People need to be educated about contactless payments

[Deleted User]

gsmh said:

I recently bought £17 worth of bits and pieces from a local farm shop and when I got home and looked at my online bank account I could see the transaction had been declined. I waited to see if it righted itself, but as expected it didn't. A few days later I called in and told them what had happened and successfully repeated the transaction. I was told the young lad who had served me had had the money deducted from his wages. I am so pleased I did the right thing. £17 is a lot to a 17 year old!

Deducted from his wages? That is so disgusting. And folk go on about shopping locally and supporting small businesses etc. A supermarket would never deduct wages for errors like that.

gsmh

Deleted_User said:

Deducted from his wages? That is so disgusting. And folk go on about shopping locally and supporting small businesses etc. A supermarket would never deduct wages for errors like that.

Indeed. I was shocked to hear the manager tell me that. I thought this sort of thing belonged to a bygone era.

briskbeats

Deleted_User said:

gsmh said:

I recently bought £17 worth of bits and pieces from a local farm shop and when I got home and looked at my online bank account I could see the transaction had been declined. I waited to see if it righted itself, but as expected it didn't. A few days later I called in and told them what had happened and successfully repeated the transaction. I was told the young lad who had served me had had the money deducted from his wages. I am so pleased I did the right thing. £17 is a lot to a 17 year old!

Deducted from his wages? That is so disgusting. And folk go on about shopping locally and supporting small businesses etc. A supermarket would never deduct wages for errors like that.

Is that lawful? That needs reporting.

eskbanker

briskbeats said:

Deleted_User said:

gsmh said:

I recently bought £17 worth of bits and pieces from a local farm shop and when I got home and looked at my online bank account I could see the transaction had been declined. I waited to see if it righted itself, but as expected it didn't. A few days later I called in and told them what had happened and successfully repeated the transaction. I was told the young lad who had served me had had the money deducted from his wages. I am so pleased I did the right thing. £17 is a lot to a 17 year old!

Deducted from his wages? That is so disgusting. And folk go on about shopping locally and supporting small businesses etc. A supermarket would never deduct wages for errors like that.

Is that lawful? That needs reporting.

Yes, it's lawful, according to https://www.gov.uk/understanding-your-pay/deductions-from-your-pay, as long as it's included in the employment contract terms and is no more than 10% of gross pay:

If you work in retail - for example shops, restaurants

Your employer cannot take more than 10% from your gross pay (pay before tax and National Insurance) each pay period to cover any shortfalls.

Example

There’s a shortfall of £50 in your till and your employer wants to deduct this from your earnings.

You’re paid £250 gross per week. Your employer can take 10% of your gross earnings, which is £25.

They must only take £25 one week and then make another deduction from your next pay cheque for £25.

If you leave your job, they can take the full amount owed from your final pay

eskbanker

IanManc said:

gsmh said:

I recently bought £17 worth of bits and pieces from a local farm shop and when I got home and looked at my online bank account I could see the transaction had been declined. I waited to see if it righted itself, but as expected it didn't. A few days later I called in and told them what had happened and successfully repeated the transaction. I was told the young lad who had served me had had the money deducted from his wages. I am so pleased I did the right thing. £17 is a lot to a 17 year old!

If the deduction of the £17 from the 17 year old's wages took his hourly pay rate for that day below the National Minimum Wage rate of £4.62 an hour for his age group then this deduction is unlawful, and could have resulted in a complaint to HMRC.

Maybe you might mention that to the owner of the farm shop next time you're visiting?  

But that gov.uk page linked above states:

A deduction cannot normally reduce your pay below the National Minimum Wage even if you agree to it, except if the deduction is for:

• [...]
• something you’ve done and your contract says you’re liable for it, for example a shortfall in your till if you work in a shop
• [...]

pochisoldi

Torry_Quine said:

As someone with hearing problems I can often not hear the beep so can't tell if it's one or two. It's worse just now not being able to wear my hearing aid with my mask. People like me are really struggling.

Going off at a tangent...
Unlike the majority of "exempt" people I've encountered (mainly twenty something fashionistas), you have a legitimate reason for not wearing a mask. I suggest that you exercise your exemption - get yourself a "sunflower lanyard" and get someone to make up a laminated card which says "Exempt from wearing a mask - I want to wear a mask, but I can't wear a hearing aid and a mask at the same time"

[Deleted User]

IanManc said:

eskbanker said:

IanManc said:

gsmh said:

I recently bought £17 worth of bits and pieces from a local farm shop and when I got home and looked at my online bank account I could see the transaction had been declined. I waited to see if it righted itself, but as expected it didn't. A few days later I called in and told them what had happened and successfully repeated the transaction. I was told the young lad who had served me had had the money deducted from his wages. I am so pleased I did the right thing. £17 is a lot to a 17 year old!

If the deduction of the £17 from the 17 year old's wages took his hourly pay rate for that day below the National Minimum Wage rate of £4.62 an hour for his age group then this deduction is unlawful, and could have resulted in a complaint to HMRC.

Maybe you might mention that to the owner of the farm shop next time you're visiting?  

But that gov.uk page linked above states:

A deduction cannot normally reduce your pay below the National Minimum Wage even if you agree to it, except if the deduction is for:

• [...]
• something you’ve done and your contract says you’re liable for it, for example a shortfall in your till if you work in a shop
• [...]

Thanks Eskie. I'd been in the middle of drafting my posting when I was called away and came back a bit later, then finished what I was writing a posted it before seeing your link.

I think it's lousy that such deductions are allowed. People work on tills aren't that well paid in the first place and if something's wrong it could well be because they've been conned by someone.  😒

If you don't have basic numeracy skills then you shouldn't be on a checkout. A £50 shortfall is a significant amount to somehow go "missing"

briskbeats

pochisoldi said:

Torry_Quine said:

As someone with hearing problems I can often not hear the beep so can't tell if it's one or two. It's worse just now not being able to wear my hearing aid with my mask. People like me are really struggling.

Going off at a tangent...
Unlike the majority of "exempt" people I've encountered (mainly twenty something fashionistas), you have a legitimate reason for not wearing a mask. I suggest that you exercise your exemption - get yourself a "sunflower lanyard" and get someone to make up a laminated card which says "Exempt from wearing a mask - I want to wear a mask, but I can't wear a hearing aid and a mask at the same time"

Where I live, 90% customers of the 'exempt' folks who live in social housing and under 35. The sunflower lanyards are being abused by these idiots. Its the boy who cried wolf situation. Yet saw one of these 'exempt' girls at an outpatients waiting area of the local hospital. She wore a mask there. Then stupidly enough, we have some shoplifters who go in not wearing masks - well done in showing your full face on CCTV..

I work at a supermarket and see customers with hearing aids wearing mask extenders https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313&_nkw=mask+extender&_sacat=0 loads available as the mask hoops are hooked onto the extender which rests on the back of the head. Frees the ears. Or if you are good at sewing or knitting - make a strip about 16cmx5cm then sew large buttons on the outer edges.

born_again

pochisoldi said: I want to wear a mask, but I can't wear a hearing aid and a mask at the same time"

The masks we use have to elastic bits that go round the back of our heads, rather then the ears. Much more comfortable.

briskbeats

IanManc said:

eskbanker said:

IanManc said:

gsmh said:

I recently bought £17 worth of bits and pieces from a local farm shop and when I got home and looked at my online bank account I could see the transaction had been declined. I waited to see if it righted itself, but as expected it didn't. A few days later I called in and told them what had happened and successfully repeated the transaction. I was told the young lad who had served me had had the money deducted from his wages. I am so pleased I did the right thing. £17 is a lot to a 17 year old!

If the deduction of the £17 from the 17 year old's wages took his hourly pay rate for that day below the National Minimum Wage rate of £4.62 an hour for his age group then this deduction is unlawful, and could have resulted in a complaint to HMRC.

Maybe you might mention that to the owner of the farm shop next time you're visiting?  

But that gov.uk page linked above states:

A deduction cannot normally reduce your pay below the National Minimum Wage even if you agree to it, except if the deduction is for:

• [...]
• something you’ve done and your contract says you’re liable for it, for example a shortfall in your till if you work in a shop
• [...]

Thanks Eskie. I'd been in the middle of drafting my posting when I was called away and came back a bit later, then finished what I was writing a posted it before seeing your link.

I think it's lousy that such deductions are allowed. People work on tills aren't that well paid in the first place and if something's wrong it could well be because they've been conned by someone.  😒

I know many people who work(ed) in various retail and hospitality companies from independent shops/eateries to global restaurant chains and not one of them has had deductions from mistakes from tills or took a bank note which has been withdrawn.