[News] The question reporters SHOULD have been asking stranded motorists

[Weststander]

Yes, but knowing the OP's previous, if everyone had stayed at home instead he'd have posted a rant about how ridiculous it was that the whole country had shut down after a few flakes of snow.

OP therefore playing the role of Devil’s advocate / agent provocateur. The main traits of a TalkShite presenter.

 

[Weststander]

Self employed isn't a choice for most in the construction industry, as most contractors will only take you on that way.

Was having this conversation with a guy today, the benefits of self employed have long gone, and we now seem the easiest targets for HMRC and main contractors

Why would you be the target of HMRC if you comply with tax rules?

 

[pauli cee]

Why would you be the target of HMRC if you comply with tax rules?

It would appear they are trying to get rid of sole traders and make everyone a limited company, so with Income tax as well as corporation tax, we will be paying a lot more than an 'employee' in the same job

 

[Weststander]

It would appear they are trying to get rid of sole traders and make everyone a limited company, so with Income tax as well as corporation tax, we will be paying a lot more than an 'employee' in the same job

I know this subject well. I can guarantee that you cannot pay as much tax and employees nic as someone stuck in employment (on the same gross income). As for sole traders, don’t believe the tittle tattle scare stories. These will always carry on. The only change coming being quarterly reporting of accounting data to HMRC, but you haven’t got to worry about that just yet.

 

[Hamilton]

Understand the argument re needing to work though risking your life and others for the sake of a day’s pay seems a bit disproportionate to me?

What I don’t understand is when people don’t make any effort to prepare for the conditions e.g. take warm clothes, food and drink, bring a spade etc., as appears to have been the case with many motorists?

That’s just rank stupidity.....


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Agreed. Not taking precautions is ridiculous.

I'd imagine that many didn't imagine they were risking their lives when setting out. With the benefit of hindsight and all that...

 

[Notters]

And if I was an employer it's the risk my staff take by not living near their workplace so I wouldn't pay them.

Having lived in Newhaven and worked in Brighton for four years because I couldn't possibly afford to live in Brighton... I would say that most people don't live near their work places because they can't afford to, including most people who work in London, so arses to that.

 

[dazzer6666]

This. What percentage of those bods sitting on their backsides in expensive real estate in London actually need to be there 9-5, 5 days a week. Most spend their day stuck in front of a screen and on the phone, tasks that could be done at home.

100% right. My firm is going the other way quite heavily now - working from home at least a day a week is expected of everyone, two days is very common and some people more than that. They've put the IT infrastructure in place to make it work (decent laptops with integrated cameras for VC, good telephone/remote access software to facilitate etc etc). Appreciate it doesn't work for everyone, but if you have the setup/environment at home to be able to do it, and the discipline to work properly, it can be massively more efficient. I get way more done when I'm at home yet still have a better work/life balance as a result. Three hours saved by not travelling, many hours saved by not having inane conversations in the office, interrupted far less by people (there is an 'out of sight/out of mind element to it) etc etc. Of course the firm have worked out that they can reduce expensive office capacity this way too.............

I've got about 13 people that report directly to me, on any given day there will be a max of 2 of them in the same office - the rest are scattered all over so it really makes no difference where I am. It's rare for me to have any meeting, regardless of the number of people there, where everyone is in the same country, let alone the same building. WFH also allows me to flex times much better - calls with Asia early morning and Canada late pm for example (when I'd otherwise be on a train). I can nip out for a run or go to the gym any time during the day, between meetings etc.

I wouldn't take a job that required 5 day a week commuting any more, I've got too used to homeworking 1-2 days a week over the last few years.

I can also have meetings with Group General Managers whilst sat in my pants

 

[goldstone]

Yes, but knowing the OP's previous, if everyone had stayed at home instead he'd have posted a rant about how ridiculous it was that the whole country had shut down after a few flakes of snow.

But this was a RED WARNING of severe weather, not a Daily Express headline. It would have been enough to keep me at home if I'd travel plans in the affected areas.

 

[Taybha]

Here's another heartwarming story of people coming to help stranded motorists .

 

[goldstone]

Congratulations to the OP. A post denigrating the poorly informed without reference to their race, religion, ethnicity or gender (yet)

You've got a point there. I'll try to correct that by suggesting that there will have been many more male drivers stranded than female because female drivers are more likely to be sensible and not drive when warned not to. Can't think of a race, religion or ethnicity link at the moment, but I'll work on it.

 

[atfc village]

Still no good for the self employed I guess.

Exactly this . My boss put us under no pressure to work today . 3 of us out of 4 made it the 25 miles to work in bad conditions ,then he tells us we're only doing half day

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Wouldn’t happen in Germany.

 

[pauli cee]

I know this subject well. I can guarantee that you cannot pay as much tax and employees nic as someone stuck in employment (on the same gross income). As for sole traders, don’t believe the tittle tattle scare stories. These will always carry on. The only change coming being quarterly reporting of accounting data to HMRC, but you haven’t got to worry about that just yet.

Thanks for that, good to know. Will be in touch on April 6th

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I know this subject well. I can guarantee that you cannot pay as much tax and employees nic as someone stuck in employment (on the same gross income).

Unless you are paying dividends I don’t agree with this. Can you provide an example to show what you mean?

 

[dazzer6666]

Unless you are paying dividends I don’t agree with this. Can you provide an example to show what you mean?

A self -employed mate of mine told me what he’d cleared last year in ‘real cash’..........not far off what my gross income was, but his tax bill was 10% of what mine was (captive employee if a big firm).

 

[robinsonsgrin]

my other half was one of the stranded on a303 last night. all was well until a jacknifed lorry stopped everything in its tracks.
he even got a gig on sky news!
home at 5pm today .....

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Served a lot of people right imo

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[The Birdman]

Have you eaten any yellow snow.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Have you eaten any yellow snow.

I did think to myself where would you do a number 2? Surely there must've been a few people bursting

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[Mr Smggles]

100% right. My firm is going the other way quite heavily now - working from home at least a day a week is expected of everyone, two days is very common and some people more than that. They've put the IT infrastructure in place to make it work (decent laptops with integrated cameras for VC, good telephone/remote access software to facilitate etc etc). Appreciate it doesn't work for everyone, but if you have the setup/environment at home to be able to do it, and the discipline to work properly, it can be massively more efficient. I get way more done when I'm at home yet still have a better work/life balance as a result. Three hours saved by not travelling, many hours saved by not having inane conversations in the office, interrupted far less by people (there is an 'out of sight/out of mind element to it) etc etc. Of course the firm have worked out that they can reduce expensive office capacity this way too.............

I've got about 13 people that report directly to me, on any given day there will be a max of 2 of them in the same office - the rest are scattered all over so it really makes no difference where I am. It's rare for me to have any meeting, regardless of the number of people there, where everyone is in the same country, let alone the same building. WFH also allows me to flex times much better - calls with Asia early morning and Canada late pm for example (when I'd otherwise be on a train). I can nip out for a run or go to the gym any time during the day, between meetings etc.

I wouldn't take a job that required 5 day a week commuting any more, I've got too used to homeworking 1-2 days a week over the last few years.

I can also have meetings with Group General Managers whilst sat in my pants

Now I know how you’ve managed 17,000 posts on NSC