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Boss slammed for demanding an employee complete work during annual leave

A boss has been dubbed an “abysmal manager” for demanding his employee join a video call for work, despite being on annual leave. Businessman Ben Askins, who has dedicated his TikTok account to calling out unacceptable workplace behaviour, read out the text exchange between the man and his boss, who quickly became unreasonable in his demands. The first message came from the man’s boss, who asked “Where are you? Haven’t seen you at your desk today? I need to run something by you.” The employee responded, reminding his boss that he was off on pre-approved annual leave, and was enjoying a holiday abroad in Spain. Despite his holiday, the employee still offered to help, saying he could “probably jump on a quick call when I am on the bus from the airport if it is really urgent.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2QFCsgtSoS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2QFCsgtSoS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ben Askins (@benaskins.official)</a> </div> </blockquote> Unhappy with the compromise, the demanding boss then asked if the employee would “jump on a Zoom call when you get to the hotel” as he would “prefer to do this in person”. “Sorry, not really possible, we have a really packed schedule,” the worker replied to his boss, to which the manager hit back with, “Damn, wish you had told me that you were on annual leave.” The man reminded his boss he had signed off his leave two months prior and it was “in the system” but he came back saying, “Lol as if I would remember that. It is poor form for you to not remind me.” As Ben continued to read the text exchange, he added his own commentary on the situation, saying, “It's your job to remember that, it's not his fault you're just being unbelievably shocking at yours.” “This is so bad, this poor employee has done everything right; he's got it signed off two months in advance, he's done all the handover, he's done everything he could have done,' Ben ranted. “Because the manager is shocking, it's now impacting the employee's holiday. I just hate it when that happens.” Ben, a self-described “champion of younger gens in the workplace” said the heated chat showed the boss's “really poor” form and “abysmal management”. “What are you doing being so unorganised? Because the problem when an unorganised manager happens it hits down to the team below him - what the hell he's playing at? I have no idea,” he said. Ben's clip was viewed more than 2.3million and had users fired up, with thousands of comments flooding in in support of the burnt out employee trying to enjoy his holiday. Image credits: Instagram

Legal

"It was a brutal moment": Qantas employee recalls mass firing

A former Qantas worker has recalled the "brutal" moment he and almost 1,700 employees were fired from the airline. Ramp supervisor Don Dixon spoke to A Current Affair about his time with the Qantas, just hours after the High Court ruled the Aussie airline <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/jubilant-scenes-as-high-court-hands-down-judgment-against-qantas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegally sacked</a> hundreds of employees during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I absolutely loved Qantas. It was a fantastic company to work for until Joyce took over,” the former employee of over 20 years told Ally Langdon. “Some of the people I worked with [had been there for] 40 years, and it was an iconic Australian company, and it was a fabulous place to go to work." “The last 15 years were just awful.” Mr Dixon said that when Alan Joyce took over as CEO, “everything changed” revealing that loyalty diminished, and he was made to feel like a “dinosaur”. According to Mr Dixon, he and his team found out they had three months until they would be terminated via an announcement over a loudspeaker in the lunch room. Host Allison Langdon, floored by the revelation, asked, “Is there any more cowardly way to tell someone who has served loyalty for 20 years they no longer have a job?” “They could have mailed something, but I don’t think they would have paid for the stamp,” Mr Dixon responded. “Over the loudspeaker, in the lunch room, we were all together. It was just a brutal moment.” Mr Dixon claimed that finding other work after he was fired was challenging, given that the 20 years at Qantas left him with a specific skill set. “Nobody wanted to employ you – when you worked at Qantas, it was a career, it was a lifetime, no one was going to leave because it was that good.” “It’s not as if every company in Australia has a role for washed-up baggage handlers and cleaners.” He said Wednesday marked the first day since what has been dubbed one of the largest sackings in Australian corporate history that he, as a union delegate, had heard “happy voices” on the other end of the phone line. “We were a small part of history today – we won – we did it.” In the landmark decision that saw former employees pumping their fists in celebration inside the courtroom, Qantas has issued a formal apology to its workforce after the High Court declared its actions unlawful when it terminated the employment of over 1,700 ground crew members during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court upheld two prior rulings from the Federal Court that deemed the airline's outsourcing of baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff to be in violation of the law. Image credits: A Current Affair

Legal

Cruise ship employee caught filming women in bathroom

Some people are determined to ruin everything for everyone, but these adamant cruise ship passengers were not about to let that be the case for their holiday. While onboard what should have been a relaxing cruise with MSC, female passengers made the horrific discovery that a member of staff was hiding in a women’s bathroom stall and recording those who were in there. To make matters worse, the bathroom was located next to the ship’s Kid’s Club. One of the passengers, a woman named Saja, shared footage of the moment she and some others - along with a member of the ship’s housekeeping team - confronted the Peeping Tom. In the clip, the housekeeping employee can be seen knocking on the stall’s door, but after backing away, another passenger took it upon herself to continue the work of trying to lure the man out. It worked, and the man - dressed in an MSC employee uniform - eventually cracked open the door, admitting “I was wrong.” “You need to call security,” one passenger said, “because he’s an employee.” “He was filming you?” another passenger, who had come upon the scene, asked. Saja confirmed that he had been. “I just saw a camera pointing at me,” she went on to explain, before the footage wraps up after it was suggested she “get the guy’s name”. According to the text across the video, this was the third incident of unauthorised filming to occur that evening. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620.262px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7204687670193163563&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40sajac4%2Fvideo%2F7204687670193163563&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F465b5429788641eaa988928e37f0ba1d_1677472083%3Fx-expires%3D1679050800%26x-signature%3DVsmd8k6pQzjCJ97oY%252FPC5fkh9H8%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Saja later shared an update to her TikTok account, writing that the man had been removed from the ship, and that her goal had not been to bring shame down upon the cruise line, but instead to raise awareness, in the hope of protecting anyone else who might consider such a situation on their next trip. “I have been contacted by authorities and have been informed that the gentleman in the video has been deported. My goal is NOT to disgrace a cruise line for the acts of one of their employees,” she stated, before going on to stress that she and her companions had had a great time otherwise, and that the rest of the ship’s crew had been wonderful, as “some of the best staff I had the privilege of meeting.” “I have not been compensated in any way shape or form, or had contact with the cruise line,” she wrote for the update, “nor am I interested. Just wanted to spread awareness.” Images: TikTok

Cruising

Employee reveals “creepy” cruise ship facts

A former cruise ship employee has opened up about some secrets that people might not know about cruise ships. Lauren worked on cruise ships for two years and shared a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@laurentalkssmack/video/7104262853795843371?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=laurentalkssmack&t=1657168956193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> about the “creepy” rooms onboard. “There’s some crazy stuff about cruise ships you might not know as a guest,” she said. “I used to work on a cruise ship and I find it so interesting... like all these little things that are kind of creepy. There’s a morgue on board and there’s a jail on board.” She explained that anything could happen on board cruise ships and it was important to be ready. If someone dies, the person is placed in the morgue, and if a traveller breaks the law or causes any trouble they are taken to the jail on board the ship. Lauren went on to explain that there’s no “deck 13” onboard cruise ships either due to superstitious reasons surrounding the number. “It’s a superstitious thing. Sorry, that’s weird. We’re on a cruise ship and you’re making me feel like superstition comes into play.” The now viral video has been viewed more than 850,000 times with many saying they didn’t know about these tiny details. “I don’t know if it’s just me, I thought if someone died on board they would throw them off,” someone said. “Death is everywhere and inevitable. It’s better to have a place to process grandma Ruth who had a heart attack at sea rather than having to go to land,” another said. Images: TikTok

Cruising

A KFC employee shares secrets behind the herbs and spices recipe

KFC lures in millions of customers per week worldwide, with most people flocking to the fast food chain for the world-famous fried chicken. A popular TV program in the UK called Secrets of the Fast Food Giants has lifted the lid on secrets behind the famous breadcrumb coating that gives KFC’s chicken its famous and distinctive taste. KFC worker Jo said the chain is fiercely protective of the flavouring and only a handful of people know the full recipe. “It’s kept in a vault in Kentucky,” she said. “Across KFC, only two or three people actually know the exact recipe.” “We have two different spice blenders so one factory does half of the blend, and then another does the second half and then packs it.” “So actually not one factory knows the complete recipe.” Jo also shared how the KFC buckets are made of a whole chicken cut into nine pieces. “That allows us to have the perfect ratio of our breading to chicken,” she explained. Meanwhile, popcorn chicken is made from chicken breast and coated in a light seasoning. Additionally, a million and a half pots of gravy are sold at KFC a week, and some diehard fans even put it away for Christmas Day. “This is an original recipe that has come from the fryers, we drain it overnight and then it goes into making our gravy,” according to the KFC employee. “It’s literally as you’d make gravy at home with those meat juices.” KFC was founded in 1954 and has 24,000 outlets globally. Image: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Boss’ unethical demands to employees

A boss who demanded his employees clock off every time they’re away from doing their job has been called out. The vegan bakery in Oregon, USA, had the list of demands stuck to a door and a photo of it was shared to Reddit. “Always clock out when passing this door,” a bold line heads the note. “Including bathroom breaks, 10-minute shift breaks, lunch breaks, questions regarding personal requests. “Questions regarding production should not require leaving the production area, please see floor manager on duty. “Paid break times will be added to your paycheck in accordance with hours worked.” Reddit users slammed the boss for the inhumane demands, saying it’s an easy way to get your employees to leave. “If you want to buy my body for 8 hours, you will pay for its needs, too,” someone wrote. “How to lose 1/4 of your staff in one go,” another commented. “I need water and food to get through a work day. That means I need to get rid of that water and food during the work day as well. Don‘t like it? Hire a robot,” someone else wrote. Image: Reddit

Money & Banking

Boss threatens to sue employees over wage talk

An employee has called out her manager after he threatened to fire staff for talking about their wages. The business owner of Planet Fitness gym in Kentucky, US, hung a poster on the wall informing staff not to talk about their wages because it is illegal. However, under the National Labor Relations Act, employees are entitled to speak about their wages freely. “ATTENTION ALL SUBORDINATES,” the letter, which was shared to Reddit began. “Effective immediately, conversing about wages (both on duty and off duty) is strictly forbidden, “This is considered proprietary information and as such, it is protected legally. “If you are overheard speaking (OR LISTENING TO!!) a conversation in which wages are discussed, you will receive disciplinary action up to and including termination.” One of the gym’s employees, Shelly, did not accept her boss's premise and decided to get back at him. Another photo shared to the post shows multiple hammers and sickles drawn on it - representative of the communist party. “Seeing as you’re a manager in the great illustrious word (sic) of Planet Fitness gym franchises, it may behoove (sic) you to become familiar with the laws pertaining to it,” Shelly wrote. “Sprinkling legalese and word-salad across an 8.5x11 paper you printed does not make a legal doc. “Needless to say, you can’t legally tell us not to discuss wages in the good ol’ U.S. of A. We will continue to do so.” She ended the note with “Love, $10.50 an hour Shelly” which then saw her colleagues write their own wages. Viewers commended Shelly for the move which showed a united front against the boss who was very much in the wrong. "I LOVE $10.50 an hour Shelly!" someone wrote. "Long Live Shelly. I hope she is $25.00 an hour Shelly very very soon,” another commented. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of SHELLY SHELLY!" another joked. Images: Reddit

Money & Banking

McDonald's employee reveals secret ingredient

Images: TikTok & Paul J. Richards Still wondering why your DIY Big Mac doesn’t quite taste the same as the real thing? Well one Macca's employee has revealed on TikTok the one ingredient that goes into their famous sauce. In a now deleted TikTok, posted by @maccas_myths it has been shared that the fast-food giant used two types of onions, one of which was used in its burgers for flavour. “At Maccas, we have two of types of onions,” they said. “Large onions which have been cut up and dehydrated onions which are put in water over night.” After soaking them over night, the dehydrated onions are put in shakers and used in the chain’s Big Macs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers, according to the Daily Mail Australia. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846287/new-project-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/793f0abb9c5343a0b9c3fb5db5b6f3f0" /> Not only do dehydrated onions last longer, but they also have a stronger flavour — something Macca’s fans claimed was what made the restaurant’s burgers taste so good. “Those dehydrated onions hit differently,” one person wrote, while another said: “I rehydrate onion flakes for my burgers at home because my kids say it tastes just like McDonald’s.” “Did not know onions could be dried like that. That’s crazy,” one person commented, while another added: “I never knew this OMG.” “I don’t care,” one loyal fan shared. “I love those onions and want to buy some of those packs to make them at home.”

Food & Wine

CEO fires 900 employees over Zoom right before holidays

Better.com CEO Vishal Garg informed more than 900 employees that they were being let go from the company, which provides digital mortgage services for prospective homeowners, just weeks before the holidays in an online video call last week. On Wednesday, Garg informed the employees on the three-minute-long Zoom call that, "If you're on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off. Your employment here is terminated effective immediately." He added that employees could expect an email from HR detailing benefits and severance. According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/vishal-garg-better-ceo-fired-b1970887.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>, terminated employees will receive a month of severance pay, a month of full benefits, and two months of cover-up during which Better.com will pay the premium. In a statement to CNN Business, CFO Kevin Ryan said, "Having to conduct layoffs is gut wrenching, especially this time of year. However a fortress balance sheet and a reduced and focused workforce together set us up to play offence going into a radically evolving homeownership market." The mass layoffs came just one day after it was revealed that the company, which announced its intention to go public in May, would be receiving a $750 million cash infusion from its SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) backers. Garg cited market efficiency, performance and productivity as the reason behind the firings. Fortune later reported that he accused the employees of “stealing” from their colleagues and customers by being unproductive and only working two hours a day. On the call, Garg said, “This is the second time in my career I'm doing this and I do not want to do this. The last time I did it, I cried,” while remaining emotionless throughout. Among those fired were the diversity, equity and inclusion recruiting team. Image: YouTube

Legal

Ex-Apple employee shares mind-blowing iPhone hacks

A former employee at Apple has posted a series of videos sharing handy hints that iPhone users never knew they needed. Canadian tech expert Sabrina Badin knows a thing or two about Apple devices after her time working for the tech giant, and is now emparting her wisdom. Sharing the videos on TikTok under the username @sabbadz, she has garnered thousands of views with hacks she learned from her time as an Apple Genius. Move multiple apps at once on the Home Screen There’s an easy way to move multiple apps at once rather than dragging them one at a time. To move one app, hold the icon down until it starts to juggle. You can then move it to another location on the same page or somewhere else on your phone. Not many people know that you can move apps at once, as Sabrina has demonstrated in a video. First, you tap and hold one app you want to move, and then tap around the other apps you want to move with it. You can then move them across your Home Screen as a group, and then letting go will drop them in a line into the empty area of your choosing. Play music while recording There’s an easy way to jazz up your videos with a fun soundtrack. Simply play music through your iPhone speakers with your preferred music app, whether it’s Spotify or Apple Music. While your tune is still playing, open up the camera app, but make sure your camera is set to photo mode and not video. Then, tap and hold the shutter button and drag it to the right. Your iPhone will begin recording a video while your music continues to play in the background. iMessage tricks In order to send weird animations to your mates, all you need is a secret codeword for each effect to activate. For instance, sending the words “pew pew” will trigger a laser effect, while the words “happy birthday” will make balloons float from the bottom of your friends’ screen. When January rolls around, sending the words “happy new year” will trigger fireworks to burst across the message. Scan real-world text in seconds Your iPhone is loaded with a handy tool that will allow you to load the content of a menu or newspaper on your iPhone instantly. The tech, caled “Live Text”, allows you to point your iPhone camera at a real world object and quickly copy and paste text on it onto your handset. Grab an object with text you want to scan and open the Camera app on your iPhone. Point the camera at the object and then tap the indicator that appears in the lower right of your display. It looks like lines of text surrounded by a box. When you tap it, the text jumps out on your display and you’re given the option to copy, select, look up, translate or share it. You can then copy and paste this information into an email or Note, as well as any messaging social media apps. Image credits: Getty Images

Technology

African-American Google employee mistakenly escorted off premises

Angel Onuoha was innocently riding his bicycle around the Mountain View, California, Google office where he worked as an associate product manager. He was shocked and confused when he was stopped by security and asked to provide proof of identification, after being reported by someone who thought he was trespassing on company grounds. “Riding my bike around Google’s campus and somebody called security on me because they didn’t believe I was an employee,” his recently shared viral tweet read. “Had to get escorted by two security guards to verify my ID badge.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A lot of people keep DM’ing me asking for the full story… They ended up taking my ID badge away from me later that day and I was told to call security if I had a problem with it. And that was after holding me up for 30 minutes causing me to miss my bus ride home <a href="https://t.co/UBzHDC1ugG">https://t.co/UBzHDC1ugG</a> — Angel Onuoha (@angelonuoha7) <a href="https://twitter.com/angelonuoha7/status/1440727156896661511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote> Angel’s ID badge was taken off him, as he was instructed to take up the matter with the campus security. “And that was after holding me up for 30 minutes causing me to miss my bus ride home,” he wrote. Almost 2,000 people responded to his original tweet as they expressed outrage at how such an incident, largely presumed to be racially motivated, had played out in 2021. One response was from a black man who said he previously worked in security at another Google campus. “Dawg I worked as security at Google and got security called on me,” he wrote. Angel was inundated with messages from individuals who had faced similar acts of discrimination in the workplace. A spokesperson for Google told <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johanmoreno/2021/09/23/black-google-associate-product-manager-detained-by-security-because-they-didnt-believe-he-was-an-employee/?sh=1ee730742349">Forbes</a> the company was taking Mr Onuoha’s “concerns very seriously”. “We take this employee’s concerns very seriously, are in touch with him and are looking into this. We learned that the employee was having issues with his badge due to an administrative error and contacted the reception team for help,” the spokesperson said. “After they were unable to resolve the issue, the security team was called to look into and help resolve the issue.” The incident comes after Google’s public support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as they vowed to double its black workforce by 2025. Since its pledge however, black employees have increased by just one per cent, while white employees have declined 1.3 per cent. Image credit: Twitter @angelonuha7 / Shutterstock

Technology

Woolies employee reveals unknown self-serve checkout hack

One Woolworths employee has shown those who struggle with self-serve checkout one easy hack to get you sorted. A new clip shared to TikTok by the official Woolworths page, has shared with shoppers a simple way to stop calling for assistance at self-serve checkouts when scanning and bagging items. However, followers of the page were more excited to see the employee sharing the hack, rather than the hack itself. Woolworths' staffer Liam Kirley shot to fame on TikTok after his in-store videos went viral. In the video, Liam shows himself lining up the items to be packed in a single bag before scanning. "Press I've got a bag on the machine, then place the bag in the bagging area," he said. "Then place all the items you want in that bag on the parcel shelf. “Then do something called a power slide, you slide items across and the barcodes will scan easier." He shared that the green light will let you know when it's time to scan another item and when you can move your bag. Liam also revealed that pressing the new bag button on the bottom left-hand side of the screen will make it easier to start the process again with a new bag. The clip also shows shoppers how to scan heavy items without lugging them onto the bagging area or calling staff for help. "If you've got a bag item like the water, tap the heavy miscellaneous and then tap the item you want in," he shared. Liam rose to stardom on TikTok, by sharing simple secrets for the supermarket. <img id="__mcenew" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843801/woolies-checkout.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7cc9747b7b0d44038f29d4649ff80cc2" /> His viral videos have gained him more than 150,000 followers and seven million likes. Now, Liam says he will be running the new Woolworths account, as a content coordinator. Woolies launched their new account on TikTok during the week and delves to share recipe ideas, cooking hacks from food experts, shopping tips and sneak peeks into new stores. “We are pleased to be launching on TikTok and to give customers an even closer look at what it means to be Today’s Fresh Food People," Woolworths Chief Marketing Officer Andrew Hicks said. “TikTok is a great platform to share content and we hope can help make customers’ shopping easier through simple and fun tips and insights. “In planning the launch on TikTok, it was important we had an authentic voice of our team that would resonate with the channel's audience. "We’re excited to have Liam bring that same authenticity across a range of content to inspire our customers.”

Money & Banking

Former Kmart employee shares store secrets

A former Kmart employee is sharing the company's biggest secrets and revealing the hacks that every shopper should know. The video has gone viral with more than 22,000 views. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H1EcAGvq4q8"></iframe></div> She also explained why checking barcodes is VERY important while shopping at Kmart. "The last digit on the barcode changes after every new season," she said. "So if there are two toasters that look exactly the same and the last digit of one barcode is eight and the other is nine, the one with the eight should be cheaper. "It has to be the same model, they just tweak the product and the price I found doesn’t come up straight away on the system." She also revealed the best time to go shopping, which is between 8 am and 5 pm. “This is when the full-time and very experienced staff members are working, so they are more able to answer your questions," she explained. The best time for bargain hunting is right after Christmas and Easter. "On Boxing Day there’s a whole section that drops down to between five cents and $5 but it is usually wiped out on Boxing Day by customers so it’s good to come in early. "In between campaign periods like “Back To School” they would mark things down because it’s not as busy but a lot of the times, quite randomly, they will slash the prices of a bulk number of books, clothes or appliances. "It’s usually when a newer model/garment has been updated, fixed or isn’t selling. "The price will drop down drastically but the item doesn’t really change by much."

Money & Banking

ALDI employee reveals shoppers’ most irritating Special Buys habit

An ALDI employee has revealed the erratic customer behaviour during major Special Buy sales that irritate staff members around ther globe. While speaking to Insider, the worker slammed customers for the things they do when they are shopping at the German supermarket. The staff member sad one of their biggest contentions is when customers fail to realise Special Buys items are available for a limited amount of time. "It's irritating when customers come in searching for a popular Aldi Finds item weeks after it was advertised," the employee called JK said. "These items aren't restocked, but some customers still throw a fit or try to guilt-trip employees for not ordering enough." JK went on to say customers frustrate employees when they allow their children to run around unsupervised. "ALDI is a great place for all ages, but employees will get annoyed if you allow your kids to make a mess in the store and don't clean up after them," an employee called Bronson said. In May, ALDI revealed they would be testing its popular Special Buys sale by moving it online for a “limited trial” that will “test a range of products” across several months. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve the experience for our customers and are very excited to be taking our first steps into e-commerce," ALDI Australia group director of customer interactions Simon Padovani said. "Our limited initial online offer allows us to set the foundations for our future program."

Retirement Life

Employees could soon be paying for their own super

With compulsory superannuation contributions set to increase from 9.5 to 10 percent on July 1, 2021, most workers are expecting a big jump in their super payments. But, some employment lawyers are warning that some bosses could be looking to avoid passing on the legislated increase in super to their workers. Workers whose contracts state their super should be paid on top of their salary are safe, but those who have super included as part of their total package could be missing out. This means it could be legal for employers to take the additional super out of their employees’ base pay. “Provided the employees don’t drop below the minimum permitted wages in an award enterprise agreement, or the minimum wage, then yes, it is permitted,” said Fay Calderone, a partner at Hall & Wilcox. Who’s doing it? Ms Calderone also said she has received a number of queries from employers asking whether they have to pass on the increase. She said large employers generally don’t deny workers super rises, with the four big consultancy groups - PwC, Deloitte, EY, and KPMG - proving that by publicly stating their workers will see a 0.5 percent increase to their total pay package. But other employers may not pass on the increase according to Ms Calderone, and there’s a history of it. “The businesses in the middle - where they are large enough where they’ve had their contracts prepared - they’ve had the history behind them where this has happened before,” she said. Richard Denniss, Australia Institute’s chief economist, has also heard historical reports of this kind of behaviour, but has said it could be even worse this time around. “There have been instances of this in the past, but I fear it’s becoming even more prevalent for the simple reason that more and more employees are on the kind of contracts that allow it to happen,” Mr Denniss said. “Unfortunately, I think a bunch of smaller and medium sized businesses are feeling that they’re going to get away with it. That no one’s going to notice. And even if someone notices, no-one’s really going to care,” he said. “But let’s be clear, if thousands of employers do this, that’s exactly why we don’t get wage growth in Australia.” A survey of 145 organisations conducted by the firm Mercer found that 62 percent of the organisations using a “base plus” super model said they are maintaining their employees’ take-home pay, meaning the employer is covering the cost of the increase in super contributions without cutting their employees’ pay. On the other hand, almost two thirds of organisations offering packaged super and salaries are only covering some of the cost of the super contribution increase. Unions are outraged This statistic has unions outraged, saying the 0.5 percent increase works out to cost less than $5 a week for most employers. “It’s absolutely shocking to me that employers would be trying at this point to try and avoid paying that small increase in superannuation,” said ACTU President Michele O’Neil. “This [the super rise] is something that is going to mean that for … the economy, and for our social security and pension system, we’ll be better off if people have enough money to retire on and retire without living in poverty.” What this means Wages have been stagnating for a long time already - and the pandemic making future pay rises seem unlikely - and data from the Treasury and Reserve Bank suggests a growth in wages won’t be seen anytime soon. With this in mind, unions are arguing the super rises effectively replace a wage rise. They argue that employers choosing to not pass on increases isn’t within the spirit of the law. Ms Calderone said “it’s a real conundrum at the moment” for employers deciding what to do. “Employers are struggling … but we also know that many employees are living hand to mouth,” she said. “So, employers need to balance what the financial consequences are going to be from passing on the pay reduction to employees, against the potential that those employees will go elsewhere. “And then even if they do stay - because many employees will stay in this current environment - it’s a disengagement and the impact on morale.”

Retirement Income

Best-kept Kmart secrets from a former employee

A former Kmart employee has revealed the shopping hacks every customer should see. In a video titled ‘10 Kmart Secrets From A Former Employee’, which has already gone viral on YouTube, Rita Kaminski shares tips on how to nab the best deals and when the best times to shop are. The 23-year-old, who worked at Kmart for four years, revealed the important reason why you should check your barcodes before heading to the checkout. “The last digit on the barcode changes every new season,” she said. “So if there are two toasters that look exactly the same and the last digit of one barcode is eight and the other is nine, the one with the eight should be cheaper.” She added: “It has to be the same model, they just tweak the product and the price I found doesn’t come up straight away on the system.” Rita also shared tips on how to trawl through the store to pick up a bargain. “A lot of the stock will always change in price,” she said. “If it’s something that isn’t in the catalogue but it has been in the store for a long time, especially clothes, they can sometimes go on sale for as little as $1. “There was a time when every single book was discounted to 20 cents. I bought about 20 books,” she revealed. “So if you’re into flipping items make sure you keep checking clothes, books and makeup as well.” She added that the best time to shop is between 8am and 5pm, when “the full-time and experienced staff members are working, so they are more able to answer your questions”, and that the clothing, books and makeup sections have the best reductions. Rita also shared the best times during the year when you can nab a bargain. “The best bargains are right after Christmas and after Easter,” she said. “On Boxing Day there’s a whole section that drops down to between five cents and $5 but it is usually wiped out on Boxing Day by customers so it’s good to come in early.” In between campaigns like “Back to School” you can also find products marked down across books, clothes, or appliances. “It’s usually when a newer model/garment has been updated, fixed or isn’t selling,” she said. “The price will drop down drastically but the item doesn’t really change by much.”

Money & Banking

Woolworths employee reveals major secret

A Woolworths employee has revealed the answer to one of the most asked questions by shoppers: What time should you shop to score markdown specials? Taking to Facebook, the store's employee shared exactly when prices on particular items are reduced. She explained that different items get reduced at different times of the day, so depending on what items you need will determine when you should shop. “I work at Woolworths and I do bread markdowns at 7 pm every night,” she revealed. “I also do produce, meat and dairy. But they also do markdowns in the morning as well, not sure what time because I work night shifts. “There’s also a possibility that other stores do it at different times of the day.” Another person commented saying that morning markdowns happen in-store before 11am. But the timings do not apply to all stores, as the price reduction depends on stock levels. “I work at a major supermarket, there is no set time,” one employee said. “I see people with these awesome markdowns, comment on what a bargain they’ve got and good on them. “It’s pretty much pot luck with markdowns.” Meanwhile, Coles and Woolworths shoppers suggested getting to know your local store’s habits. “The store manager or department manager in each and every store has their own routines,” one shopper said. “Just get to know your local store’s habits.”

Money & Banking

ALDI's bold move to pay employees to take COVID-19 vaccine

The US arm of grocery chain ALDI will provide its employees with up to four hours of paid time off to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Announcing the move overnight, ALDI US said it will provide up to two hours of full pay for each dose of the vaccine staff receive. Due to the current vaccine requiring two doses, the total number of hours equates to four. Employees on salaries will be given more flexibility to receive the vaccine at their own convenience. ALDI US will also set up on-site vaccination clinics at its warehouses and offices. CEO Jason Hart said the grocer was focused on supporting frontline workers without forcing them to take a day off to receive the vaccine. "Since the onset of the pandemic, our entire ALDI team has worked to keep stores safe and stocked, and serve communities without interruption," Mr Hart said. "Providing accommodations so employees can receive this critical vaccine is one more way we can support them and eliminate the need to choose between earning their wages and protecting their well-being." Speaking to 9News, ALDI Australia said it will follow government advice when the vaccine is introduced locally. "We have and always will continue to support all Government health advice regarding the management of COVID-19 in Australia; the roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine will not be exempt from this approach," an ALDI spokesperson said. "We remain committed to supporting Australia's leading health professionals to take all recommended measures to maintain the safety of our employees, business partners and customers."

Caring

Former Coles employee reveals little-known code on sales tickets

A former Coles worker has shed some light on the meaning behind a secret code on the bottom of sales tickets. Ex-employee of ten years Jarrah shared the news while responding to a Coles customer who was excited by some reduced potatoes. Shopper Teagan had posted by the bargain but had no idea how long the marked-down potatoes would last before going off. “Cheap spuds!” she wrote on the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Markdownaddictsaustralia/" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">Markdown Addicts Australia</a> page. “Not sure for how long though.” Jarrah commented explaining how you can figure it out. “Judging by the discount tag [it’s] 07/10,” he wrote. “Bottom right of all yellow tags gives the end date.” <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838201/coles-spuds.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/68fa8d28269048098d074a167127280f" /> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> He added: “Joys of being an ex-employee of 10 years!” Teagan was stoked by the information. “Pretty good! I’ll definitely keep the trick in mind for the next specials.” </div> </div> </div>

Food & Wine

The one quality Steve Jobs always looked for in employees

Do you have what it takes to land a career that can make you a millionaire before you retire? Sure, you can perfect your resume, dress to impress, and nail the trickiest interview questions. But odds are, you’re probably forgetting one rather underrated quality – and for the late Steve Jobs, it mattered much, much more than a polished CV. In a rarely seen interview, a then-young Jobs revealed that when he was first hiring professional managers for Apple, he quickly learned that “most of them were bozos.” “They knew how to manage, but they didn’t know how to do anything,” he added. So, from there on out, Jobs began to value a different trait in job candidates. “We wanted people who were insanely great at what they did, but were not necessarily those seasoned professionals,” he said. “But who had at the tips of their fingers and in their passion the latest understanding of where technology was and what they could do with that technology.” In other words, forget job experience; Jobs wanted passionate people on his team, instead. Why, you ask? Not only can enthusiastic employees manage themselves, but they also understand the company’s mission – and strive for that common goal with earnest. To find employees with this type of passion, the Apple team interviewed each job candidate by presenting a Macintosh prototype and noting his or her reaction. “We wanted their eyes to light up and to get really excited,” Andy Hertzfeld, one of Apple’s first software engineers, said. “Then we knew they were one of us.” Written by Brooke Nelson. This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/what-steve-jobs-looked-for-in-an-employee">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.com.au/subscribe">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.

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