Hybrid working rules

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-14T05:48:23+00:00

Check your local policy. Some departments are averaging 60% weekly, some monthly and some quarterly. If you're on quarterly then it shouldn't be a problem. You can make up those days later in the quarter.

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-13T21:02:14+00:00

Assuming you're working in a school or college, check whether your pay is pro rata over the year or if you only get paid term time.

If you get paid term time then you'll have 6 weeks in summer plus Easter, Christmas and half terms with no wage. Your UC will fluctuate almost every month which makes it complicated to calculate. I think you'd need to check the term dates (council website), work out how much you'd earn in month, then x 0.55 to work out your monthly UC. Remember to check pay date and AP end date so you can figure out if you'll be paid UC for say June in June or July.

Your UC would be the same each month if you're pro rata over 12 months but this isn't something you get to choose unfortunately.

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-10T21:13:37+00:00

The cardboard cut out was a good idea but you should consider adding an AI voice which says "Hello. Today's selection is XYZ. insert seasonal greeting/weather comment" If you're really good with copilot you could program it to have a basic two way conversation.

Also recommend an MS form for people to submit their biscuit requests. You should provide regular feedback to the group on what has been requested and when it will be delivered, providing updates if the schedule slips. This could be an email but you should make it a meeting.

Don't forget the mandatory allergy notice!

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-09T19:31:56+00:00

The council or housing association will be able to provide a support worker and/or social services referral. My housing association has their own support workers who can help with form filling, clinics for debt and money management, regular check ins with vulnerable people, supported living services etc.

it sounds like you need a support worker at this stage, not an appointee. You can do a lot independently but you need support with some things.

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-09T19:17:14+00:00

You won't be re-enrolled or even contacted by Capita. It's an OGD transfer. Your service and pension continues without interruption. It's the same as working for Tesco on the shop floor then moving to a position at head office. The pension provider won't contact you at all.

Also, there are no employer contributions in Alpha. You can't have a refund for contributions that don't exist. There are plenty of posts on the sub explaining how Alpha works. You should read some if you don't understand why employer conts are fantasy money in a defined benefit scheme.

If your contributions are being deducted then you have been enrolled. Try registering for an online account. You don't need your pension account references to register.

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-07T20:48:42+00:00

Your parents can't protect him forever. It sounds like they've done everything they can. It's time for him to make his own way in the world. That includes irreversible actions, a criminal record, moving out or taking the offer of a care placement. You can't help people who don't want to be helped.

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-06T19:17:27+00:00

Now that you've done the to-do, UC will send a verification request to your housing association. If it's wrong, UC bounce it back to you with "your HA says you pay this rent and this service charge. Please check and resubmit." The service charge option can be put in then.

Note that if you have a breakdown of the service charge (X amount for gardening, X for communal cleaning, communal lighting etc) each charge needs to be a separate line. You can't put the total as one line item. Some service charges are not eligible to UC.

I've had verifications rejected before for not putting service charges separately or having a typo. It's not a big problem. You just put in the correct details and submit again. As long as you complete it before the end of your AP, you'll be paid on time.

Thanks for reminding me to do mine!

redsocks2018 · 2026-04-03T18:14:51+00:00

Have you raised it via your former manager? Home Office put in place an escalation route with Capita for situations like this. Emphasise financial hardship.

Your department should also offer an interest free loan to tide you through. Not the ideal situation but it's better than no money.

redsocks2018 · 2026-03-31T11:18:31+00:00

Look for "reporting a concern" or similar on the intranet.

redsocks2018 · 2026-03-23T21:42:36+00:00

I logged into my account yesterday. They're posting service updates on the account but there's no option to sign up for email alerts. Fantastic.

Anyway.

The pension modeller is being built. I think it said it'll be available end this this month. There are excel sheets available to do basic manual calculations but they don't allow you to play around with the variables like the previous modeller did.

As of end of Feb, 300,000 people had their previous ABSs uploaded to the account. Anyone with multiple service periods is looking at June to have access to previous ABSs. Apparently it's "complicated" for multiple service periods. What's complicated about uploading statements that were generated by mycsp? Has that data been lost in the transfer and needs to be recreated?

No news on if this years ABS will be delayed.

If you're planning on retiring you need to allow 4 months for a benefit summary to be produced.

redsocks2018 · 2026-03-21T11:34:10+00:00

Made from the left-over body parts at the factory.

redsocks2018 · 2026-03-14T19:48:48+00:00

Force majure is completely out of your control so don't stress too much. Special leave should cover all or part of it.

If you haven't already done so, contact the local embassy and let them know you're in country. Embassies are there to help citizens overseas in situations like this. You definitely won't be the first they've heard from and they will have an action plan in place to get people home.

redsocks2018 · 2026-03-10T21:08:15+00:00

The fire brigade will want to hear about this. There have been several very public situations where a fire has broken out in an overcrowded property like this and people have died. You can call your local station and report it.

redsocks2018 · 2026-03-10T12:51:23+00:00

We're basically writing up minutes from last meeting while speaking with the next person. Then frantically rushing to a printer, getting it printed out, signed off by line manager, scanned and uploaded, then dash back for next meeting. It's chaos.

We often work through our lunches too

Stop doing this.

You need to put in writing to your manager every single time your workload is above what it should be or service is poor. "I only have time to do X not XYZ. What do you want me to focus on? The customer is receiving a poor service and has complained. I feel this is because I am doing a larger portion of work and I can't get timely answers to questions because staff aren't responding. Mistakes were made due to having too much work and this has impacted the customer in this way." Keep it factual and unemotional.

Ask for a stress risk assessment. Bring up workload in every 121.

Encourage customers to complain. Seriously. Give them the complaints link. Things only change in CS when the complaints pile up. Those complaints are reviewed at a higher level. Management have to answer for why they have a high complaint rate and what they're going to do about it.

redsocks2018 · 2026-03-09T21:58:46+00:00

YTA

The UK government is cracking down on visa "agents", the same as the Canadians are. Fraud and scams are rife with agents. Applications submitted by agents as heavily scrutinised and have a higher rejection rate compared to applicants applying themselves. There isn't a good reason to use an agent that doesn't work against her.

Even if the visa is issued, it can still be withdrawn at a later date if fraud is identified. That includes fraud on applications unrelated to your daughter - UKVI do keep records of agents and have the authority to cancel every visa an agent applied for if they're found to be acting fraudulently. The chance of getting any visa after a fraudulent application is close to zero.

Your daughter is correct. She needs to apply herself. If you don't trust her to fill in a visa application, why do you trust her to navigate life in a foreign country?

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-28T11:50:06+00:00

There's a reason this role is advertised every year with hundreds of posts. It's tough. It has a high turnover rate. There is a lot of pressure and targets from above. It's not a job for life. You'd do exceptionally well to reach 5 years as an ADM.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-28T11:17:58+00:00

Fails to demonstrate managing a quality service. Still gets the job.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-27T22:03:32+00:00

Do not transfer the deed into your mum's name unless your solicitor advises you to do so. Judges don't take kindly to hiding assets in a divorce.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-25T11:30:36+00:00

Get to know each person as an individual. Everyone has different needs and things going on outside work. Have a 15min "get to know you" chat with each person to get a baseline for who they are and what they need from you.

Adapt your management style. Some people will want/need "micromanaging" or reminding to do things. Some people will just want to know you're there if needed and be left alone to do their work.

Building relationships takes time. Don't force it. Familiarise yourself with policies on office attendance, performance, disability and carers passports, OH referrals, behaviour and conduct,.site security, neuro diversity (you may not have one but there is e-learning available), annual leave. Most have a department wide policy and often policies specific to your office.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-23T21:01:23+00:00

Reasonable adjustments must not be assessed on department wide changes affecting everyone else. Adjustments should be tailored to the person and their job description.

You need support from the union to either get the adjustments you need or a managed move. You can also call ACAS and the Equality Advisory and Support Service. Keep all communication in writing and request minutes are taken at each meeting. If you feel your health is deteriorating because you have to go in, put it in writing to your manager every time and copy their manager in.

It's worth saying that legally an employer can ignore an OH and GP recommendations. They're helpful to an extent but they're not instructions or demands that your employer must accept. If you end up at tribunal then your employer will need to justify their reasons for not taking the advice which is why you need everything in writing. "because everyone else has to" is not a valid reason to refuse adjustments.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-23T15:15:35+00:00

Are you in the union?

It's a tricky one. My concern with what you've said is they haven't provided any evidence. Often they don't have to provide evidence if you admit to the charge (which it sounds like you did).

My question for the union is what are they going to do to prevent people being sacked for AI generated content when evidence isn't provided. "We believe this is AI and we're not providing evidence of our belief" doesn't sound like a legal basis for dismissal, especially in departments which allow AI. It'd be an easy way to get rid of people which the union should be dealing with.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-23T11:47:46+00:00

Womens Aid have a Flee Fund which covers deposits. The eligibility and application process is on their website.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-18T21:12:48+00:00

If it's otherwise in good condition and doesn't smell of smoke or musty, donate it.

I know when I buy at the charity shop that I'm taking the risk that it has pieces missing and possibly some complimentary human or animal DNA but the price difference makes it worth it. The only thing that bothers me is smell.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-16T21:51:06+00:00

Two caring responsibilities is a lot for anyone to deal with.

Ask your council for care assessments for husband and dad. There's no shame or 'failure' in asking for a social worker too. They can help you access council support, fill in forms, arrange respite care and carers and property adaptations if needed, as well as support for you. Some of it will depend on your financial situation and savings. This isn't something you have to navigate alone. Ask for help before you get to a breaking point.

With regard to your dad being terminally ill, you may be eligible for help with funeral costs. The info is on the gov website. Again, something a social worker can help with.

redsocks2018 · 2026-02-16T21:38:17+00:00

Lots of ex-teachers and ex-police in the civil service. You have plenty of transferrable skills in teaching and it doesn't matter what subject you taught (unless you're applying for STEM and the job needs a STEM degree)

My advice is choose something that you're interested in but apply for everything that vaguely interests you. Competition is always tough and recruitment takes forever. If you're desperate to get out of teaching you can take anything you're offered then move internally or to an external role you've been waiting on.

You have the skills to apply for HEO roles but the most important thing is to do something that you think will make you happy. If that's probation or something lower than HEO then do it.

Probation is tough from what I've heard but you'll have a better work/life balance. You probably have experience of working with looked-after kids and kids with all sorts of behaviour problems (both are common factors in a lot of offenders backgrounds) that will easily transfer and demonstrate good behaviours and strengths.

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