would leave.

catgirl1976 · 03/01/2017 21:02

How frequently do you get paid?

Because, if this was me and I was paid monthly on the last day of the month I would collect my January pay on the 31st, start my new job on the 1st of Feb and then tell them I wasn't coming back.

That way you have no outstanding wage for them to deduct from and you can arrange a manageable repayment plan for the rest of the loan

I may not be being very ethical but then neither are they.

Original poster
NapQueen · 03/01/2017 21:09

We get paid the third Friday of every month so some months we are paid for 4 weeks and some months we are paid for 5.

Pay cut off is a week before payday so say payday is 21st, cut off is 14th so hours worked between 14th and 21st are paid the following month

I used to be paid 3rd Friday of the month for one 12th of my entire salary, so paid in Dec fro the whole of the month of Dec.

OP posts:
Original poster
NapQueen · 03/01/2017 23:46

Just been thinking as I drive home from work I'll be taxed on the loan too won't I! So if I loan say 900, I'll get taxed on that and they'll immediately take 300 back. After tax!

My folks aren't well off but I'm wondering if they may be able to loan me say 500, which added to the small amount I'm officially getting paid this month will see us scrape by. And it'll be tax free and can be repaid over a better time.

OP posts:
Blueroses99 · 04/01/2017 00:24

What the point of a loan where they take the repayment when you receive the loan. In your example of £900, why not just loan you £600 in Jan and take £300 repayment in Feb/Mar each. Yes I would look into the tax implications too but my DH (accountant) says loan is not taxable as it is not income. Could you delay starting your new job by a month to give you time to settle into the new regime?

JennyHolzersGhost · 04/01/2017 00:32

Are you sure this is legal ? Have you asked your union ? Or ACAS?

Original poster
NapQueen · 04/01/2017 00:40

My colleague is also understand that change and he has spoke to acas a LOT and seemingly it's legal.

OP posts:
Original poster
NapQueen · 04/01/2017 00:41

blue loan is given at the same time as wages so will all be on the same payslip I'll have to scrutinise it!!

OP posts:
GiddyOnZackHunt · 04/01/2017 00:43

I'm being dim but I don't understand why this is impacting your take home pay. Surely if you work 35 hours a week for £x then your hourly rate will be £x/35?

Original poster
NapQueen · 04/01/2017 00:46

Ok currently I am paid middle of the month for the entire month. So my salary is 18k, or 1.5k per month. December's pay was on the 16th and was for the month of December.

As of Jan 1st I'm being swapped to hourly. So on January payday (20th) I'm paid for each day I work in January up to the official cut off. So 12 days pay. That's it. So I will get around 500.

The month of Feb I will be paid from the 13th January to the week before febs cut off so in February I'll get a months wage as normal (or 4 weeks to be more precise).

OP posts:
Butterymuffin · 04/01/2017 00:47

You absolutely have to take this other job if you're offered it, and find a way to scrape through. This isn't a firm I would want to carry on working for.

Original poster
NapQueen · 04/01/2017 00:51

What's even more shocking is it is a global billion dollars company (of which I work at one small UK branch out of nearly 100, with thousands of branches worldwide).

It's not even some small trading company.

OP posts:
GiddyOnZackHunt · 04/01/2017 00:52

So it's a temporary cash flow issue for you because they're not paying you two weeks in advance anymore. I see now. Thank you. You are having to week 2 weeks that feel like they aren't paid. Could you find a 0% credit card plus super frugality to ease the pain?

Original poster
NapQueen · 04/01/2017 00:55

I am considering it rather than taking the loan they offer.

Most of the other people this is happening to either still live with their folks so can handle a month short, or have spouses on double the wage of mine. It's so frustrating I literally feel shafted by them.

Coupled with that the boiler is broken and the work to repair it is 500 quid!

OP posts:
HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 04/01/2017 01:16

No way is that loan going to be taxable income. Don't worry about that part. The rest of it still sucks.

anahata · 04/01/2017 03:43

Do you have any annual leave or lieu time that you could sell back to them? Also, what's your notice period? If it's a month, that means it's another payment done.

crazywriter · 04/01/2017 04:18

I don't understand how this is legal. Does this mean your contract has changed. You have to have something like 90 days notice of a contract change. Did that happen?

I'm sorry this is happening. I wouldn't take the loan if I could help it but it shouldn't be taxable. It's not income. It's the worst month for this to happen and not just with your boiler. Flowers

Original poster
NapQueen · 04/01/2017 06:05

Yeah we've had 90 days notice, which is what sparked the job hunt tbh. I think it's just with it being this month that job happens mixed with the possibility that I may also be leaving within the repayment period that has pushed it to tthe front of my mind.

OP posts: