Don't tier the pants out of it.

[Cismyfatarse]

Thread level 47.

I know Just been watching Game of Thrones when they are at the wedding and loads get murdered and they had been talking about offering hospitality and I remarked that I wondered if we'd ever be allowed to offer hospitality to people in our house again (and obviously I wasn't planning to slash all their throats - I mean , that's very unkind...)

@WaxOnFeckOff

It's not the coming up with the ideas that is the problem, it's the paying for them. The ideas need to come with details of how much they'd cost and how that would get paid for. I'd also love to live in a country with such policies and I'd be happy to pay more, but not to see the money hoarded or pissed up the wall.

Similar to PP, brought up in poverty but now do alright but then I don't live an extravagant life.

Well yes but that's the work of the actual parliamentary committee.

[quote Scottishskifun]@Lockdownbear yep it's very frustrating and many people I know have more disposable income then we do despite earning less due to the balance of income (I am the main earner in our house DH works PT) , more assistance and lower taxes. But we are deemed wealthy under tax purposes
To me it's the polar opposite of what I was taught as a child of you succeed in life by working hard reality is actually you get less support, taxed more and basically expected to just get on with it paying into a system that other then NHS and teachers you get zero back from![/quote]
I count myself fortunate to generally enjoy good health and have held a job since I was 17 (been redundant twice so far) so, been paying tax and ni for 38 years so far. Still got 12 years to go until state pension age. I had a total of 10 months mat leave for 2 children and possibly 1 month between employments when made redundant but most of that was holiday and I've never claimed benefits. worked from age 14 at weekends while at school. And I have no problem with paying more tax but I want to see what it's buying. I'd like to see it protecting those who need it and allow them to feel part of society, giving opportunities to folk to allow them to contribute, educating people to the best of their ability and finding them a place in society to be happy and successful and above all, have people take an equal share of the load based on their abilities and capability.

A country's biggest resource and asset is it's people. A happy, healthy, educated, productive and successful one is what we should be aiming for. Having people feeling or being on the scrap heap is a waste of our resource if nothing else.

The 4 day a week - presumably that's going to be voluntary, or are we forcing firms and employees to work 4 days? That doesn't sound good to me - that's one of the things I don't like about the direction of the SNP, I don't see why govt should mandate how much people work, it's a private contract that should suit both sides.

I don't ever want to go back to an office. I'm job searching and I'm trying to target jobs where it is either home based or WFH. Not many of them about though. Dream job is WFH permanently. Final interview on Tuesday. Find out Thursday if I get it. Got another interview in between. I've been WFH for the last two years (covid and sickness) and I'm used to it now (disabled and vulnerable) and the only thing I miss is seeing family and friends. Definitely not an office or commute.

Well yes but that's the work of the actual parliamentary committee.

Sorry, wasn't slagging of the ideas group, just saying that sometimes these things are put out as things we could be doing and I don't disagree that they would be good but they need costing , not just stuck on a manifesto :)

I work slightly part time and work a 9 day fortnight but that's funded by me . I think there are other people that would like to do the same (or other flexible options) so that could be encouraged for employers to facilitate with maybe some NI or tax incentives at probably very little cost to anyone other than the folks wanting to do it. Not everyone can have Friday or Monday though! :o

The for day week was my idea, I've no idea if it's SNP policy or not! DH found that his employees did the same amount of work over four days as they did over five and he paid them the same as if they'd been working five. He's quite an ethical employer though and felt wages in his industry were too low, the the day weekend was a perk to compensate for the fact that the budgets were to low to put wages up significantly. His employees liked it though and so did I as he was around more for the kids.

Oos sorry for all the typos!

I work 4 days a week and it's a fantastic balance - provided I remember to only work the days I'm paid for, thus far 2021 is going well.

I'm exhausted after 1 run and 2 walks with friends today. Not sure I'm following the spirit of the regulations, but if this keeps up I should be very toned by the end of it. Although we did discover a Greek cafe on Bread Street that does amazing Baklava so perhaps the weight loss may not happen.

Gawd knows when we'll get any of our lost freedoms back. Friend and I were even longing for Tier 3 days when you could have a couple round and freeze outside round a fire pit. M&S at the Gyle has closed off most of its clothing section, but annoyingly left Menswear open, and toilets at the Meadows have two pointless council officials in hi viz jackets standing too close to each other - and anyone going into the toilets. What on earth do they think people are going to do unchaperoned - lick the bowls or something?

Maybe instead of faffing around with Universal Income SG should be looking at recreating more employment opportunities for people and getting people off benefits.

What are they going to do to get business up and running.
The high street has been dying a slow death. How many chains have gone during the pandemic.
People have been encouraged to shop online. Are we going to encourage people back into the towns and cities?

Are we going to encourage manufacturing back?
Fashion getting made in the UK instead of Asian sweatshop.

SNP definitely floated a 4 day week for the public sector end of last year apparently.

Oh I'm craving Greek food as we've just cancelled our Greek holiday for the second year in a row. I would be the size of a house if I had unlimited Baklava access!

When was the holiday include ? I'm still hoping a getaway this summer is possible.

June. I can't see us being vaccinated by then, and I just really want to lie on a beach and know it's over, rather than wearing a mask and social distancing in Greece.

Only 18 months to go...

I read that he was missing last night, @Wbeezer. It's just devastating. He looked like a nice, normal lad.

Beginning to suspect you're right, not quite willing to face reality yet though!

Well we were also a bit skint as I've been furloughed twice and made redundant once! I would still have made the same decision though; can't quite picture being happy in an airport or anything yet.

What a year include - hoping the next year is far better!

@IncludeWomenInTheSequel

I think in the context of post-COVID recovery it would be a tool for people who have been on furlough but will not have jobs/companies/industries to go back to.

For me it's a good inroad because I think it's a move towards the kind of country I'd like to live in.
Also four day working week is in on the list for consideration, along with all jobs being open to job-sharing. And free public transport.

Think that's as far as I can remember in terms of concrete ideas.

Yes, I think ubi is a nice idea in theory, and I can see how it would be beneficial but the devil would be in the detail really... Would it be truly universal (uncertain about the wisdom of this... can see it causing inflation if the already-coping have a bit more spare cash, which would in turn penalise those for who it is a lifeline), or just a replacement for the current benefit system, in which case is there a way of ensuring there is motivation and benefit to work? Would it be enough by itself to live on, and if not, how would those unable to work/ needing care etc be "topped up"? And yes, how would it be paid for?! Would it result in other services being cut? I don't think it's a bad idea at all, but the details would need to be spelt out.

Free public transport I think is actually a really good idea and fits with the other climate targets they are working on separately. As long as rural areas where its not so feasible get a fair bite of the cherry too. Job sharing/ 4 day week is good in theory too, but I can see some companies being a bit annoyed if they are compelled to put in place working practices that aren't in their businesses interests - especially if they are struggling to get back up to speed and wrestle with permanent WFH etc too. (and getting taxed more for it in Scotland than elsewhere). I know there are other worker right things that also aren't necessarily in their business interests, and going above and beyond in these things is the mark of a good employer, but the timing just seems a bit off to me.

@Wbeezer

The for day week was my idea, I've no idea if it's SNP policy or not! DH found that his employees did the same amount of work over four days as they did over five and he paid them the same as if they'd been working five. He's quite an ethical employer though and felt wages in his industry were too low, the the day weekend was a perk to compensate for the fact that the budgets were to low to put wages up significantly. His employees liked it though and so did I as he was around more for the kids.

That's a really good idea where it works for the company! Ive only ever experienced it the other way round, when I was supposed to work 3 or 4 days (with pay accordingly!), but ended up having to do 5+ days work, with the rest in my spare time. That was shit. Don't recommend that...

@rookiemere

I work 4 days a week and it's a fantastic balance - provided I remember to only work the days I'm paid for, thus far 2021 is going well.

I'm exhausted after 1 run and 2 walks with friends today. Not sure I'm following the spirit of the regulations, but if this keeps up I should be very toned by the end of it. Although we did discover a Greek cafe on Bread Street that does amazing Baklava so perhaps the weight loss may not happen.

Gawd knows when we'll get any of our lost freedoms back. Friend and I were even longing for Tier 3 days when you could have a couple round and freeze outside round a fire pit. M&S at the Gyle has closed off most of its clothing section, but annoyingly left Menswear open, and toilets at the Meadows have two pointless council officials in hi viz jackets standing too close to each other - and anyone going into the toilets. What on earth do they think people are going to do unchaperoned - lick the bowls or something?

Ooooh. Baklava you say... I used to live near a Turkish deli in Manchester as a student, and spent most of my grant in the self service baklava section there...

And the meadows toilets are up there in my "Edinburgh's worst toilets" list. Don't think I'll bother if you get chaperoned too.

The Meadows toilets were indeed disgusting, but open. Princes St Gardens ones are and the train station ones. Not that my outdoor jaunts are just a thinly described flit from public toilet to public toilet interspersed with bursts of insanely high sugar intake.

@rookiemere

The Meadows toilets were indeed disgusting, but open. Princes St Gardens ones are and the train station ones. Not that my outdoor jaunts are just a thinly described flit from public toilet to public toilet interspersed with bursts of insanely high sugar intake.

Have to take fun where we can get it these days...

Has anyone got their tax rebate for wfh? It's one of these things that I'll probably not get round to doing.

4 day working week sounds great in theory but so many jobs just couldn't be done in 4 days.
Anything in education can't really be done over 4 days. It wouldn't even work as a job share or does that mean schools would only operate 4 days too

We struggle enough to get GPs because of a shortage of them so hows reducing their hours going to help?
Construction tends to work a 5/6 day week. With shortages of skilled workers.

The 4 day week works for shift workers, in hospital wards, carers, factory's, transport, retail.

Is the logic behind it get people to work less hours so you create an extra job for every 4 existing jobs?
But actually you'd be reducing people's income by 20%. Pushing more people into top up benefits.

It's another daft idea that wins vote until people actually think it through?

What would make more sense would be to restrict Sunday opening hours to 6 hours, as they have in England, giving shop workers more family time.