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.

Is TESCO prepared to come on here and detail the fees that their staff have to pay to access their own wages?

www.tuxedoprepaid.com/fees/
Do any of those fees apply TESCO? £10 fee to cancel the card - JOKE SURELY!

If someone does not want the card, can they simply give it back and you will transfer wages as per usual to a UK Bank account?

Giving temporary staff a choice as to the method of payment is a great idea as a pre-paid card may suit some people. It won't though suit others so there should be a procedure for people to choose ther method of payment. Also all fees should be made very clear prior to someone agreeing to be paid via a pre-paid card.

It can take time to set up bank account details for payroll and this can often result in not being paid until the following month. I've had that happen to me and the Company had to ask if I needed an emergency advance in the end. I can see this being a problem if someone is only going to be employed for, say, eight weeks, and could also mean that they don't get paid until just before, or even after, Christmas. You don't seem to get charged for withdrawing money or using it as a debit card so I don't see an issue unless you needed to pay direct debits. I did wonder if you could make a family and friends payment on PayPal and put money in your bank account that way, or use a split the bill app to transfer money into your bank account.

I would challenge that. Particularly if it’s not in your contract. Ask them for the money it will cost you to get cash, set up standing orders etc! Get some advice from Citizens Advice. They usually have employment experts you can get advice from or free legal advice from a solicitor. Disgusting!

...

@hamptonhangingpork Talk to your line manager about this and have it escalated to store manager if necessary. It might be the situation that they cannot put you on bank transfer payroll in the timescale required for your first payment, so instead of delaying payment they have used the pre-paid card. If you do not mind the payment being late, ask if you can give the card back and wait for the payment direct to bank.

I am so disappointed with Tesco over the this, DS worked for them as a student for over two years. They were brilliant employers to him, paid on time, overtime ALWAYS without fail accurate, could work as many extra hours as he wanted but when at uni they were more than happy for him to swap shifts or just work the minimum that his contract was for.

Whilst this shitty Tuxedo card may be company wide policy, for which you have my utmost sympathy, the rest seems to be store based.

I guess there are benefits to living in a non descript, small town where everyone knows everyone and not much happens.

Good luck Op x

For once, wouldn't you think that the Daily Fail would pick up on this? Don't they love to slag off the corporates at every opportunity?

Daily Mail! Where are you?

Op, sorry I've not read the whole thread so this may have been mentioned... Paul Lewis who does the Moneybox programme on Radio 4 has tweeted asking people who are being paid this way to contact him, it's [email protected] or on Twitter @moneybox.

I don't work for them but saw his tweet 5mins ago, I've not heard of these cards before and it seems outrageous!

What the absolute fuck

Tesco, get some decency about yourselves. until then I’ll be going to Sainsbury’s.

Already boycotting Tesco since they forced us into no bag or one that costs 10p. The government said we had to pay 5p for plastic bags, we should not be forced to pay double because they no longer provide the smaller ones.
This has disgusted me further and I can't believe it's been going on for 8 years!

I was going to add, I believe Argos treats its temps like adults

Discraceful!

Sorry you’ve been treated so appallingly, OP.

I hope this is now being investigated. I’ve seen some of the tweets. Let’s not let this get swept under the carpet!

Shame on you Tesco and other Employers using this method of paying wages. Employees should NEVER have to pay anything to get to their salary!

Signed the petition and shared it on FB

I've tweeted Tesco and USDAW, their recognised union, too. I used to be an employee and a union rep and I'm disgusted this is happening.

I know people who have festive jobs at M and S, Pandora, Starbucks and Subway as well as in local hotels and bars. None is paid in this ridiculous fashion.

Hand in your notIce, call in sick (I rarely advocate that!), and find something else.

Definitely report to HMRC's NMW helpline - if they're inundated with complaints from Tesco employees they'll do something. In fact, Tweet HMRC as well as Martin Lewis etc, so they are warned about this bad publicity which might lead to calls to their helpline.

Thanks again everyone.

Hotel - One of the excuses they gave on the phone was that because they had only "just found" my banking details while I was talking to them, it was too late to amend how was going to be paid on this occasion. They said it should be sorted for the next one which is just before Christmas.

The truth of the matter is that this was the wrong company for me to work for and my energy is better spent using the one advantage being a flexible worker has, and that is finding another employer with better conditions. Rather than getting into a bureaucratic struggle with Tesco's different departments.

In an ideal world, I think companies who recruit people on minimum or near minimum wages, especially seasonal workers, should have all these details in their recruitment literature. Or even their contracts so that people aren't playing catch up to find out once they have joined.

Simple information such as:

1. Hourly rate - my contract stresses my weekly pay rate based on core hours alone. We asked in induction to actually get the basic hourly rate.

2. Confirmed hours - On their application form you give your availability hoping to be matched to a set pattern when in fact they assume that you are available them and may contact you the day before to tell you that you are working them outside your core hours. If you aren't available they may sack you (as per the contract) but they will definitely open a disciplinary process for you. For people on benefits or have second seasonal jobs, how on earth is this fair not even having confirmed hours?

3. Confirmed role - No bait and switches. Don't get people in and say the role doesn't exist for someone with your availability (based on the availability which you gave at application so they should know before calling you in) when in fact they want you to do something else.

4. Method of payment - why is it so hard to bacs or even write a cheque when there are any issues in processing pay? Or rolling it over onto the next payslip etc. There are simple options.

5. Frequency of payment - they didn't like talking about the 4 weekly pay system. Presumably because I've heard Amazon down the road do weekly and they pay more.

6. Easily accessed wage slips - I still don't have a log in so I will be able to access my wage slip (need an activation code as well as my employee number that is on a wage slip - Kafka-esque logic there, hopefully it will be somewhere the next time I pop in).

I'm not asking for the moon on a stick, am I?

Those flexible contracts and availability windows were a pain in the arse when I was a rep at Tesco. Abused by managers and loathed by staff in equal measure. Tesco are a shoddy company with dubious ethics and I’m bloody glad I don’t work there anymore. Best of luck with finding somewhere better OP.

YADNBU and happy to join a boycott of Tesco - this is outrageous!

I've name changed for this message!

My brother is relatively senior at the Mail Online, I've forwarded him this thread so hopefully something might appear on there.

McDonald's franchises have been doing this to their employees for some time in the US - they get a kickback from the card company. Not saying that Tesco do, but every little helps.

." And that's not their fault....they need a job...and most will be too cowed to speak out!"

Or too bloody scared to if they are on Universal Credit. They wont be able to just walk.......because they will get sanctioned.

That is awful!! Like e euro e else has said, get on social media and give them hell. I’m a teacher and was considering a Saturday job at Tesco to supplement my income - no way now if I have to pay to access my wages!! That’s exploitation!

When i clicked on this thread i expected it to be about a very small company not bloody Tesco.

@hamptonhangingpork I've tweeted @mrjamesob to help spread the word. can't believe this shameful behaviour. Of course YANBU to want money into your own account.