*sigh* this may take a while

mark55man

I third what EH stated both about kids as virus vectors and two years of meh!!

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Thanks all... both still symptomless thankfully.
Sat here with a glass of ameretto, lovely

savingholmes

Glad you are getting to chill and the kids are okay

lucielle

Hope all the chaps are ok
L

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Hey!  So our house is covid free once again (for now!).... whoop whoop.
Our finances are feeling the strain of our usual excessive Christmas spending (on our children mainly), but I'm doing extra shifts to cover so will start 2022 on an even keel.
Feeling a bit disenchanted... work are getting increasingly strict; no work xmas dos, 'must have our jabs', 'must LFT/PCR consistently' blah blah. Yet patients can still rock in mask free and we have to xray/scan no questions asked... I've had to scan an average of 5 patients a day this week mask free, but can't socialise with my double jabbed/boostered colleagues? Meh.
4 colleagues have handed their notice in within the last month... the locum market is booming and the're moving into it... TRIPLE the hourly rate. I can't really blame them...  I've got a zoom call booked with a recruiter for one of the modalities I'm trained in, hourly rate is £50.  I'd do the hours on top of my NHS hours, but instead of my private ones.  I'm undecided, but my NHS morale is low.  We'll see what they say.
Otherwise, all good here, everyone is well and we're trundling along nicely.  Very much looking forward to the Xmas hols, 12 days off - bliss.  Some nice days out planned; Christmas lights, Panto, Harry Potter world... looking forward to it all

savingholmes

I would go for triple pay. Presumably pension much worse though.

Loved HP world when we went but it was crowded

mark55man

agreed with SH - you can't fight the good fight all on your own, and your core is still NHS so really you're just switching side hustles - and the one thing side hustles got to do is pay their way

+HP world is fab but was very crowded (although was way back when that was OK)

EssexHebridean

Aargh - I understand your quandary. I think everyone (well, all decent human beings) is feeling a bit miffed with the number of people still feeling that the rules don't apply to them. I completely sympathise with those who are genuinely exempt - technically I am myself although as a general rule I manage to wear one - but IMO you can tell the genuine ones as they are apologetic/keen to keep distance etc. 

Ultimately you have no "moral duty" to work for the NHS - it is just an organisation which you currently work for. If you moved elsewhere for more pay, that too would just be "an organisation you work for, but for more money". I'd try to look at it this way if it were me - if you currently worked for a private entity, and an option came along to jump ship for a lot more money, would you even think twice about it if you were feeling disillusioned where you are now? If you loved the current role, workplace, management etc it would be different.  without question though it's good to know that there are options. 

Glad you have a nice long run of time off at Christmas too, that's going to be a help I suspect! 

ohdearhowdidthathappen

savingholmes said:

I would go for triple pay. Presumably pension much worse though.

Loved HP world when we went but it was crowded

No pension to speak of, I don't think.  Although because I'm very part time, my NHS one isn't amazing, especially now that it's linked to national state retirement age.

I've been to HP world before with my older 2 and it was amazing, I'm looking forward to returning.  Not overly fussed on the crowds, although it'll be interesting to see if they cram everyone in one room at the start like they used to pre covid! 

ohdearhowdidthathappen

mark55man said:

agreed with SH - you can't fight the good fight all on your own, and your core is still NHS so really you're just switching side hustles - and the one thing side hustles got to do is pay their way

+HP world is fab but was very crowded (although was way back when that was OK)

That's a nice way to think of it, just switching side hustles

I'd imagine it will still be busy at HP world as it's a bit of a money making machine there, but I'm sure it'll be fine.  Kids are all very much looking forward to it.... the last two times I went I just went with a child or two, this time I'm dragging my husband too just for the logistics with 5 children.  He's not too fond of the idea