to be annoyed by being paid for work via a pocketmoney card?

[hamptonhangingpork]

Just want to see if I am being unreasonable here.

I've picked up a job as a Christmas Temp at Tesco this Winter, gave in my bank details as requested for being paid as per the letter contract.

However, in the post today, I've received a Tuxedo prepay card. Yes kids, the same thing you'd give your teenager. I will be paid through this pre-loaded card to save Tesco on their administrative fees.

Infantilising at best I know, however I could suck it up were it not for the fact that it will cost me money to use for bills, direct debits etc. etc. I know I can use it in the shops, but I feel like it's an extra burden on those of us who are picking up extra hours working in a shop. You know, just to pay bills.

What do you think? Has anyone else had this experience?

And for the record, no, the pocketmoney card was not mentioned at all in any of the recruitment gumpf, contract or anywhere outside a Google search which has yielded that Tesco are using it for their temp staff.

Are you using #Tesco? I can only find tweets about racists people outraged about muslims in the Tesco ad (ffs)

Ttbb where did you do your legal training?

Moving i tweeted them directly using their handle @Tesco I think it is.

Sue them, and get them to pay you in legal tender.

Thanks delete. I'm finding it hard to see anything in amongst the tide of racist tweets.

I'm surprised that's even legal (though I suspect it is - large companies usually have legal departments they run this kind of stuff by before rolling it out and being sued). The sticky point would have to be that you're incurring charges for using your pay. Therefore, you're actually being paid less (i.e. have less actually disposable income) than what your contract states.

Publicly shame them into submission, I'd say, only because (as stated above) I'll have to assume it's technically legal.

Once I'm officially out of Tesco, I may try to post my copy of my contract online just in case "your salary will be paid into your bank or building society" can be read any other way.

Also, it might be of interest for those who are interested in temping.

I imagine it won't come under their corporate policy regarding online discussions, even this thread which I have tried to keep as provable and factual as I can without outing myself.

Hi OP - just to say my tweet for you is gathering traction- I have Robin Ince on the case..he's has thousands of followers

Grobags that's great!

Disgusting & I can’t believe they are doing this.

I boycott them anyway - last time I shopped there, a shocking amount of stuff in the fridge that had use by dates that was that day - staff were stocking the shelves around it too & surely it should have been moved to the reduced section? I ended up accidentally buying a couple of things I had to chuck (DD was being a pain). I was straight back to Aldi with my next shop (& at least they treat their staff better).

On Tuxedo's site it says this

Retail giant Tesco required a cost-effective payroll solution for staff without bank accounts or employed on short-term temporary contracts.

WHY would people on short-term contracts NEED a "payroll solution"??

Wankers.

Because it saves Tesco money somehow is the only answer to that!

And this

Tuxedo are currently issuing on average 30 new cards a week to Tesco employees. Admin time has also been significantly reduced along with cash and cheque handling costs.

Loads of people will just mutely accept this ridiculous and patronising shite. And that's not their fault....they need a job...and most will be too cowed to speak out!

Yep, MrsOverTheRoad. That "or employed on short-term temporary contracts" is the giveaway.

The excuse that this is to help people without bank accounts is given the lie by this statement, as clearly employees on short-term contracts were part of the requirements Tesco gave Tuxedo. Rather than a group the cards got rolled out to later and Tuxedo didn't even know about.

(Not that rolling it out later would be an excuse for this behaviour. And not that it would be OK to pay people without bank accounts like this unless they specifically requested it: I don't care that Tesco finds cash inconvenient, it's the coin of the realm.)

No chance at all now that Tesco can claim paying the OP like this was an error due to losing her bank account details. They've clearly never intended to pay her real money.

In fact, I'm so annoyed I've taken a screenshot of part of Tuxedo's page at www.tuxedomoneysolutions.com/our-partners/clients/tesco/

Wouldn't want it to go poof, now, would we?

Actually, the thread on another forum about this dates to 2009.

Not that I think this is a Tory thing.

I wonder if there's any relationship between Tuxedo and Tesco. Sheer orthography would suggest so.

Does anyone remember the scam HMRC killed a few years ago where big merchants charged 2.5% of your bill in a "payment fee" (which was VAT exempt) ? The notices by the tills made if clear that this fee was regardless of payment method.

(Mind you I am still waiting for my VAT refund from years of Jaffa cakes).

I just spent £120 at Ocado doing the big shop I was planning to do at Tesco.

WTF, LurkingHusband? I hadn't heard of that one. Any chance you could link to a summary to save lazy-arses like me an extended Googling.

PerkingFaintly

I will try to cite. This is (another) trick one to Google.

Unless any other MNetters can help. There used to be a sign by the tills saying that 2.5% of your bill was to cover a payment fee which was payable regardless of payment method (thus preventing people claiming they should have a 2.5% discount for cash).

The "scam" was that such fees were VAT exempt, so the retailer was paying a shave less VAT on your £100 bill.

HMRC clobbered it a while back - hence you don't see the signs anymore.

Am late to this but absolutely disgusted. I already don't use Tesco because of their ethics, but it am astonished at this.

As well as all the other issues with PAYE, payslips, fees etc, it makes me concerned that this is also a data mining opportunity - think of all the info that could be gathered about the people who are forced to use these cards; where you shop, what you buy, how much you spend etc, etc. Better than a loyalty card

The whole thing is outrageous and I hope it gets banned ASAP. I'm not well enough to take up the fight as well, but huge thank you to all who have. This could affect any of us.

Sorry that you have been forced out of your Christmas job OP.

Always hated Tesco - another really good excuse to not shop with them again!!

I think that they will say that you didn't give bank details and/or an employee made a mistake...

There are interesting posts on the subject here: www.verylittlehelps.com although you have to be logged in to see them. (Verylittlehelps.com is not a Tesco staff forum ! It is an independent forum for Tesco staff (and interested parties). )

I'm a big Tesco user. It's the only supermarket for quite a distance. I always shop in store but this thread is making me seriously consider doing online shopping with Asda (the only supermarket that delivers to this rural area)
OP have you managed to get through to payroll/management yet to confirm they will not pay you the proper way instead?

Ohh, that's illuminating, LurkingHusband.

I don't remember seeing that in shops but have encountered it in theatres - at the box office on the night, so no agencies involved. Seat is £15 plus £2 ticket fee. Er what? I suggested I just pay them £15 since all I wanted was the seat, not the ticket...

I thought it was just a bait and switch on the pricing, but sounds like they made money out of the VAT too.

Sorry, don't want to derail OP's thread. As you were.