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Weatherspoons
Briannia hotels
Anything Richard Branson owns
who else needs adding to the list ?
Anything Richard Branson owns
Worth noting that he has absolutely nothing to do with many Virgin companies despite being synonymous with the brand.
...and Sport Direct obvs.
sportsdirect, as if it needed saying
Worth noting that he has absolutely nothing to do with many Virgin companies despite being synonymous with the brand.
It's a bit of a twisted tale isn't it. The only one I know of that is nothing to do with him or any of his holding companies is Virgin Radio, but I couldn't be sure of that, the public side of Virgin is very brash and vocal, the private / structural side is quite hazy.
I have a small personal list of local places I work (used to work with) that fired people, not even made redundant on DAY 1 of social distancing 9 days ago that I'll never use again, even now I know of a few who have had to be talked out of laying off half their workforce, not because of hardship just because "I'm not paying them to sit at home" even under the 80% thing. Frankly they disgust me, because I know how wealthy they are personally.
"The company can't afford it!!" yeah the company can't afford it because you've taken every penny of profit out for years to pay for your massive houses and flash car collections. I hope they're left standing alone when this is over as their competitors take all the work they can't do for lack of staff and then they're sued into bankruptcy be their former staff for their rightful redundancy pay.
The Westminster Government?
Rick Stein
Waterstones
Wren Kitchens
Haart Estate Agents
Gordon Ramsay
Jamie Oliver
Any airline?
Specialized and Trek. Nothing to do with Covid 19, just their slimeball management.
Waterstones
A genuine question - what have they done? I take my daughter in for books regularly but will rethink if they have been up to no good. Thanks.
A bit of reasoning might help as I’m not sure what those mentioned are supposed to have done.
Sports Direct aside obvs
Up to few days ago waterstones were insisting staff turn up but offered no hand gel etc to protect them.
Just saw an interesting comment if Facebook. All these companies begging for bailouts, why not just offer them back the tax they've paid. Any registered in the Cayman Islands can ask their company for a bailout.
sportsdirect, as if it needed saying
Same could be said for weatherspoons
The Westminster Government?
I'll bite, as a Civil Servant for nearly 20 years, the speed we're moving at and the genuine prioritisation for the public is really quite something.
As tempting as it is to boycott a-hole business owners, its the employees that suffer, (those who remain or may not get rehired) the millionaires at the top will be OK, so I'm not sure it's the best course of action.
Well if we're doing Virgin why not Easyjet who don't want to feed their staff on top of expecting them to take unpaid leave? There's the true test of principals.
Locally I won't be putting another penny in the pocket of the arsehole that runs the kids amusement rides down at the front. Last weekend they remained open spreading god knows what amongst the army of ****wits congregating on the prom. Oddly enough the spoons was shut all weekend.
On Virgin Atlantic, Branston is only a quarter owner with Delta taking a 49% share. Maybe see what other Virgin franchises are doing before writing them all off.
Gonna keep an eye on this thread and read up some of those links!
The management of police Scotland. Mrs100th has a not nice role having to manage people who are not nice people.
No ppe, no hand sanitizer, world's shittest risk assessment which effectively boils down to get on with it, oh and it's open door for some real pieces of work because well it's not safe in prison. Just delay some visits you can catch them up later in the year.
The management of police Scotland.
Colour me shocked.
Don't imagine the Fire Brigade will be getting it any easier either.
On Virgin Atlantic, Branston is only a quarter owner
Oh I wish I was....
and Sport Direct obvs.
Evans Cycles too then?
Huawei
and anything else that benefits the Chinese State.
Wetherspoons
Easyjet
Sports Direct
IIRC virgin media just rent the name from Branson.
For £25 million a year.
I came here to say Evans.
And all the above.
You're either part of the problem or part of the solution......be part of the solution, spend with your brain.
All the bell-end, self-employed builder types who are hurtling around the streets in their white vans thinking the world owes them a living - driving at 50 in 20 just because...
Barclays. Profiteering : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52043896
HSBC. Same thing - details in same link.
Not all banks doing the same thing.
Manchester Climbing Centre (and the rest of the group). Turns out all their staff were on zero hours contracts and were jettisoned last week.
Up to few days ago waterstones were insisting staff turn up but offered no hand gel etc to protect them.
Plenty of companies don’t supply hand gel, mine doesn’t, B&M doesn’t, my g/f always has some by her till, just because her hands get filthy from handling cash, but B&M don’t supply it for her.
With Waterstones I can imagine it’s to avoid damaging expensive books, there are plenty of people who’d kick off at getting stains all over their new book.
Anyway most businesses are insisting on cashless payments to avoid contamination, so for the staff it’s not really an issue.
I don't think the Manchester Climbing Centre one is entirely fair. They had some zero hours staff but it certainly wasn't/isnt' all.
@Cougar, might just be me being a bit daft, but that Next article doesn't sound that bad? Volunteers only, and yes while not 'essential travel' it is work that cant be done from home and does keep, at least part, of the economy running, increasing the tax take from the company and may even help the other staff who dont go in and pick'n'pack to keep their jobs?
This all seems a bit petty and small minded. Some of the businesses above clearly mishandled this, but it was an unprecedented situation that evolved hour by hour. Big Mike is on the news now apologising. All this trying to organise twitter mobs and boycotts isn't healthy. People make mistakes, best they can do is acknowledge them and move on. Hounding folk only serves to create a culture where people can't admit to anything, and any hope improving is diminished.
In the business I work in we went in the space of a few days from Mild concern, no action > Moderate concern, wash your hands > [skipped a few steps] > Full blown lockdown, all response plans triggered.
Crazy, crazy times. I'm not a big fan of Brexit Tim but his worst fault in this seems to be that's he's quite open and prominent public figure.
At least the staff in Manchester climbing would be a bit more prepared than most of us for being thrown off the cliff.
Newcastle United season ticket holders don't have any choice in who to give their money to: many of them had £600 taken from their bank account last week.
The Westminster Government?
I’ll bite, as a Civil Servant for nearly 20 years, the speed we’re moving at and the genuine prioritisation for the public is really quite something.
So are you saying they can do it when they try but haven't been that bothered for last ten years? 😈
So this boycotting will effect the multi-millionaire owners of the companies and not the lowly workers who need the jobs, right? Cool, I'm in.
So this boycotting will effect the multi-millionaire owners of the companies and not the lowly workers who need the jobs, right?
Yes. In the long run. Lots of companies are being shamed at the moment, some are backing down or doing a U-turn. If you support ethical businesses and try to avoid non-ethical ones then employment rights will improve for all.
employment rights will improve for all.
Well, for those who've still got jobs anyway.
All the bell-end, self-employed builder types
All of the self-employed builder types I work with are taking this very seriously (OK I do my best to ensure I don’t work with idiots). The speed of work has been halved so they can fulfil the distancing requirements but they are keeping going to avoid leaving clients in a situation with inconvenient holes in the roof or without gas or electricity.
Virtually all of them would rather sell vital organs than get involved with the benefits system and their main point of contact with bureaucracy is the HMRC which may give you some idea why they have very little faith in receiving anything from the support schemes on offer.
Lumping all self employed builders together is like saying ‘All cyclists jump red lights'
So this boycotting will effect the multi-millionaire owners of the companies and not the lowly workers who need the jobs, right? Cool, I’m in.
Sounds good to me, the shit owners improve their act when it hits their bottom line or go out of business and someone else who hopefully isn't a cock fills the gap.
If more folk had principles the Mike Ashley's of this world would have been sorted long ago but unfortunately money trumps principles for many.
not the lowly workers who need the jobs, right?
Most of the crappiest companies have already tossed the 'workers' overboard, so any pain you can inflict on the likes of Ashley and Wetherspoon's Tim will be a job well done in the new tomorrow
Hopefully, decent firms will have a long memory too. Good luck running a pub when no-one will sell you beer on account.
Don’t imagine the Fire Brigade will be getting it any easier either.
Our lot in North Yorkshire are actually doing about all they can and have employee reps fully involved in decisions and solutions. Thumbs up so far.
Virtually all of them would rather sell vital organs than get involved with the benefits system and their main point of contact with bureaucracy is the HMRC which may give you some idea why they have very little faith in receiving anything from the support schemes on offer.
Lumping all self employed builders together is like saying ‘All cyclists jump red lights’
Most of the ones I know are probably wishing their declared income had been a little more accurate.
Not as a name and shame of any particular company but the Insurance Industry is interesting - most of my policies come up for renewal around now and I'd normally expect a flurry of pestering calls. But instead it pretty much seems as if even my current insurers seem happy to let policies just laps without a reminder. I'll give a bit of benefit of the doubt that home working and other disruptions mean things aren't as slick as they might be but I'd hate for it to turn out companies are actively seeking to slough off polices and leave customers uninsured.
This is all very noble and it'd be great to able to avoid all these companies, but I still don't see it as a good thing if these companies fold leaving many thousands of people unemployed. Not sure I'd see that as much of a victory.
Scroll up @choppersquad, you'll see the oh-so-wise answers to my querying of the same thing. ****ing dreaming if you ask me.
Scroll up @choppersquad, you’ll see the oh-so-wise answers to my querying of the same thing. **** dreaming if you ask me.
Do you have a better proposal for encouraging these companies to improve their employment practices, or will you keep kidding yourself that nothing can be done about it?
Boycotting businesses with poor ethics will be beneficial for employees in the long run.
I will never enter a Wetherspoons or Sports Direct again.
We need to support good independent pubs and shops where possible.
hmrc. 😆
Ferrero Rocher made my son redundant this afternoon 🙁
Add virgin media to the list; telling their installers they're providing an essential service by keeping people entertained and informed.
More corporate bollocks.
Make do with terrestrial and freesat.
Installations necessitate working inside homes.
Aldi have given all of their staff a 10% bonus to acknowledge how hard they are all working during this crisis
Tesco are doing the same, extra 10% on their wages right now.
Most of the ones I know are probably wishing their declared income had been a little more accurate.
This had crossed my mind!!
TomD - I am much more cynical that you. The likes of Ashley were in the first case thinking about their money and only their money and pushed into doing the right thing by the power of social media
anything else that benefits the Chinese State
I think we've always known what a dodgy bunch of ****s the Chinese government are (Tiananmen square etc) but I still can't get my head around the doctor that warned about this virus being arrested and silenced.
I wonder how many lives that cost 🙁
Amazon.
Wasn't much of a customer beforehand. Now that they've set up the relief fund for staff sick pay and inviting the public to donate, they'll be even less likely to see a penny from me.
Jhoots Pharmacies.
£20 for Calpol.
£5 for 16 unbranded paracetamol.
Forcing Community Nurses to wait hours in-line for prescriptions for vulnerable patients.
I think they might be just a Midlands chain but many people swearing never to use them again.
I was going to add Cirque du Soleil to the list. They immediately dumped nearly all their staff and aren't that quick at refunding ticket money to punters.
But it looks like they might be bankrupt soon anyway.
Oops
Vodafone , removing Turkey from free roaming and charging £6 per day instead.from May
Not great if you are stuck in Turkey
Evans Cycles too then?
Yes, for putting the prices of turbo trainer sup to well above RRP. Ok it's not an essential item, but still shitty practice.
So this boycotting will effect the multi-millionaire owners of the companies and not the lowly workers who need the jobs, right? Cool, I’m in.
Well, yes. It may actually do them some good.
Imagine you're Lacky #569845 at a Sports Direct store on a zero hours contract and people stop buying their cheap lonsdale boxer shorts form Sports Direct. Sure your out of a job, but you can go get another as Drone #458 wherever people go to get their sweatshop manufactured athliesure wear. Now Mike has been hit in the pocket he has to both improve conditions for his staff.
The number of boxer shorts sold doesn't change when you don't buy them at SD. Or bike parts if you don't shop at Evans. The staff just go work somewhere else that sells them.
It's not like boycotting a country where the population is mostly stuck there and dependant on foreign money.
Most of the ones I know are probably wishing their declared income had been a little more accurate.
It did occur me with all the "support ltd co directors" stuff doing the rounds. If you've paid yourself minimum wage and a massive dividend for the past however long to avoid paying tax and national insurance, then can you really come cap in hand with a straight face when HMRC only pays out at 80% of that "tax efficient not tax evasion" figure.
Add virgin media to the list; telling their installers they’re providing an essential service by keeping people entertained and informed.
More corporate bollocks.
Make do with terrestrial and freesat.
Installations necessitate working inside homes.
If there's one good thing that comes from this mess it should be the classification of broadband as an essential utility on par with water gas and electric.
Ferrero Rocher made my son redundant this afternoon 🙁
That's a shame, which country is he the ambassador for?
Can we add DFDS to this list? I was supposed to be sailing over to Newcastle for a week back in Scotland with the family, but their sailings are on hold until after we were supposed to go. Got an email saying that they were offering free cancellations or rescheduling, and given we have no idea when this'll be over I opted to cancel. Turns out free cancellations actually means they'll waive the normal cancellation fee, and that they'll keep your deposit and still expect you to pay another 130€. Furious doesn't even begin to cover it!
@misteralz If DFDS were unable to provide the service booked then you have a right to all your money back. In effect they cancelled a scheduled sailing, it's not on hold it's cancelled. You may need legal advice.
I can see the other side that money is required to keep the business solvent but the customer has the right to their money back if the service can not be provided.
Right? A lost deposit I could stomach, but cancelling the sailing and then asking for more money from us feels like exceptional pisstaking.
Just got off live chat with them. They've cancelled the booking with no further cost but won't refund my deposit, rather they'll take it off the cost off the next sailing I do, as long as I book it before the end of the year and the sailing itself is before the end of June next year. Given I don't have any other plans to go over again, I guess that's the equivalent of a lost deposit...
Is the deposit over £100? On a credit card? Go all section 75 on them.
170€, off our current account. Going to leave it as mrsalz still wants to go back to Scotland to visit after all this so she's clinging to the fact that we've still got a deposit on a potential sailing to get her through. I'm still unimpressed, mind...
Jhoots Pharmacies.
£20 for Calpol.
£5 for 16 unbranded paracetamol.
Forcing Community Nurses to wait hours in-line for prescriptions for vulnerable patients.
Is this genuine? Do you have a source? I've heard of a few people profiteering but not companies, they deserve a massive fine.
Wife has just come off the phone to her employer. She has a few days of her notice left. The employer she was going to has furloughed their staff.
Her current employer, who promote themselves on how they look after their people, has refused to let her withdrawal her notice. They are just about to furlough a large proportion of their 2000 staff but they wouldn't let her furlough through them despite 14 years service and no cost to them.
Is that worthy of a name and shame?
@Thebrick, it was all over the news either last week or the week before.
Wife has just come off the phone to her employer. She has a few days of her notice left. The employer she was going to has furloughed their staff.
Her current employer, who promote themselves on how they look after their people, has refused to let her withdrawal her notice. They are just about to furlough a large proportion of their 2000 staff but they wouldn’t let her furlough through them despite 14 years service and no cost to them.
Is that worthy of a name and shame?
Assume shes on 12 weeks notice with 14 years employment. If they "rehire" her they have to go through all that again, at a cost to them.
Can the new company not hire and immediately furlough her (at no cost to them)? Given its them that have given her an offer of employment, which they hopefully will still be keen on* once we are all back to work.
*Industry dependent I guess
Nope, rules for furlough are that you need to be employed as of 28th February. She's not asking to be rehired by the current employer, she's asking to not leave. She's still employed there at this moment.
we probably won't be avoiding them but aldi have been running special buy ad for garden furniture !!!! Probably quite a few garden centers spitting feathers!