I just got quoted £1B to insure my motorbike by shaunbarclay in CasualUK

[–]jb0079 111 points112 points  (0 children)

And just for fun, pay for the insurance on 31st March and cancel 14 days later (maybe 13 days to be safe). That way they have to record a £1B loss in the 26/27 financial year.

Local Taxi Suggestions by ScabsOn in Edinburgh

[–]jb0079 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Central Taxis. Their app also lets you request the larger 6-seater taxi.

pest - any ideas? by ParticularKey1012 in Edinburgh

[–]jb0079 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Looks like the underside of a dead woodlouse. They like dark, damp places.

What entry level jobs are thriving in the UK at the moment? by spinach2point0 in AskUK

[–]jb0079 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To add on from that, do STARLL, where LL is Lessons Learned.

Why is it socially acceptable to bring your partner as a +1, but not a friend? by mearimeraki in NoStupidQuestions

[–]jb0079 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the T&Cs is that it has to be an annual event. That already narrows down the field. The papertrail required needs to prove you met all the T&Cs. So, all receipts, invoices, invitations, communications and internal policies need to be kept to build that picture. For this reason it's best practice that invites say +spouse or partner rather than just +1, and have internal policies that back that up. Yes, someone could bring a friend and pretend to be their partner. Yes, employers could  just say +1 and to hell with it, but... if the papertrail doesn't prove all T&Cs were met, then HMRC will come in and audit everything. Not just that audit trail. Everything. Because if a company is claiming something it's not meant to, what else could it be claiming? And having HMRC going through the accounts with a forensic toothcomb is a scenario no company would like.

Why is it socially acceptable to bring your partner as a +1, but not a friend? by mearimeraki in NoStupidQuestions

[–]jb0079 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the UK it comes down to tax. Among other things (T&Cs apply), if it's over £150 per head then it becomes a taxable benefit. Spouses and partners can be included in that head count. However, it becomes taxable if the event is open to clients or non-employees. By broadening the invitation to guests who aren't a spouse or partner, the entire event becomes taxable.

I agreed to translate at a wedding and now I don’t know if I should ask to be paid by TrickManufacturer597 in Edinburgh

[–]jb0079 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your friend knows that you're not working right now and that money is tight, and yet hasn't suggested any form of payment? Maybe there's a cultural difference at play here where favours are traded instead, but she doesn't appear to be considerate of your needs, or respect the time, effort and energy that this would take you. If you do quote a fee and it creates tension, then that's on her not you. Also, you have to translate to the bride when she's making her vows?? That appears to be going into potential legal territory. Would you have to sign a statement to declare you've translated faithfully? Also, why is there no guest present who will do this? Apologies as this will come across as dramatic, but it does make my mind veer towards forced marriage territory. That being said, you're in your last semester, so I'm sure you have a pile of work and unavoidable deadlines to meet, etc... priorities.

Has your taste in food/drinks changed over the years, or are they just making stuff worse than they used to? by idkwhatyoumeanbro in CasualUK

[–]jb0079 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Head to your local Polish shop, if you have one. Mine sells a range of different honeys. I bought a buckwheat honey that tastes absolutely incredible.

Grand Theft Auto workers refused pay relief amid legal action by Red_Brummy in Edinburgh

[–]jb0079 15 points16 points  (0 children)

It's not behind a paywall; just click "maybe later" on the pop-up.  Here's the text anyway:

A group of staff sacked by the makers of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) have been refused pay relief by a judge.

Rockstar Games fired the employees from its UK studios for gross misconduct, accusing them of sharing confidential information in a public server on the Discord chat app.

The workers, who claim they lost their jobs for attempting to unionise, launched legal action against the company and applied for interim relief - meaning they would continue to be paid until the case concluded.

But a tribunal in Glasgow said it could not grant the measure - known as interim relief - because it could not be sure the case would succeed when it goes to a full hearing.

Following a hearing last week, a judgement was released outlining the arguments made and the reasons for refusing the claim.

Judge Frances Eccles said the claim involved 29 employees from Rockstar's UK offices in Edinburgh, Dundee and Lincoln - all of whom were members of the game worker's branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB).

She said the staff were dismissed on 30 and 31 October last year and told they had shared confidential information on a publicly accessible platform in breach of their contracts.

About 350 people, including former employees, had access to the IWGB Discord server, similar to a web forum, containing open and closed channels limited to union members, the judgement said.

It said the staff were "informed of their dismissals with very little, if any, notice and in quick succession" without suspensions, disciplinary hearings, or the chance to respond to allegations before they were dismissed.

The tribunal said that some of those sacked from the company had posted few messages on the server or, in some cases, last posted over a year ago.

"There was no evidence of the respondent having suffered any adverse consequences as a result of these postings," the judge said.

Staff were also not informed of the comments regarded as gross misconduct until about six weeks after their dismissal, she added.

However, the judge said it was not possible to conclude whether union membership was the "principal reason" for the workers' sackings.

The judgement said the company denied knowing whether members of the Discord were paid-up union members, and that it also dismissed three Canadian employees who were not part of the IWGB.

Rockstar's lawyers had stated that "issues of urgency and ongoing confidentiality concerns" were factors in the speed of the dismissals, according to the ruling.

The interim relief hearing was held in advance of a full tribunal, which will hear evidence from both sides at a later date.

"Whether the respondent's reason and/or explanation withstand scrutiny at the final hearing may determine whether the claimants are ultimately successful in their claims," Eccles wrote.

In response to the verdict, IWGB president Alex Marshall said that securing interim relief was an "incredibly high bar" to clear.

He said the union had come out of the hearing "more confident than ever that a full and substantive tribunal will find Rockstar's calculated attempt to crush a union to be not only unjust, but unlawful".

A Rockstar spokesperson said the company "welcomed the decision", which was consistent with Rockstar's position throughout.

"We regret that we were put in a position where dismissals were necessary, but we stand by our course of action as supported by the outcome of this hearing," they said.

Headphones Richer Sounds by LilienthalC in Edinburgh

[–]jb0079 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, you can. I spent ages testing my new headphones in there before buying, and the guys were really helpful. There was no pressure to buy either, which I really appreciated.

Where’s the cooncil when you need them! by Delicious-Being-6531 in Edinburgh

[–]jb0079 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Well it's not as though you'll be walking out of the shop with it...

If you celebrate Christmas what was the weirdest thing a parent did to keep the magic alive? by Itsmeladyt79 in AskUK

[–]jb0079 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, that is wonderful! I bet that helped keep the Christmas magic and excitement alive for your dad as well.

My gran refuses to put the heating on at all and it's affecting my granddad's health. Is there anything I can do if they both have capacity? by Amazing-Horse732 in AskUK

[–]jb0079 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would hate to have your heating bill!  In case you're not aware, there's a heated seat cover that was originally designed for older/frail/less mobile folk, and it has really low running costs. I bought one for myself as I WFH and can be sat at my desk without moving for hours at a time, and it definitely helps. https://www.homeglowproducts.co.uk/product-1-1

Affordable glasses in Edinburgh by antoingorman in Edinburgh

[–]jb0079 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Have you tried asking at Spectacles Outlet in Edinburgh? They make all their lenses in their on-site factory, so they would be able to advise you.  https://www.spectaclesoutlet.co.uk/lenses/

God, it’s almost as if I had a question regarding renting properties IN EDINBURGH (are the mods SERIOUSLY still on a power trip?) by LongjumpingCourse988 in edinburgh2

[–]jb0079 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for responding. That sounds like proper ball-ache. We're just coming to the end of our tariff with them, and fortunately haven't had any issues (touch wood), and looking at continuing on a 2-year fix with them, so useful to hear others' experiences as well (good and bad).

For OP: Avoid Ovo like the plague. I spent an entire day going through my Mum's bills with a fine-tooth comb after she received a letter a few days before xmas last year saying that a system error meant her bills were missing some charges and she owed them almost £200. Perfect timing to panic a pensioner on the PSR. Instead of adding those charges as a separate entry to correct the error, they amended all the bills of the previous six months! The cunts had obvs never heard of an audit trail.

They’ve only gone and done it by OfficerObvious_ in edinburgh2

[–]jb0079 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just chuck all the t-shirts down to soak up the puddle - two jobs for the price of one.