VelvetFreak is saving up to buy a house!

greenbee

I’m paying the first instalment on my kitchen tomorrow, with the intention that it should be in this summer. As I have a relatively secure job, and planned to do this anyway, I feel I need to support local businesses who may struggle. So the manufacturer, electrician, decorator and installer will all get some work. If they’re not allowed to do it while i’m living in the house I’ll move into my brother’s Airbnb for the duration.

VelvetFreak

Well I have made it to the end of the fortnight and am $99.25 over budget! I would have been fine if I didn't buy paint from the home improvement store. I used some of it and then realised that I had the exact same full tin of paint in the garage but never mind, I might take one tin back and get it tinted a different colour and use it for something else (both are plain white paint - huge tins). Today was tiring and boring. No word from my boss about whether we will close or not but I still live in fear that he will do something dumb.

I'm determined not to waste money this fortnight. There should be no reason to anyway as I can't go anywhere or do anything.

VelvetFreak

Well today was an interesting day at work. 
My boss came out and told us that if the country "goes into lockdown" that we will be "stood down from our roles" and have to "negotiate with him to take annual leave or unpaid leave during the lockdown period". Needless to say, I am fuming There is no reason why we can't work from home, we do pretty much all of our tasks from the computer as it is. There is no reason why the business has to "shut down" at all. My boss can still see clients via skype/phone (in fact he's already done this a few times for clients who did not want to come in). The customers won't stop paying their monthly fees. He is not losing any money because of this. Also there is a grant that you can apply for to get money to keep your staff working from home during this corona virus situation.

Call me cynical but I'm sure this is just a ploy to make us run our leave balances down. And I'm sure it's also got something to do with the fact that he doesn't know how to use our computer program and is too lazy/doesn't want to learn how to do it. I was so shocked at the time he said all of this that I couldn't even muster up a reply, which I now regret. Good luck to him if he's going to attempt to run this business by himself for a month! He does not know how anything works

Anyway, it hasn't happened yet, but if it does I will be putting up one hell of a fight. This is my hill to die on. There is no reason why we can't keep working. I've got 100hrs of leave which is a bit over 2 weeks' worth, and if I have to go without pay at any point I will raise hell. I understand that other people have it worse and have lost their jobs completely, but like I said, there's no reason why we can't keep working! 

Needless to say, after all this is over I will be 100% getting a new job. I'm so over this place and my bosses' antics. Just ridiculous.

sashybo

Sorry to hear that Velvet, your boss sounds like a horror to be honest, it's really bad that he wants his employees to use leave to cover a lockdown.

It's not exactly optional if it happens, surely he should be proactively getting the IT sorted so that everyone works from home and a contingency plan in place. From what you've said previously he sounds like he couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag. 

VelvetFreak

You are right Sashy - he is absolutely hopeless. 

The government has just released its list of places that need to close, and office-y type places are not on there, so I suppose we are safe for now. I might start nagging my boss about solutions for working from home while there's still time to figure things out.

VelvetFreak

Another day done and I am still employed. I did manage to convince my boss to look into some kind of IT solution and I explained to him how simple it would be for us to work from home. He couldn't get his head around turning a document into a PDF without printing it out and scanning it back into the computer. We also had an interesting conversation about "male" and "female" computer plugs in which he asked me how I can tell the difference as it is not labelled (he was dead serious). I told him "because I just can" and then he questioned me further so I told him he needed anatomy lessons and then he wouldn't make eye contact with me for a few minutes after that

 The Annoying Coworker turned on her antics at quarter to 5 this afternoon when our boss asked her to record a new message for our answering machine and as soon as he left the room she tried to make me do it instead. I said no and she pushed back twice trying to get me to do it saying that she had done it "the last few times" (duh, because that's your job). The audacity! I dobbed her in to the boss straight away but as usual he doesn't really care. It felt like I was trying to convince a toddler to eat their veggies and then I remembered I was dealing with a 55 year old woman with a moustache (sorry, but it's true) *eyeroll*

Anyway, that's enough talk of work shenanigans for tonight. Tomorrow is a public holiday in my neck of the woods so I am glad to have a day free of dealing with the aforementioned idiots.

Yesterday was payday so I have added my usual $582.34 which brings my total up to $1,860.74

I gave myself $300 in spending for the fortnight to make up for last fortnight's mishap (would usually give myself $400). I'm going to try and be as careful as possible so that I might have some left at the end of the fortnight to add to the savings. Should be doable as I can't go anywhere or do anything as nothing is open. Have already spend $40 on petrol so have got $260 left for groceries and whatever else. Am avoiding the shops like the plague but will need a couple of things by the weekend. 

I passed my second Diploma subject so only have one to go now 'til I can get a certificate! And 5 to go til I can get the Advanced certificate. Have already started on the third subject and it looks a bit more difficult than the other two but not to worry. I've set myself a ridiculous target of finishing them all by the end of the year, so we'll see. I managed to do the previous one in 30 days so I think it's somewhat realistic especially since there is nothing else to do. 

Tomorrow's plans are: 
-more painting 
-do some work on my diploma
-go to hardware store and get paint tinted if they aren't closed 

Chrystal

Try to see the funny side of the idiots you have to work with Velvet... especially the fact that they don't actually KNOW they are idiots! 
Take care of yourself. X

South_coast

VelvetFreak said:

We also had an interesting conversation about "male" and "female" computer plugs in which he asked me how I can tell the difference as it is not labelled

I remember asking the same question when I was at college. My tutor responded with "Well I would have thought that was obvious" I was mortified 😮! 

Cherryfudge

Well done on your Diploma results!
I'm laughing to myself here over the computer issues... at least he will remember in future!
I would push to get you all homeworking asap - especially as it's work that can be largely done from home. It's scary a little further down the line for those who have to keep going into work despite possible contact with Covid-19: it's really hard to keep the recommended distance al the time and of course phones and keyboards are prime sources for shared germs.
Also your annoying co-worker won't find it as easy to hide behind you.

VelvetFreak

Well I've had a productive morning already. Got my paint tinted at the hardware store and resisted buying anything else Went to the grocery shop and was able to get toilet paper, mince, pepperoni and chocolate no cat litter though I spent $39 so have got $221 left til next Tuesday. 

I'm just about to hang out my second load of washing for the day and will put a coat of paint on the doors then have leftovers for lunch and after that I might do some batch cooking as this afternoon's entertainment. I've got stuff to make pizza, pumpkin soup and lasagne. I hope I can fit it all in the freezer At least then I will have healthy good food to eat and can avoid going shopping for at least a week or so.