Cherry takes the reins

Cherryfudge

Seasidegal58 said:

I'm learning (or trying to learn) French Cherry. The reason being that I thought it would be an easier learn as it was what I was taught at secondary school - although I only did it for four years and really bunked off a lot of my last year at school. I never picked it up again going forward. To be honest I think I would rather be learning Italian on Duolingo as I prefer Italy to France and have visited Italy a lot more than France - maybe I should change language!

I have loads of books on kindle too Cherry. I always buy novels on there now - so much easier to read on a kindle and I can also read them through my iPad or phone. 

Ooh, me too! It definitely helps that I did it at school. I've been to Italy once, the language always sounds amazing. You could always give it a try, I expect having been there a few times would help you learn.

I never had you down as bunking off school.  

I think novels generally work better on Kindle than other types of books do. Anything that's primarily about ideas, if it's good enough to plough through, I struggle with not being able to flip between pages to check things.

Cherryfudge

Work today was...eventful. A senior manager tells us we'll be expected to be in work on Christmas Day despite having no clients in.

As you can imagine, this hasn't gone down very well. 

I don't have any objection to providing cover if someone's staying, but why not let people be on call when there are no planned stays? This is what we've done previously when we've been open at Christmas. The organisation has on call management anyway, through whom any emergency admissions would necessarily need to be referred. Why not, then, send emergency requests straight to the people who will make the decision, and if they judge the request can be accepted, they could contact members of staff. Surely it would save a lot of money: it will cost well over £1,000 to pay staff to be in the empty building for 24 hours.

One of my colleagues, who has apparently been considering changing her hours, sat down at the beginning of the evening's shift and emailed their resignation. Their pattern of shifts over Christmas means they won't see their family. They will still be working elsewhere but this will lose them the greater part of their income.

I've had a chat with DH and he advised to give them time to back down. However, they've already lost two managers who were forced to manage a service that wasn't compatible with their lives, and they didn't back down when those people left.

I hate that it may well leave DH at home alone from mid afternoon on Christmas Day, depending on what the children do. J and L have already said they'll be having Christmas at their house, DS2 is probably working and A and H's baby is due any time around Christmas Day.

I thought the work situation was poor at the end of last week but this just feels mean. So many people couldn't have family Christmas last year, now an employer has decided to make people go to work even if there are no clients to support.

Sun_Addict

I think it’s mean, like you say, why not have staff on call for emergencies. Your employers will have to be a lot better if they want to keep staff, especially at the moment when there are a lot of vacancies and no one to fill them. 

Seasidegal58

Cherryfudge said:

I never had you down as bunking off school.  

I was off school that last year more than I was in Cherry!🤣. I totally hated it!

I agree that your employers are being very shortsighted over Christmas. Yes - have a emergency call rota by all means but expecting to staff to come in when there are no clients is just petty and ridiculous. 

Cherryfudge

@Sun_Addict, @Seasidegal58, thanks for the sympathy. I usually calm down after a couple of days and while I'm not currently so stirred up by it, I'm still not happy.

I got my October timesheet in today and it's put some weight on. I knew the manager would be processing them today.

DH and I went for a run this morning: it's colder now but we warmed up quite quickly. I also got a load of laundry done and DH rang the utilities company to try to sort the large bill from the old house. They were very helpful but unless someone can find some readings from lockdown, I think we may end up having to pay it. The company has offered to get readings from their predecessor but I'm not sure they'll succeed as that company recently bit the dust when fuel costs went up.

I've been knitting hard again! Something is definitely wrong with the way the front of that blue jumper is knitting up! My friend and I spent some time trying to work it out this evening but all we've managed is to take out the very top bit which is clearly not the right size. The grey jumper is progressing nicely right now with just a few rows to finish the back, then the second sleeve to knit. I meant to order the yarn for my next project today but other stuff got in the way.

I did quite a bit of grocery shopping as some basics were running out, and I've collected the remains of my prescription. Nothing too exciting. This evening I've spent about £6.50 on a gift for A, H and the baby (saw the perfect thing and ordered while I remembered) and 49p on a Kindle version of 'Heidi' for me.

Spending
: Housekeeping £18.42
Gift about £6.50
E-book 49p.

And the things I'm thankful for: bumping into A and H in town and hearing the baby has turned and is no longer breech. Extra income due next month. Nice enough weather to get out and about and to dry the laundry. Autumn colours with the sun shining through. Still seeing flowers in people's gardens.

Cherryfudge

Meant to say I signed myself back into A...zon Prime. A bit early for Christmas but there are November/December birthdays too and this year the expectation seems to be that deliveries may take a while and we'd better have everything sorted out long before Christmas.

Part of me also thinks that's a new face on the Quality Street in September scam. I mean, if you buy QS in September, did anyone ever keep them till Christmas? Yet they appear, regular as clockwork, with the first of the Christmas stuff. People buy them, eat them, give them away, buy more for actual Christmas... successful marketing achieved.

Onebrokelady

The Christmas scenario happens where I am too although we are unlikely to have no patients we can sometimes only have one or two but we have to have the full complement of staff in case any more come in,quite often our inpatients go home for Christmas Day if they can and then come back the next day but we still have to staff the unit as if it was full

Cherryfudge

Onebrokelady said:

The Christmas scenario happens where I am too although we are unlikely to have no patients we can sometimes only have one or two but we have to have the full complement of staff in case any more come in,quite often our inpatients go home for Christmas Day if they can and then come back the next day but we still have to staff the unit as if it was full

Oh that's such a shame OBL. I can kind of see you might need extras, just as we might, but it would be kinder if they put some of you on shorter shifts with the option of having to stay on if needed, or having you on call with a few staff in place.

Seasidegal58

I'm glad to read the baby has turned Cherry - that's a relief. And you've reminded me about 'Heidi' - I loved the book when I was a child, but haven't thought about it for years and years!  I did download the Katy books a while ago though and re-read those. 

Quite agree about Quality Street. My parents always bought a large tin of these at Christmas when my sister and I were growing up, but the tin was never purchased until a few weeks before Christmas and put out a week before. But then in the 60s you didn't start thinking about Christmas until the end of November!😱

Sun_Addict

Good news about the baby turning. DS was facing the wrong way round when he was born and had to be rotated with forceps. Then his shoulders got stuck 😬 He’s always been awkward 😆

I shall say this and run off, I don’t like Quality Street, Roses or any of those tubs of chocolates so never buy them 🏃‍♀️