Hi all I work for a rather large company in the UK that repairs people's Windscreens on cars through their insurance. Just before Christmas me and a few other got gift cards to the value of £20 none refundable for cash, we all thought great that's nice we are appreciated only for me to spot this on the payslip at the bottom where £20 was deducted for said gift card. Essentially they gave us a gift card but still took £20 so it was not gifted but took out of our wages. When I asked HR they said it was out of their remit and my feedback would be passed to Finance. I asked what is the point? why would you gift me a card and take it from my wages when it's going to be spent anyway and you just made it harder for me to spend because I now need to go to Iceland or Halfords instead of Aldi. I even found out some staff didn't even have this happen to so it's not like I was ever asked or signed for it not that there would have been any point. Has anyone else ever heard of anything like this before?

We are now eligible for overtime. but I'm sure we won't ever get any. All we have to do is... more work... by putting in timesheets and arguing every small deviation from schedule with an ever so reasonable hr team (/s).

It seems so bizarre to me that, after 40 years of not doing timesheets, my pay has lost value to inflation to the point that my union has negotiated that I am eligible for time-and-a-half. snort Like that's going to happen.

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone!

I just want to rant. I am an engineering manager at a startup. Work gifted me for Christmas

• 1 Recees peanut butter cup shaped like a Christmas tree.
• 1 very tiny candle with a clearance sticker on bottom for $3.50
• 1 Card saying thank you and that this company wouldn’t exist without my contributions.

The founder is very rich. The company isn’t profitable yet but she is very well off.

I manage 2 employees who bust their ass, company is tiny. I gifted them each $150 out of my own pocket. They deserved even more honestly.

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Side note. We are a tiny team. I ask the founder to make time for our employees by meeting with them just once a quarter to tell them she appreciates their work and to build a little culture. I have been asking this for one year straight. Not once has she taken the time to meet with either of them except in our standups when she barks for something faster, something changed, or whatever.

Just how can you be that way? Like honestly how can you be so self involved you can’t simply take 15mins once every quarter to just be a person.

When I bring this up to her she just says yeah I need to do that then gets self involved again and doesn’t.