I am sorry to say that I have to start with a little rant today, please bear with me. As we know we are in very difficult times and I, for one, applaud the way that our government have supported and protected us. I am surprised and saddened that the business community has not all worked with that support to support those who we employ and who need it most.
Whilst many in the business community have acted to support their employees, fully aware that the state will step in at some point to assist with that burden, many haven’t. I have heard countless stories of staff being told that they will receive furlough payments (80% of earnings) as and when the state pays the employer.
I am not talking about the millionaire businessmen who have been shown to be the self serving ungrateful sods that we always knew they were. I am speaking of small businesses who are the soul of our community and whose staff are the soul of their businesses.
I am sorry but if your business runs so close to insolvency that it cannot fund a few weeks payroll, in the knowledge that this is state backed, then you are not actually in business. You are in the big chair, the boss, the one who takes the risks, this is what YOU do, not your staff. Your staff come to work, work hard for you and need your support.
You are turning away from your staff in their time of need and you do not deserve their support or respect. I have heard the excuses, its been a slow year, we have had expenses, suppliers still need paying…. Man up, the state has guaranteed you support you only have to buffer this for your employees so if you don’t have the cash then use the overdraft, load the credit card because your staff need you to be a boss.
It now appears that my inability to purchase more of one type of paint was a blessing since I am 60% through and not started the second of the two tins that I have. I think gloss may also win out so its looking good, well by good I mean bloody boring!
A courier delivered a parcel today and we were discussing how we are respectively getting on and I mentioned the constant debate about speeding up to get it done versus the risk of finishing and having nothing to do. “You still got the deck to do” was his response, followed rapidly by “after all you already did my van”. This was the guy that answered that question that bugs us all …’how far does 5 L of decking oil go in a long wheel base sprinter van’. At least we know now mate*
I noticed this morning that one of the ducks has turned his back on us and seems to be protesting about something. I can’t imagine what his problem is after all we are all in the same boat. A little panic ensued when Dave sent me a picture of an escaped duck in his neighbours garden. Could the mardy blighter have travelled to Derby? I found the duck, still moody, on his stool and we worked out that whilst he would merrily have gone to Derby he respects the government advice about travelling and anyway he can’t afford the ferry.
On the subject of ducks, special mention has to go to Tiggy for hunting out an image of the special duck which can remain in his custody for as long as is possible.
*The answer, for the curious, is it goes everywhere