Brassknocker, I refused any offer they made and told them that they could either write off the bill or I'd go to the Ombudsman. They said go on then. I contacted the Ombudsman to open a case, which takes a few days. In the meantime npower got back in touch and said it was all a big mistake and they would write off the bill straight away. So i then called the ombudsman and told them to cancel the complaint as it had been resolved to my satisfaction. Based on my experience, i would advise to keep going until they bottle it - they talked a good game with me, but when push came to shove the bailed! cheers!

I didnt get it :(they just took a long time making their mind up. The number 1 candidte had more experince than me, so that swung it his way.thanks for the inputs,pandhandj

All,this isnt a problem where i'm after advice. Just looking for your opinions really.I went for an interview at the end of August for a new job. It went well and I was invited back for a 2nd, HR interview on Thu 11th Sep. Again it seemed to go well and the girl said they would get back to me in a week at most.I contacted the company at the start of this week and politley asked for an update on my application. They apolgised for the delay and stated they would get back to me "soon".So what are your opinions as to whats going on? The best i can come up with is that I'm not their 1st choice and that they are waiting to see if the position will be taken by thier first choice before they decide to offer me the post or not.If you have another idea, i'd love to hear it as it might help soften the blow if i dont get the job ,cheers,

What would this mean to the mutitude of people who carry out thier own basic maintanence on their own vehicles?I would suspect that this will be an excuse to some how get more money out of Joe public.

All, spoke with boss about this again, yesterday. I will not have to make up the 55 hrs now, as it has been icluded in the time i was off sick. Thanks to all for thier input, even Emmzzi!

Well, been trawling through the guidance and it appears I am only entitled to 8.5 hrs credit for any type of absence - bugger! It would appear that since I am not on a set work pattern and dont have any set hrs, I am only entitled to the 8.5 hrs. But since beginning this contract in April year, I have been expected to work 9.5 hrs/day. Could i not then argue that in fact i do have a set attendance pattern, although it is to some extent at my own discretion?

Foodandbeverage, sorry, I dont think i am explaining myself very well. I do get paid for luch and i also get paid for the extra 250 hrs. Each month i get he same amount of pay, doesnt matter what hrs i do, we do not get paid over time. If i do too many hrs one month i can take time in lieu the next month (or day, or week, etc), conversley, if i am under one month (or day or week), i am expected to make it up the next. The average should be, at work for 9.5 hrs per day.

Emmzzi, your opinion is welcomed, thanks for taking the time to reply. I was merely trying to further explain the situation. Once again, thank you. If anyone else would like to contribute, it would be appreciated too.

Emmzzi, I see what you are saying, but... The hours are not exactly "as and when". The hours should be kept within +/- 5%. At the end of each quarter, I would be expected to make up hrs or take time off. EDIT - just to clarify, its not that I have fallen into the habit of doing 9.5 hrs per day, I am expected to do 9.5 per day.

All, I do 47.5 hrs/week, I get 5 weeks leave + public holidays. The 250 hrs is a bank of hrs the dept buys from us each year, basically so we can work longer when they require us to. To make up these hrs, I do an extra hr per day to make theses hours up over the year. Hopefully that makes sense. To expand a bit - I get my basic salary, I also get an allowance (percentage of salary), this made up from the 250 extra hrs, being on call, weekend work, shift work, unsocial hrs, etc

Yes

I was off sick for 55 days in total. I need to do 9.5 hrs per day (on average). I am told that i can only claim 8.5 hrs sick per day, therefore I owe 55 hrs...

9.5 yrs in total, got transferred to this team in jan this year (internal transfer), but still an extant civil servant. My old paperwork is long gone, I'm trying to get a current contract/terms & conditions, as we speak. This contract is for a small team of people, 99% of people in this dept work 9 -5.

Marie, i have to do 2354 hrs per year (2104 + 250 extra). I can determine when i do them myself, with managements agreement. I cant do 15hr shifts for 8 weeks then take a week of however. This is why i normally work 9.5hrs per day. 47 weeks per year, 5 days a week, 9.5hrs a day + leave/public holidays is roughly equal to 2354 hrs. thats how they get round the leave sceneraio. But as for the sick leave, its a new one on me, not been sick before! Not sure where i stand. I'm trying to get a copy of my terms & conditions, but it is a slow process...

All, I work for a Goverernment Department, but the team i work for doesnt work standard hours (it's not a 9 - 5 job. My hours are based on an annualised contract were i do 2104 hours over the year, plus an extra 250 hrs. My hours aren't set, I normally work a 9.5 hr day (including 1hr lunch), but this can be changed at any time, basically if i have to do a 24 hr shift, then thats what i do. We also work at any time of the day, normally start at 0700, but this can be changed to any time of the day, as and when required. This is not regarded as a flexi-time contract, but it is accepted that if a do a double shift, i am then owed a shift as time in lieu, or part there of. We are allowed to have a running total of hours that is +/- 5% of my expected hours. As an example, for November this year, i am expected to do 197hrs +/- 5%. Three times a year the hours are reviewed and would be brought into line at these reviews, (i.e. make up hours or take time off to stay within the 5%) During the summer, i was off ill for 11 weeks. Now that i have returned to work, I have been given a written warning for my attendance. My employer has stated that there is no problem with my work but just that I have had too many absences. I was fully compliant with departmental sick terms and OH during my illness. I have just been informed that, a days sick is only worth 8.5 hrs, so i now owe the department 55 hours! My boss says that it is not a problem, as i am still within the -5%. However, If i now do a double shift, i am no longer entitiled to the time of in lieu, as it will just be taken off the 55hrs i owe. With christmas looming and public hoildays/annual leave which i have booked, i have calculated that i will go beyond the -5% allowed in my hrs. The boss says he will deal with that, if it happens. (NB - a days leave is only worth 8.5hrs too, so if i take a day off, i owe 1 hr!) Until a couple of yearsa ago, I was a union member, but I (and many others) left afterthier handling of another attendance issue a couple of years ago. So i dont have any faith in the Unions ability to advise with this issue. If anyone could give any opinion on this situation, it would be greatly appreciated. Or conversley, will i just have to bight the bullet and make up the 55 hrs thanks in advance, paul