The advice thread for random problems #5

cowtastrophe · Apr 28, 2024

Does anyone have any knowledge about confidentiality of completed timesheets in the workplace at all? I realise this may be down to an individual organisation’s HR policy but I’m trying to get an understanding of good practice.

The reason I’m asking is because currently, our signed and completed timesheets are left in a box for office staff to process for payroll and another member of staff is going through them and then sharing numbers of hours worked, breaks etc with other people as well as using the information to bully and harass staff members. It has been raised to management but as I said, I just wanted to see what people’s thoughts were.

OnlyHereForTheLolz · Apr 28, 2024

cowtastrophe said:
Does anyone have any knowledge about confidentiality of completed timesheets in the workplace at all? I realise this may be down to an individual organisation’s HR policy but I’m trying to get an understanding of good practice.

The reason I’m asking is because currently, our signed and completed timesheets are left in a box for office staff to process for payroll and another member of staff is going through them and then sharing numbers of hours worked, breaks etc with other people as well as using the information to bully and harass staff members. It has been raised to management but as I said, I just wanted to see what people’s thoughts were.

It depends what the issues are. We do discuss people taking to many breaks, not clocking in on time etc etc
There is no privacy regarding this. Where you might expect it is when it comes to your actual pay

Snippysnips · Apr 28, 2024

Going to London in a few months, an we are going to get oyster cards, do I need to purchase my own? Or can I just use any? another friend is going down an has them already an I was wondering if I could just use theirs an top it up or if it will have their details on it an they will check that as I think you need to buy the cards an we would only be using them maybe two days at most if that

But if I do need to get them myself is it easy enough down there to pick them up? Do the train stations/bus stations etc have the little ticket booths around or is it going be a hunt to find, thanks

OnlyHereForTheLolz · Apr 28, 2024

Snippysnips said:
Going to London in a few months, an we are going to get oyster cards, do I need to purchase my own? Or can I just use any? another friend is going down an has them already an I was wondering if I could just use theirs an top it up or if it will have their details on it an they will check that as I think you need to buy the cards an we would only be using them maybe two days at most if that

But if I do need to get them myself is it easy enough down there to pick them up? Do the train stations/bus stations etc have the little ticket booths around or is it going be a hunt to find, thanks

Oyster cards are now redundant. You use your bank card to tap in and out. But you must remember to tap out. There is a set limit of what you will be charged every day.

cowtastrophe · Apr 28, 2024

OnlyHereForTheLolz said:
It depends what the issues are. We do discuss people taking to many breaks, not clocking in on time etc etc
There is no privacy regarding this. Where you might expect it is when it comes to your actual pay

I think it’s one thing (and normal) for people to discuss it. I think it’s quite another to analyse a colleague’s timesheets then phone them on their day off and accuse them of fraud by falsifying their timesheet. This person is not a manager and has no responsibility for overseeing other staff. It’s not the first time it’s happened and I’ve raised it to management before but they didn’t want to change their process for storing timesheets.

Snippysnips · Apr 28, 2024

OnlyHereForTheLolz said:
Oyster cards are now redundant. You use your bank card to tap in and out. But you must remember to tap out. There is a set limit of what you will be charged every day.

Thanks, I had no idea, nor does my friend who's going down there, the last time we were down we used a bank card but it ended up in a mess because they don't total the amount of people all together an put it through as one like they do here an they wanted one card per person (they wouldn't tell us this, it was actually passengers that helped us out because for some reason they didn't want to explain that) but we only wanted to use one card for us all so we kept on track of it, has this changed now the oyster cards are gone or still the same?

Preferable I just want to use the one card for all 3 of us as it keeps us on track rather than each of us using one card each an then having 3 cards to constantly check up on

also what do you mean by making sure to "tap out" an how much per day can you use?

littlepup · Apr 28, 2024

Snippysnips said:
Thanks, I had no idea, nor does my friend who's going down there, the last time we were down we used a bank card but it ended up in a mess because they don't total the amount of people all together an put it through as one like they do here an they wanted one card per person (they wouldn't tell us this, it was actually passengers that helped us out because for some reason they didn't want to explain that) but we only wanted to use one card for us all so we kept on track of it, has this changed now the oyster cards are gone or still the same?

Preferable I just want to use the one card for all 3 of us as it keeps us on track rather than each of us using one card each an then having 3 cards to constantly check up on

also what do you mean by making sure to "tap out" an how much per day can you use?

You're not really going to be able to use one card as you tap the card to walk through the barrier. At a busy station you'll create a bottle neck with one person standing to the side to tap you all through.
Just each use your phone or cash card on contactless to tap against the oyster/card pad at the barrier as you go through here, you tap to get in and tap to get out. .
It'll cost what it costs but there's a maximum charge each day depending if you're peak and what zones you're travelling in, so once you reach that you wont be charged any more. You can still buy paper travel cards too. London Travelcard Prices and Types (londonpass.com)

Donald23 · Apr 28, 2024

Pesky Tarian said:
Absolutely go back to the salon and have a moan. I assume you're not going to use them again @Donald23 so what's to lose?.

Kim Mild said:
Can you get low lights put through? A brown may look dull and patchy.
---
If two adults get joint National Trust membership can one of them visit separately or go they always have to visit together?

I went with a box dye and now look more normal. Brown with slight highlights, instead a full head of yellow hair

Snippysnips · Apr 28, 2024

littlepup said:
You're not really going to be able to use one card as you tap the card to walk through the barrier. At a busy station you'll create a bottle neck with one person standing to the side to tap you all through.
Just each use your phone or cash card on contactless to tap against the oyster/card pad at the barrier as you go through here, you tap to get in and tap to get out. .
It'll cost what it costs but there's a maximum charge each day depending if you're peak and what zones you're travelling in, so once you reach that you wont be charged any more. You can still buy paper travel cards too. London Travelcard Prices and Types (londonpass.com)

Thanks for this, I also should have been clearer but it's going be for the buses more, I don't think I'll be using the underground as I really don't like them so it's either going be walking or the bus, can the buses use the paper travel cards as well?

OnlyHereForTheLolz · Apr 28, 2024

Snippysnips said:
Thanks for this, I also should have been clearer but it's going be for the buses more, I don't think I'll be using the underground as I really don't like them so it's either going be walking or the bus, can the buses use the paper travel cards as well?

Yes, but on the buss you can also just tap your card. But again each person will need their own card. From experience I find tapping my bank card much easier than using a papercard. A papercard is so easily missplaced. If it’s two adults really consider each just using your own card

Snippysnips · Apr 28, 2024

OnlyHereForTheLolz said:
Yes, but on the buss you can also just tap your card. But again each person will need their own card. From experience I find tapping my bank card much easier than using a papercard. A papercard is so easily missplaced. If it’s two adults really consider each just using your own card

Thanks so much for this, I can use my own an my mum can use hers, it's really my dad thats the problem, he doesn't have a phone an refuses to get one an doesn't want to use card either, he's still a very cash only person so I'll maybe get him the paper card for himself

Pesky Tarian · Apr 28, 2024

Donald23 said:
I went with a box dye and now look more normal. Brown with slight highlights, instead a full head of yellow hair

I'm glad you got sorted. It's so frustrating to pay all that money and then walk out the salon feeling less than great. I spent 20 years paying for highlights but for the last year I've done my own box dye and much prefer the results. No-one knows your own hair like you.

littlepup · Apr 28, 2024

cowtastrophe said:
I think it’s one thing (and normal) for people to discuss it. I think it’s quite another to analyse a colleague’s timesheets then phone them on their day off and accuse them of fraud by falsifying their timesheet.

They shouldn’t be calling them on their day off and they shouldn’t be confronting them directly. It’s an HR issue. How did they get their number?

cowtastrophe · Apr 28, 2024

littlepup said:
They shouldn’t be calling them on their day off and they shouldn’t be confronting them directly. It’s an HR issue. How did they get their number?

We all have each other’s numbers. I realise there are two separate issues at play here - the behaviour of the employee going through all the timesheets and the fact she was able to access the timesheets.

The former has been raised to her manager though this is very far from the first time she’s been reported for bullying. The issue about the accessibility of the timesheets is something I raised already due to previous incidents of this employee going through them and sharing information she found in them with others. The response I got was that the hours worked are not secret which sort of missed the point a bit.

It‘s not that I have anything to hide and my hours/breaks are completely legit. I just object to a colleague analysing my timesheet, making assumptions and then stirring shit by going round misrepresenting it and accusing me and others of fraud. Personally, I feel that completed timesheets are confidential and should only be used by your manager and payroll but I accept that this may not be standard practice.

OnlyHereForTheLolz · Apr 28, 2024

cowtastrophe said:
We all have each other’s numbers. I realise there are two separate issues at play here - the behaviour of the employee going through all the timesheets and the fact she was able to access the timesheets.

The former has been raised to her manager though this is very far from the first time she’s been reported for bullying. The issue about the accessibility of the timesheets is something I raised already due to previous incidents of this employee going through them and sharing information she found in them with others. The response I got was that the hours worked are not secret which sort of missed the point a bit.

It‘s not that I have anything to hide and my hours/breaks are completely legit. I just object to a colleague analysing my timesheet, making assumptions and then stirring shit by going round misrepresenting it and accusing me and others of fraud. Personally, I feel that completed timesheets are confidential and should only be used by your manager and payroll but I accept that this may not be standard practice.

Completed timesheets are not confidential, unless maybe specified in your contracts. However you certainly can make a formal complaint about this employee. That is out of order and your manager should be doing something about it.

cowtastrophe · Apr 28, 2024

OnlyHereForTheLolz said:
Completed timesheets are not confidential, unless maybe specified in your contracts. However you certainly can make a formal complaint about this employee. That is out of order and your manager should be doing something about it.

Thanks, I wasn’t sure if there was anything in HR law/regs about it. A complaint is definitely being made!

littlepup · Apr 28, 2024

cowtastrophe said:
Thanks, I wasn’t sure if there was anything in HR law/regs about it. A complaint is definitely being made!

There’s nothing to stop you putting it in a sealed envelope addressed to HR in the box I’d guess. Then if they opened it, it would be an issue.

TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo · Apr 29, 2024

Not really a problem as such... I'm staying in Central York one night this week. The hotel I'm at doesn't have a restaurant. I've had a Google and there's a few possible options but I'm feeling a bit anxious because I'll be on my own.

Is anyone from York or goes there often and would recommend anywhere? I'd quite fancied a proper meal but I'm wondering if I should just sack that off and get a Maccies or similar.

OnlyHereForTheLolz · Apr 29, 2024

TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo said:
Not really a problem as such... I'm staying in Central York one night this week. The hotel I'm at doesn't have a restaurant. I've had a Google and there's a few possible options but I'm feeling a bit anxious because I'll be on my own.

Is anyone from York or goes there often and would recommend anywhere? I'd quite fancied a proper meal but I'm wondering if I should just sack that off and get a Maccies or similar.

I travel by myself often, even abroad. Don’t let being on your own put you off.
I’ve not been to York but what I normally do is look online or get recommendations and then just rock up. The goid thing about eating by yourself is the no judging! So what if you go for three courses? Who cares if you have three desserts
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PS if some of the anxiety is around “ walking” around by yourself at night then ask the restaurant to order you a cab

AshMay · Apr 30, 2024

TwooTwooTwitTwitTwoo said:
Not really a problem as such... I'm staying in Central York one night this week. The hotel I'm at doesn't have a restaurant. I've had a Google and there's a few possible options but I'm feeling a bit anxious because I'll be on my own.

Is anyone from York or goes there often and would recommend anywhere? I'd quite fancied a proper meal but I'm wondering if I should just sack that off and get a Maccies or similar.

Could you order from a restaurant you like the look of maybe? Sometimes when I don't feel like leaving the room I'll order deliveroo to the hotel and have a cosy night in

The advice thread for random problems #5

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