Could do with some advice

Charityworker

simplydevine05 wrote: »

You will get benefits to keep you going and I presume you have already notified hmrc that you're self employed and are keeping records of income and expenditure for the tax man. Tax credits have flags they look out for to stop people falsely claiming eg if you make a loss two full years running you no longer qualify. I have found them to be extremely helpful while I made the transition from employed to self employed. Good luck x

Yes I've notified the HMRC and I'm keeping records.

Are you sure about no longer qualifying for WTC if you make a loss 2 years running? A friend of mine has run a horse and carriage business for the last 5 years and still has not made a profit but still gets WTC.

The outgoings for me were fairly small to start up (about £400) so I have made a profit now.

Charityworker

FrugalLina wrote: »

Do they have a grievance procedure? Ask for it and follow it to the letter, the committee have a duty of care to their employees and by allowing bullying to go on, they are in breach of their duties.

No they have never had anything like this. This is a charity which has been going for 50 years. I started as a volunteer and I had been there about 6 months. I got there one morning and they literally walked up to me and said "would you like to get paid for this job?". Of course I said yes. I do all my own payslips, wrote my own contract out, set my own working days and hours etc. I've never had a P60 but I contacted the HMRC and they said I earn under the threshold for a P60.

Sambucus_Nigra

Charityworker wrote: »

No they have never had anything like this. This is a charity which has been going for 50 years. I started as a volunteer and I had been there about 6 months. I got there one morning and they literally walked up to me and said "would you like to get paid for this job?". Of course I said yes. I do all my own payslips, wrote my own contract out, set my own working days and hours etc. I've never had a P60 but I contacted the HMRC and they said I earn under the threshold for a P60.

Then write a National Minimum Wage policy and a Grievance Procedure for them!

Acc72

Hi OP - what is it you want ?

Do you want to stay at the charity ?

If so, then you need to speak with the committee and (not threaten to leave) but to set your stall out as to what your role and responsibilities are etc. (and this does not include working for free - you do not need to justify this).

If you are otherwise happy there then you might as well see if you can change things before you do anything too drastic.

The problem you will have is that they are all volunteers - there was a good programme on tv a few months ago where Mary Portas went in to a charity shop and tried to increase their takings.

It was a very tough job to get people to change as all the volunteers (however awkward or difficult they were) thought that they were doing the charity a big favour, when in reality they were not !

Charityworker

Thanks for all your replies.

I have got some advice so I thought I'd come back and tell you all how I've got on.

Apparently if they sack me because I refuse to do unpaid hours I can take them to a tribunal as this has no reflection on what I do during paid time. Also if they make me redundant because they can't afford to pay me then get someone else for the role either paid or not I can also take them to a tribunal for this because the job either exists or it doesn't. They can sack me for gross misconduct but even then they would have to prove it. Or they can make me redundant if the whole organisation is closing.

McKneff

I would have thought as you have only been there (paid) for 6 months they can dismiss you without reason and with no repercussions. I also think you have to be in the workplace a certain amount of time before you can take an employer to a tribunal.
Where did you get your information from.

Charityworker

McKneff wrote: »

I would have thought as you have only been there (paid) for 6 months they can dismiss you without reason and with no repercussions. I also think you have to be in the workplace a certain amount of time before you can take an employer to a tribunal.
Where did you get your information from.

Don't know where you got that from. I've been there nearly 4 years!

kingfisherblue

I think it is because you said in your first post that the charity expanded six months ago and your job changed considerably - just a misunderstanding.