Should I go back to work?

WhatShouldIdo?

I would just like to gather peoples thoughts on my particular situation.
I will try to keep this as short as possible.
Background info to my query is as follows.

I’m a sales executive for a car dealership in Donegal.
Back in mid March things where really slowing down in the car sales business with the onset of coved 19 etc.

My employer laid myself and 3 other sales execs off due to a lack of business.
This was before the official lockdown.

We where handed the application forms to apply for the emergency 350 Covina social payment.

When I applied for it I was informed by social welfare that I am not entitled to the payment as I live in Northern Ireland.

So since the end of March I have been receiving €203 per week from my job seekers benefit while all of the other sales execs are receiving 350 per week as they are living in Donegal.

My employer wasn’t to bothered about it.

So today I received a text message from my boss asking would I like to return to work this coming week, not to sell cars but to update the website and probably go through a load of what we like to call “yard work” (flat batteries).

If I return to work, I will earn my usual €460 Per week gross flat wage.
Out of that 460 I pay around 60 in tax/usc

Out of the 400 left it costs per approx 100 per week in travelling and lunch expenses etc which leaves me with around 300 left for a weeks work.

This leaves me 100 euro a week better of than if I was to sit at home like the other sales execs who have not been asked to return to work as they are not capable of updating the website etc.

So 100 quid a week Extra to rise at 7am, travel 40 miles each way to work, it just doesn’t add up to me.

Not only that, technically I would be breaking the covid 19 regulations as I would not be working for an essential service.

What am I supposed to say to a guard at a checkpoint when he asks where I and going and why?

I am worried that I refuse to return to work it may be looked badly on by my employer.

Any thoughts and advice is welcome, please refrain from giving me abuse, everyone is different when it comes to this situation.

godtabh

Sounds like you want some one to tell you to stay at home for the easy life

WhatShouldIdo?

godtabh wrote: »

Sounds like you want some one to tell you to stay at home for the easy life

It’s not exactly an easy life, but returning to work to earn an extra 100 quid,
Whilst also breaking the law, potentially getting on the wrong side of a guard at a checkpoint, and not least increasing the chances of contracting the virus, doesn’t sound that attractive to me.

Foweva Awone

WhatShouldIdo? wrote: »

It’s not exactly an easy life, but returning to work to earn an extra 100 quid,
Whilst also breaking the law, potentially getting on the wrong side of a guard at a checkpoint, and not least increasing the chances of contracting the virus, doesn’t sound that attractive to me.

You just get a letter from your employer and that'll cover you if you're stopped at a checkpoint.

Doesn't sound like an environment where there's a high chance of contracting the virus at all, especially if you take reasonable precautions.

ThewhiteJesus

Typical modern Irish attitude this

antix80

You'll be fine with a letter from your employer. It sounds like the employer is giving you the choice to go back.

It's not your employer's fault you don't qualify for the covid payment. Did sinn fein not deliver your food hamper?

Montage of Feck

Yes

Deagol

Just ask your employer for a letter confirming you are an essential worker so you have something to show at the checkpoints.

If he can't provide that then you can't go back to work. Simples!

On the other hand - if this isn't about checkpoints or safety etc but just that you think it's not worth your while working for 100e a week - perhaps you need to think about it in terms of self respect / self worth?

To look at it another way - we did in the past go to work when it made little sense due to wages vs childcare costs. But my partner wanted to work - she felt it was worthwhile for other reasons than money.

And I'm sure your boss will know the real reason and make his own decisions. I'm guessing he invited you back first because he felt you were losing the most in the current situation? I think he will be pretty peeved if you refuse his offer.

Alrigghtythen

Regardless of what your colleagues are being paid, your wages suited you before the lockdown so I'm not sure why they wouldn't after?

corsav6

ThewhiteJesus wrote: »

Typical modern British attitude this

Fyp, he's on the other side of the border

Pkiernan

Please go back to work.

Pistachio19

The only expense you will have is petrol/diesel cost. Your lunch won't cost any more than if you are at home because you can bring a sandwich from home. You are being offered your job back which has to be better than being on the dole. Unless there are a large number of you working there at one time then the risk of catching the virus is probably less then going to your local supermarket. So yes, you should take the job back.

Stheno

Alrigghtythen wrote: »

Regardless of what your colleagues are being paid, your wages suited you before the lockdown so I'm not sure why they wouldn't after?

No commission due to no car sales?

bucketybuck

How are you eligible for the dole but not the covid payment?

On another note, why do people think a letter from the employer is some magic get out of jail card? Car sales aren't an essential service, a letter from a car dealer does not have to be accepted by any guard if they don't want to.

ice.cube

WhatShouldIdo? wrote: »

I would just like to gather peoples thoughts on my particular situation.
I will try to keep this as short as possible.
Background info to my query is as follows.

I’m a sales executive for a car dealership in Donegal.
Back in mid March things where really slowing down in the car sales business with the onset of coved 19 etc.

My employer laid myself and 3 other sales execs off due to a lack of business.
This was before the official lockdown.

We where handed the application forms to apply for the emergency 350 Covina social payment.

When I applied for it I was informed by social welfare that I am not entitled to the payment as I live in Northern Ireland.

So since the end of March I have been receiving €203 per week from my job seekers benefit while all of the other sales execs are receiving 350 per week as they are living in Donegal.

My employer wasn’t to bothered about it.

So today I received a text message from my boss asking would I like to return to work this coming week, not to sell cars but to update the website and probably go through a load of what we like to call “yard work” (flat batteries).

If I return to work, I will earn my usual €460 Per week gross flat wage.
Out of that 460 I pay around 60 in tax/usc

Out of the 400 left it costs per approx 100 per week in travelling and lunch expenses etc which leaves me with around 300 left for a weeks work.

This leaves me 100 euro a week better of than if I was to sit at home like the other sales execs who have not been asked to return to work as they are not capable of updating the website etc.

So 100 quid a week Extra to rise at 7am, travel 40 miles each way to work, it just doesn’t add up to me.

Not only that, technically I would be breaking the covid 19 regulations as I would not be working for an essential service.

What am I supposed to say to a guard at a checkpoint when he asks where I and going and why?

I am worried that I refuse to return to work it may be looked badly on by my employer.

Any thoughts and advice is welcome, please refrain from giving me abuse, everyone is different when it comes to this situation.

Say you do stay at home and take your €203 per week. What would your long term plan be?

It may sound nice now but you will find it a lot harder to find work in the future. Always easier when you are currently working and your head is in the game IMO.

Fred Cryton

WhatShouldIdo? wrote: »

I would just like to gather peoples thoughts on my particular situation.
I will try to keep this as short as possible.
Background info to my query is as follows.

I’m a sales executive for a car dealership in Donegal.
Back in mid March things where really slowing down in the car sales business with the onset of coved 19 etc.

My employer laid myself and 3 other sales execs off due to a lack of business.
This was before the official lockdown.

We where handed the application forms to apply for the emergency 350 Covina social payment.

When I applied for it I was informed by social welfare that I am not entitled to the payment as I live in Northern Ireland.

So since the end of March I have been receiving €203 per week from my job seekers benefit while all of the other sales execs are receiving 350 per week as they are living in Donegal.

My employer wasn’t to bothered about it.

So today I received a text message from my boss asking would I like to return to work this coming week, not to sell cars but to update the website and probably go through a load of what we like to call “yard work” (flat batteries).

If I return to work, I will earn my usual €460 Per week gross flat wage.
Out of that 460 I pay around 60 in tax/usc

Out of the 400 left it costs per approx 100 per week in travelling and lunch expenses etc which leaves me with around 300 left for a weeks work.

This leaves me 100 euro a week better of than if I was to sit at home like the other sales execs who have not been asked to return to work as they are not capable of updating the website etc.

So 100 quid a week Extra to rise at 7am, travel 40 miles each way to work, it just doesn’t add up to me.

Not only that, technically I would be breaking the covid 19 regulations as I would not be working for an essential service.

What am I supposed to say to a guard at a checkpoint when he asks where I and going and why?

I am worried that I refuse to return to work it may be looked badly on by my employer.

Any thoughts and advice is welcome, please refrain from giving me abuse, everyone is different when it comes to this situation.

This is precisely the problem..


Government is just clueless about incentives and disincentives to work.



People should have been put on the usual 200 dole if not working, end of story.

Alrigghtythen

Stheno wrote: »

No commission due to no car sales?

Maybe for the moment but 460 gross is better than 205 dole. Theres 1000s unemployed I'm doubt the employer will have too much trouble replacing. The OP could be shooting themselves in the foot to win the battle but will end up losing the war.

WhatShouldIdo?

bucketybuck wrote: »

How are you eligible for the dole but not the covid payment?

On another note, why do people think a letter from the employer is some magic get out of jail card? Car sales aren't an essential service, a letter from a car dealer does not have to be accepted by any guard if they don't want to.

I am entitled to job seekers benefit as I pay my taxes in Ireland, the emergency covid payments are only for residents of the state. Which I feel is very unfair, revenue is happy enough To treat me the same as everyone else when it comes to taking tax deductions every week but when it comes paying out..

Salty

To be honest, given the choice I think it is better to go back to work. It is still more money than you're getting now from the state and it might bring a semblance of normality back to your day to day routine.

WhatShouldIdo?

Alrigghtythen wrote: »

Maybe for the moment but 460 gross is better than 205 dole. Theres 1000s unemployed I'm doubt the employer will have too much trouble replacing. The OP could be shooting themselves in the foot to win the battle but will end up losing the war.

Forget about the gross, it’s 100 quid a week better of after taxes and expenses. That’s 20 a day better off to go out and work, almost 11 hours away from home. It just doesn’t add up financially.

jlm29

Fred Cryton wrote: »

People should have been put on the usual 200 dole if not working, end of story.

Then people who had covid or who had been in contact with it would have carried on, working, spreading etc because they couldn’t afford to self isolate

jlm29

Fred Cryton wrote: »

People should have been put on the usual 200 dole if not working, end of story.

Then people who had covid or who had been in contact with it would have carried on, working, spreading etc because they couldn’t afford to self isolate

wyndham

Take a different one of the used cars home every night. Cuts your travel expenses to nothing and gives the cars a decent run to charge up the batteries. Bring your own lunch to work. Voila, you have doubled your weekly income while gaining self respect

WhatShouldIdo?

People are missing the point here, is updating a car sales website more important Than preventing the spread of the virus right now?

Lundstram

Illegal immigrants and people who prevously worked 12 hours on the weekend can get the €350 Covid19 payment but this man can't?

That is truly fcuked up.

Tokyo

antix80 wrote: »

Did sinn fein not deliver your food hamper?

Mod: Quite it with the smartarsery. 24 hour threadban.

Alrigghtythen

WhatShouldIdo? wrote: »

Forget about the gross, it’s 100 quid a week better of after taxes and expenses. That’s 20 a day better off to go out and work, almost 11 hours away from home. It just doesn’t add up financially.

100 if your not eating at home. Let one of your colleagues do it. When they reopen and are earning fully with commission again enjoy being on the 205 /week.


What's the risk being in an empty being in an empty building or yard?

WhatShouldIdo?

Lundstram wrote: »

Illegal immigrants and people who prevously worked 12 hours on the weekend can get the €350 Covid19 payment but this man can't?

That is truly fcuked up.

Yup, paying full time tax for the past 4 years, not entitled to anything from the NI government either. Very unfair

Dublingirl80

If updating the website is in a no contact zone then it isn't risky at all. I think you know this. If travel is allowed then you should work in my opinion as otherwise you're refusing work and choosing to stay on the dole. Plenty of people are earning less doing essential work in supermarkets etc which is much much much more risky. Also I would hope majority of thay 100 is travel costs? Lunches would surely be brought in from home.

Dublingirl80

You're actually being offered more than the covid payment to do what sounds like zero risk work. There is a danger with this covid payment that people almost expect to get paid to do nothing. Most are genuine and cannot physically do their job right now so they're rightly getting paid this. If you can even work towards your business reopening or selling online more etc I feel you should be.

WhatShouldIdo?

Dublingirl80 wrote: »

If updating the website is in a no contact zone then it isn't risky at all. I think you know this. If travel is allowed then you should work in my opinion as otherwise you're refusing work and choosing to stay on the dole. Plenty of people are earning less doing essential work in supermarkets etc which is much much much more risky. Also I would hope majority of thay 100 is travel costs? Lunches would surely be brought in from home.

Travelling tomorrow morning to go work in a car dealership is not legal as the restrictions are still in place. My employer is expecting me to break the law, fancy letter or not.

Dj Stiggie

OP you know exactly what you want to do, you just want all of us to pat you on the back while you tell your boss no.

Alrigghtythen

Do we have to organise more bulgarians to fly in?

Dublingirl80

Is it possible to work on the website from home? If the workplace even alone is illegal then maybe look into this. But I'd check into that. When are car dealerships legally allowed open? I was almost positive they were still doing call outs , flat batteries etc

Rodin

I'd be looking for a new job.
That is quite low pay for the travel/expenses

I had actually thought that those living in the north weren't entitled to any social welfare from this state.

Dublingirl80

Pretty sure some essential work on cars is deemed essential, sure everyone needs their car to work. Does the shop also do parts and repairs?

WhatShouldIdo?

Dublingirl80 wrote: »

Is it possible to work on the website from home? If the workplace even alone is illegal then maybe look into this. But I'd check into that. When are car dealerships legally allowed open? I was almost positive they were still doing call outs , flat batteries etc

The service department can open on the 18th of may, the showroom end of things is legally not allowed to open until the 8th of June.

Dublingirl80

Rodin wrote: »

I'd be looking for a new job.
That is quite low pay for the travel/expenses

Would probably be the same longterm as it's a long commute but risky time to be leaving a job.

wyndham

Apart from money issues, etc, are you not bored out of your tits sat at home for the last 8-9 weeks?

WhatShouldIdo?

Rodin wrote: »

I'd be looking for a new job.
That is quite low pay for the travel/expenses

The pay is grand in normal times as we earn commission when we sell a car, it will be impossible/illegal to sell cars until the restrictions are lifted, so I will only be earning the basic wage and no commission

Dublingirl80

WhatShouldIdo? wrote: »

The service department can open on the 18th of may, the showroom end of things is legally not allowed to open until the 8th of June.

So surely if your work is updating the website for the service department etc then that is deemed essential and fully legal?

Galwayguy35

WhatShouldIdo? wrote: »

Yup, paying full time tax for the past 4 years, not entitled to anything from the NI government either. Very unfair

Yes it does seem unfair but nothing much can be done when you are living in a different juristication

WhatShouldIdo?

Dublingirl80 wrote: »

So surely if your work is updating the website for the service department etc then that is deemed essential and fully legal?

I would only handle the adverts of cars on our website. Uploading pics etc.

Dublingirl80

Service department and website development for 3 weeks then back to the showroom side of things maybe more based online with people only coming in for actual test drive etc? I don't really see the problem.

s1ippy

Foweva Awone wrote: »

You just get a letter from your employer and that'll cover you if you're stopped at a checkpoint.

Not an essential business, not allowed to operate yet.

Phase two is limited return to onsite work June 8th.

Phase three is return to work with limited contact June 29th.

I would even say it's phase three.

Lundstram

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Yes it does seem unfair but nothing much can be done when you are living in a different juristication

Yet he's able to claim Jobseekers Benefit whiile living in a different jurisdiction? He pays into the tax system in ROI, doesn't matter where he lives.

I'm sure other pontificaters on here would be pretty pissed off too if they were in his scenario.

s1ippy

https://www.thejournal.ie/essential-services-stay-open-under-government-measures-5060675-Mar2020/

Can you update the website from home? If there are service personnel already working it would make more sense for them to change the batteries etc and they're already onsite as their job is different from yours.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/new-measures-for-reopening-will-see-irish-workplaces-change-beyond-recognition-1.4248809?mode=amp

"The new rules will be monitored by the Health and Safety Authority, which will have powers to overturn poor behaviours, or even to close premises that are not complying.

Social distancing rules will have to be rigidly enforced, including a ban on all except essential face-to-face meetings. Employers should set up one-way systems for staff entering and leaving buildings. Business travel is discouraged."

sabat

Restrictions don't apply to people coming from a NI address. I think you should go in-it will be remembered favourably when the inevitable lay-offs happen and that €205 gets slashed.

WhatShouldIdo?

I am receiving the 203 from the state as that is where I pay my taxes, they will not pay me the covid 350 unfortunately.

tina1040

Can you work on the website from home?

The €460 basic might be negotiable for the temporary work they are offering you as it is presuming you earn commission on top of it.

Speak to your boss about your concerns while assuring him that you would like to work.

WhatShouldIdo?

sabat wrote: »

Restrictions don't apply to people coming from a NI address. I think you should go in-it will be remembered favourably when the inevitable lay-offs happen and that €205 gets slashed.

The restrictions where I live in NI still apply, so if I am stopped in NI whilst travelling to work in a non essential business, I am breaking the NI restrictions as well