SussexHarry

Hi all, Plumpton College, or LandPro training, have let me down by cancelling my aerial rescue course that was booked for NEXT WEEK at short notice… the trouble I went through to secure leave from work to attend this course is immense and I’m very disappointed. Does anyone know of any courses being run next week (starting 21st Oct) that have spaces left? Closer to Sussex the better but I don’t mind getting a B&B! Thanks

A friend of mine has one and works it retrieving. Bit of a toss-up. I prefer the way cockers work and the smaller size, but feel the temperament of a FRL would be better. It’s going to be a shot in the dark as, like you say, both breeds can be a handful. Will come down to the individual dog I think.

Thanks, I’m currently thinking along the lines of a working dog - cocker, or maybe a fox red lab - with the intention of actually working them. Good to see that plenty of the people here have success taking their dogs to work. Leaving the dog at home is absolute last resort, but there are plenty of family who have offered up to spend the day with a puppy - whether that will continue after puppyhood, I don’t know… doubt it! Then there’s dog walkers, and the odd day when my partner isn’t working. All going well, pooch would be at work with me all day, but I’m trying not to hedge all my bets on that being a given. You never know how they’ll turn out. Worst case scenario is I have to drop the dog off with family on the mornings I can’t have them with me, and the poor thing will have to spend all day in the company of two sassy chihuahuas!

In my research before getting a dog I’ve found lots of similar advice about having a cage as a safe place for the dog. How’d you go about training that when they’re puppies? Any tips?

Is yours on site every day then?

This is why I’m asking. Seems like lots of people have spaniels, labradors, pointers, etc, which makes me think they either take them to site every day or have someone at home all the time - quite a luxury either way!

Hi all, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a dog. Me and the better half are both on board, but we aren’t sure about leaving the dog at home during the day. We both work… Does everyone here take their canines to jobs with them, or have someone at home? Or are we best off forking out for a dog walker every day? Any dog pictures appreciated!

Yes, but understandably so… Employers aren’t afforded much else in the way of protection from trouble employees. And once they’re in, they’re in. So it makes sense having an extended probation period to make sure they aren’t serial dossers 😂

As far as I know there is no maximum probation period set out by HMRC (if that’s what you mean?). Guidelines suggest 3-6 months. One company I trialed with asks for 9.

I was thinking this. But I am starting to wonder if some time on PAYE would be beneficial to start, just for some job security and steady income while I save up and acquire my own kit. Starting up on my own is a long way off though. There’s enough one-man-bands in my area doing jobs for cheap… I’d rather wait a while and get something a bit more professional established, as and when the time is right. Still got a while to go.

I appreciate it’s not the most exciting topic but, as someone who is joining the industry with the idea of one day starting my own company in the back of my mind, it’s important to me. Start as you mean to go on, and all that…

I figured this was the case. I get that arb is a very seasonal career, and the jobs tend to be short and sweet (negating the need for a whole team of full-time staff), but it seems to me that efforts by employers to dodge this comes at the expense of their “freelancers”, who are working full time but missing out on holiday pay, sick pay, and missing out on crucial employees right and entitlements. One company I worked for briefly runs an entire team of full-time “contractors”, who show up at the yard every day at 7 sharp. I’m sure this works great for them at the moment, as they don’t have to pay any NI, Income tax for their staff, sick pay, holiday pay, and so on. But I can’t help but think the young lads on the team are getting royally f***ed by this setup and I don’t think the poor sods realise it. Not to worry though, because the boss got a nice big new truck recently 🤦‍♂️ and I doubt he’ll care much when the work dries up and his staff haven’t got a leg to stand on when they start wondering about redundancy pay…

I’m sure it does, when done lawfully! But there is no such thing as “self-employed” when you’re doing it for one single company full-time. HMRC would consider you to be an employee in that case, and that puts your “client” (employer) in a very tricky position when someone decides to have a nose around their tax affairs. They would also be liable for any missed sick/holiday pay.

Yeah, I don’t plan on working full-time for a company unless it’s PAYE. If I had my own truck, saws, climbing gear, and worked for a few different companies then fair enough. But dragging brash and climbing for one company full-time as a “contractor” seems like a great way to get bent over by the tax man. Just seems strange that most companies around me are doing this. I can only assume they’re all just dodging employer’s responsibilities and tax just to save a few bob.

I seem to recall reading that part of IR35 is that it’s now the employer’s responsibility to work out whether a contractor is inside/outside IR35, and any NI/income tax due because a contractor is actually an employee is owed by the employer.