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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Who is out of order here?

427 replies

fornical · 20/02/2023 20:30

I run a healthy meal delivery company. I have several delivery drivers, however, having an issue with one in particular. My delivery drivers are self employed. Deliveries happen on a Saturday.

Long story short, I've had one of my delivery drivers for over a year now. I pay her £10 per hour and 45 pence per mile. She drives from Essex to London to collect the deliveries then back to Essex to deliver them every Saturday. She arrives to collect them at 9 am.

I text her asking for the next six weeks if she could be at pick up point at 8 am rather than 9 am.

She replied - 'See to be honest, it’s unsociable hours with it being so early at the weekend and having to get Amelia out of bed etc. I’d have to put my price up to £15 per hour. Let me know if you would be happy to go ahead with that or not. If you can’t though don’t worry I understand, It just means I’ll have to be getting up at 6.30 on a Saturday and my daughter too. Just wouldn’t be worth my while for tenner an hour xx'

AIBU to think this is totally unreasonable and out of the blue? How did she jump from £10 an hour to £15 because I asked her to come in one hour earlier. Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
LikeGolddust · 20/02/2023 21:40

A previous poster has it exactly right you want the benefits of flexibility and a freelancer with her own car but to pay the minimum amount that you could a full time worker who has the security of a 40 hour pay check, a company car, annual leave, sick pay etc

£15 is completely reasonable of her to ask for and I also think that she should be paid for her time driving to you. (Because it’s not like she is driving to you to start work rather the drive to you and back to Essex or the other way around is a fundamental part of the job).

gamerchick · 20/02/2023 21:40

Soubriquet · 20/02/2023 20:33

Why isn’t it? Minimum wage is £9.18 an hour so she’s already getting more than minimum

Show quote history

Minimum wage is not self employed. Awful wage. Minimum wage goes up to 10.50 soon doesn't it? Then what does that mean for self employed?

Mumdiva99 · 20/02/2023 21:41

America12 · 20/02/2023 20:35

There was a similar thread to this before , from the driver's POV

I remember that - it was this exact scenario of driving from Essex to London......

Goldandpurplezebra · 20/02/2023 21:41

Soubriquet · 20/02/2023 20:33

Why isn’t it? Minimum wage is £9.18 an hour so she’s already getting more than minimum

Show quote history

Self employed £10 per hour is not the same as employed. Her taxes, holiday pay and pension need to come out of that. And she has to keep her car running.

Valentina12 · 20/02/2023 21:41

gamerchick · 20/02/2023 21:40

Minimum wage is not self employed. Awful wage. Minimum wage goes up to 10.50 soon doesn't it? Then what does that mean for self employed?

Show quote history

Absolutely nothing.

TaRaDeBumDeAy · 20/02/2023 21:43

Someone here is a cheeky fucker, and it ain't the driver.

Beseen22 · 20/02/2023 21:43

Your deal is worse than just eat. You are exploiting your staff. By all means say no and either agree to the later delivery or have her leave. I doubt you will find reliable hard working staff for the paltry wages you are offering in the SE.

I work with an agency and unsocial hours for me is after 2pm Friday until 7am Monday. Admittedly it's an entirely different role but I get paid a lot more than your driver and I get a pension, sick pay and annual leave included in my rate.

itwasntmetho · 20/02/2023 21:43

Cant you put your delivery fees up?
Her ask isn't unreasonable.

elm26 · 20/02/2023 21:44

£10 an hour? ridiculous money. Barely above minimum wage. As an adult, I wouldn't accept that.

gamerchick · 20/02/2023 21:44

Valentina12 · 20/02/2023 21:41

Absolutely nothing.

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Well they won't be working for a tenner an hour, will they?

It's like DPD, cut the sti

JizzlordTheCat · 20/02/2023 21:45

OP, can you please post the name of your business so that I know to avoid it?

Your practices are disgraceful. You should be ashamed.

gamerchick · 20/02/2023 21:45

Stop rare to the bare bones, so now they can't get any decent self employed to work for them. Now they're shit.

Treat your driver's properly and they'll see you right.

Bbqchicken · 20/02/2023 21:46

So she'd earn £40 before deductions to start at 6.30am for 4 hours. Sounds like a pisstake to me

gamerchick · 20/02/2023 21:46

Are you Amazon OP? Their self employed rates are utterly outrageous as well

PaigeMatthews · 20/02/2023 21:48

It isnt unreasonable to ask for a change in wage when there has been a change in conditions.

it isnt out of the blue because it has come after you requesting a change of conditions.

Onnabugeisha · 20/02/2023 21:48

Bbqchicken · 20/02/2023 21:46

So she'd earn £40 before deductions to start at 6.30am for 4 hours. Sounds like a pisstake to me

To expand.
She earns £0 for the first 4hrs plus 0p per mile.
Then she earns £40 for the second 4hrs plus 45p per mile.

Completely illegal exploitation and I am hoping she shops the OP to HMRC.

AnnoyedFromSlough · 20/02/2023 21:48

Yabu

£10 for someone self employed is an absolute joke. People on minimum wage effectively get more than that, as holiday pay is effectively another 12.07% on top. So to equal minimum wage you would need to be paying £10.65, and from April £11.77.

£15 is a very fair rate for a self employed driver.

DowntonCrabby · 20/02/2023 21:49

Your choice to offer £x for self employment.

The SE person’s choice to accept, negotiate or refuse the pay and terms.

Neither of you ABU, she’s accepted under x terms and you are changing the timing to suit the business, fair enough. Also fair enough for it not to suit her.

Wonnle · 20/02/2023 21:50

Onnabugeisha · 20/02/2023 21:48

To expand.
She earns £0 for the first 4hrs plus 0p per mile.
Then she earns £40 for the second 4hrs plus 45p per mile.

Completely illegal exploitation and I am hoping she shops the OP to HMRC.

Show quote history

Eh ?

Valentina12 · 20/02/2023 21:51

DowntonCrabby · 20/02/2023 21:49

Your choice to offer £x for self employment.

The SE person’s choice to accept, negotiate or refuse the pay and terms.

Neither of you ABU, she’s accepted under x terms and you are changing the timing to suit the business, fair enough. Also fair enough for it not to suit her.

Thank you

Lb603 · 20/02/2023 21:51

You are being unreasonable.

GabriellaMontez · 20/02/2023 21:52

You're out of order.

Pay her or find someone else.

Bbqchicken · 20/02/2023 21:52

Onnabugeisha · 20/02/2023 21:48

To expand.
She earns £0 for the first 4hrs plus 0p per mile.
Then she earns £40 for the second 4hrs plus 45p per mile.

Completely illegal exploitation and I am hoping she shops the OP to HMRC.

Show quote history

WOW! Op it sounds like you need to rethink your business model if you have to expolit staff to that extent to make it work.

PartyWhatParty · 20/02/2023 21:52

Mumoftwoinprimary · 20/02/2023 20:36

She’s self employed which means she gets to set her own prices. She has decided that her price to have to leave at 6:30am is £15 per hour.

Your choice is accept or decline.

This

Cosycover · 20/02/2023 21:53

Your driver has posted on here before!