Panic buying...

[Deleted member 26715]

As said, many staff will go back to previous jobs once reopened. My SiL is doing early morning picking at Sainsburys as she’s been furloughed from her job in a West End theatre. There was an article on beeb site about others working in supermarkets as they’ve been furloughed (an actress and a recruitment consultant iirc)

Your SIL needs to be very careful what she is doing is illegal unless she is not being paid for the picking, one of the conditions of furlough is participants are not involved in any other work.

As far as Tesco's are concerned they are complete pants, we've been a customer for over 40 years, I will never shop in there again, their inability to support their customer base has been telling, no deliveries, no click & collects, the frontline workers have been doing a brilliant jobs, the senior management especially logistics should hang their heads in shame. We're now buying from Asda, no issues getting orders

 

[vickster]

Your SIL needs to be very careful what she is doing is illegal unless she is not being paid for the picking, one of the conditions of furlough is participants are not involved in any other work.

She’s agreed it with her employer so all good. As per the rules as she usually works afternoons (matinees) and evenings, the supermarket is early morning
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/coronavirus-if-your-employer-has-told-you-not-to-work/
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/emp-law/employees/furlough

 

[Deleted member 26715]

She’s agreed it with her employer so all good. As per the rules as she usually works afternoons (matinees) and evenings, the supermarket is early morning
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/coronavirus-if-your-employer-has-told-you-not-to-work/
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/emp-law/employees/furlough

That's interesting as that's not how we read the first draft, does that mean she's being paid twice?

 

[vickster]

That's interesting as that's not how we read the first draft, does that mean she's being paid twice?

Presumably but furlough is only 80% and she doesn’t earn much so she’ll be nowhere near the 2.5k max. She’ll also be paying tax twice.
Your HR director should revisit the rules 👍

 

[screenman]

That's interesting as that's not how we read the first draft, does that mean she's being paid twice?

I have seen right up's encouraging those furloughed to get other jobs as long as it is OK with their employer.

 

[mjr]

Is it Tesco's fault though?

Yes. Tesco picked suppliers who aren't, built stores with insufficient storage and did things that encourage panic-buying (and customers are fairly predictable in it, as described). Each time, they do it to maximise profit at the expense of customer service and resilience. It's understandable but a failing right now.

 

[screenman]

I have seen right up's encouraging those furloughed to get other jobs as long as it is OK with their employer.

This from Gov website.

If your contract allows, you may undertake other employment while your current employer has placed you on furlough, and this will not affect the grant that they can claim under the scheme.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

This from Gov website.

If your contract allows, you may undertake other employment while your current employer has placed you on furlough, and this will not affect the grant that they can claim under the scheme.

This must be a change from the initial draft, it specifically had a clause that said you couldn't undertake any other work, we thought it strange at the time we were looking for a HGV mechanic (a friend of my son's) who had been furloughed, he was asking if he could do some agency HGV driving but we read it as he couldn't. I'll let him know, thanks both @screenman @vickster

 

[Notafettler]

Biggest limit will have been driver hours, not vehicles. "New" vehicles may well be from hire companies who will have had them sat doing nothing. Shared by a number of drivers, in the same 24 hour period.

Wrong. Checked deliveries for next 3 weeks on Saturday nothing. Checked sunday all of Tuesday slots available. When driver arrived asked about it. He said new drivers and pickers had been hired and trained and vehicles obtained. Increasing deliveries per day from 177 to 284.
Same 24 hour period? The delivery timings have not changed.

 

[vickster]

This must be a change from the initial draft, it specifically had a clause that said you couldn't undertake any other work, we thought it strange at the time we were looking for a HGV mechanic (a friend of my son's) who had been furloughed, he was asking if he could do some agency HGV driving but we read it as he couldn't. I'll let him know, thanks both @screenman @vickster

Depends on the terms of the furlough contract, and that his main employer agrees

 

[NorthernDave]

I'm less than impressed with most of the supermarkets performance (senior staff behind the scenes, those on the frontline are doing an admirable job) and can't help think that while on one hand they're busy telling the public not to panic buy, they'll also have one eye on the boost in sales and profits this is going to give them.
Maybe I'm being cynical, but also removing offers and discounts can only help their bottom line, despite announcing that's it's been done to prevent panic buying (they could have simply restricted the number of any one item bought).
My shopping has noticeably increased in cost over the last few weeks.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 100% in agreement

 

[Notafettler]

Our household ceased being a Tesco customer a number of years ago when we moved to ALDI. There are items ALDI do not offer and these we do buy in Tesco.

Locally it's been very interesting to observe how very, very poorly Tesco have performed throughout this crisis. Our local ALDI being the complete opposite.

Since panic buying and lockdown began ALDI have been fully stocked with everything we usually buy and I've once queued for five minutes to enter the store. There were two visits when there was no toilet paper, one with no arborica rice and porridge oats - hardly a crisis.

Yesterday I walked straight in to ALDI, when I arrived at Tesco the queue was estimated at one hour. I base this on it being 50% longer than the one I stood in for 40 minutes last week. Last week, and on previous visits, shelf after shelf was empty, not a few things but huge gaps across the store. This actually fuels panic buying. Yesterday I left, took the two mile, longer route home via a larger ALDI and picked up the extras I needed. There's also a Tesco opposite this ALDI - people were queuing to get in here as well.

For us Tesco has long been in a downward spiral, particularly in most customer relations areas, and this crisis has exposed their weaknesses.

It's no surprise to me delivery slots are impossible to get and when one does a wide range of product is missing. This isn't meant to be a rant against Tesco but an observation/report on how badly the company is performing at a time of crisis.

If you think that through all you are saying is that Tesco is more popular.
Having merely means more shopping there. Also observations about one Tesco is not the definition of a statistic
Reference delivery slots. Checked deliveries for next 3 weeks on Saturday nothing. Checked sunday all of Tuesday slots available. When driver arrived asked about it. He said new drivers and pickers had been hired and trained and vehicles obtained. Increasing deliveries per day from 177 to 284.

 

[screenman]

I think supermarket sales may be down after the initital panic, I do not think there is as much impulse buying going on.

 

[vickster]

I'm less than impressed with most of the supermarkets performance (senior staff behind the scenes, those on the frontline are doing an admirable job) and can't help think that while on one hand they're busy telling the public not to panic buy, they'll also have one eye on the boost in sales and profits this is going to give them.
Maybe I'm being cynical, but also removing offers and discounts can only help their bottom line, despite announcing that's it's been done to prevent panic buying (they could have simply restricted the number of any one item bought).
My shopping has noticeably increased in cost over the last few weeks.

That said they may not be selling nearly as many of the non-essential high margin extras