This week, there’s been quite a lot of disparity in overtime offered. One colleague was saying that she was shattered as she’d worked two 9-hour shifts in a row, both of which contained a considerable amount of overtime. Those 2 days, I wasn’t offered a single hour, in fact, the supervisor asked me to swap 2 of my days around. I agreed it was okay, though after finding out how much overtime others did, it feels to me that it was a way of getting me to work the hours without getting any extra pay! I won’t make that mistake again, and it’s just one more item to add to the list for when I have my review. I shall be chasing that up soon as many colleagues have had theirs, and I haven’t heard a peep about mine.

Most days I’m making the pick rate though it’s hard when so many customers are asking for my help. The one day, 8 customers sought my help! I’m not wearing a mask now and I think many see a ‘friendly’ face and ask me for help. A lot of the younger staff wear an ear bud as they’re listening to their own music, and I think customers avoid them as they most likely won’t hear them. Personally, I wouldn’t allow them; I think it’s rude but I’m not in charge.

This week the Ship’s Dog, and the Deckhand have been poorly. Thankfully I’m okay, so far, and I’m wondering if the heat has made them both ill. I don’t like the heat, I don’t sleep well, though think I cope better than the two of them. It seemed to be a 24-hour bug, so fingers crossed…

Our pay rise goes through for this month’s pay, though already I’ve had mail stating that the phone and utility bills will be going up. Sounds about right! I’ve switched/will switch to a new plan for all of them, and time will tell if I’ll be worse off or not.

Come April next year, I think, many will be worse off due to the impending rise in NI payments. You know, the one that Bojo promised wouldn’t happen! The day after the announcement, there was news that the NHS will be employing dozens of bureaucrats who will be paid more than the PM. So, now we know why we’re going to pay more NI! For myself, I wouldn’t mind if I could be sure the money was going to be used to ensure patient care, and care for the elderly, but we know that’s just a pipe dream. As always, the money will be swallowed up by too many managers, the new bureaucrats, and wastage that the NHS seems to ‘enjoy’ so much of.

Meanwhile, our surgery is still closed, and I wrote to our local MP about same. His reply read along the lines of waffle, waffle, Covid, waffle, waffle, get lost. So, nothing will change, and I’ll need to do a round trip of more than 4 miles for my flu shot, again, whilst there is a surgery within walking distance of my home. Don’t even get me started on the current cost of petrol. GP’s are making 6-figure salaries, and many still won’t see patients face to face. Like university lecturers, they should be told to get their surgery’s up and running again!

Without getting too political, I hope this will the final nail in the coffin for the Cons. Breaking manifesto and campaign promises is de rigueur for all parties in my experience, but this one will hit us in our pockets. With pension changes too, changes to when one can retire from work, and so on, it seems they just want to keep on kicking us. Now, if only we had a party that was worth voting for to rival the Cons; though for the first time in many years, Labour seems to be doing better in opinion polls. I don’t vote for either by the way though I do like to keep abreast of what’s going on.

Have a great weekend.