Monday 29th March 2021
Day Off
The End of JobKeeper government's wage subsidy scheme - let's see how accurate the forecast was that millions of Australians will return to being unemployed again.
News is that 150000 people will be expected to lose their jobs as JobKeeper ends today. How on earth does the government come up with these figures? What is more unbelievable is QLD has another COVID cluster therefore border closures, contact tracing etc is urgently being pursued so close to the Easter holidays and affecting the hospitality and tourism industries yet again which are already hard hit from the COVID pandemic. Also news the unemployment rate may have decreased and there maybe an increase in job vacancy rates but the job vacancies created are all entry level jobs aimed at juniors and there has not been any effort to assist people returning to the workforce, older Australians and casual workers looking for more permanent employment like me for example. The figures are definitely incorrect - if you read my older blogs the statistics were for every 12 - 13 people there is only 1 job therefore if the above statements and figures are correct why is it news now that for every 38 people ( correction 1 entry level job for every 48 people according to another news article I read ) there is only 1 job!? It just not make sense - How are these figures calculated? Where do they come from? Why are they considered correct? Who/What calculated them? and Who ( demographics of population of people) did they survey to base their calculations on? So many unanswered questions. JobSeeker payments still have not increased much. The government says that JobKeeper was only meant to be in place for 6 months but was extended to 12 months but insists it had to end as it can't be in placed forever. I disagree with that - implementing yet another scheme from September 2020 and currently still in place calked JobMaker (which only encourages companies to hire and keep younger Australians below the age of 35 ) only makes the above situation worse especially for older Australians like myself trying to constantly find any form of permanent employment. Australia is becoming a country of underemployed long term casual if not unemployed.
Other news Sydney has had most restrictions lifted including mask wearing - I am keeping mine on and keeping away from crowds of people! We don't want to go into another lockdown which is what QLD is considering so close to Easter and school holidays.
What a waste of my time , I haven't been able to do anything today as I just spent over an hour speaking to a rep from my private health insurance HCF discussing my concerns about my membership such as the annual increase in premium which is again increasing on 1st April 2021, yes I have informed them of my intention to leave the fund permanently this time after 28 years as a member with them. I seem to be paying to have private health insurance just to satisfy tax requirements unless I want to be slumped with a Medicare levy surcharge which is an addition form of tax. No thanks. The way private health insurance works is a rort - if you don't claim anything - your premiums are put into a pool to pay for everyone elses medical expenses claims. In my 28 years of membership I have made almost zero claims - the medical expenses I had were either non claimable at all ie out of my own pocket medical expenses because they are not eligible private insurance medical expenses or are covered partially under medicare. When I first joined HCF I used to claim my sports equipment such as ice skates and runners on it but that was scrapped. I also had complimentary travel insurance with my top cover included but tgat was also scrapped ( only covered basic overseas travel not domestic travel) . It never covered my dance classes or ice skating lessons. I am really unhappy with their customer service as they constantly suffer up my income protection and members hip payments and suspension and realignment of them. So many complaints lodged. I even found out that I have been p aging for pregnancy when I am beyond having children and had requested thst this coverage be removed quite a while ago when it had not been all this time. In the end I negotiated 6 weeks free membership ( they were only willing to give me 4 but I advised tgem that both HBF and Medibank private both gave at least 6 months free membership for new members). My income protection isn't even correct - I selected the option to keep my monthly premium the same yet they have kept increasing it and now my income protection is only paid up until February 2021 when I have paid up until the end of April in advance. I requested my income protection to be reviewed and reconciled so it is correct. My payments have never been correctly applied.
I am now waiting for the building cleaners to leave as their truck is in the way and I can't take my rubbish out to the bins.
My lunch is packed for work tomorrow but it looks like I am not going on my trip down to Melbourne as the train services between Sydney and Melbourne are all cancelled until Good Friday due to the QLD COVID cluster - borders are not slamming shut but there are tighter border crossing restrictions in place until Thursday night ie 3 - 4 day lockdown in Queensland just before the Easter holidays over the weekend. I think I made the right decision not to travel last Friday Saturday Sunday and today. If I had returned today from Melbourne I was very likely to have been stuck down there today with the very last minute cancellation of services that started on Sunday night.
I have blogged about my remote volunteering previously and after my first unsuccessful attempt at writing to my first aged care resident who never wrote back and was not interested in participating in the program, I have continued to write to another aged care resident at another aged care facility - you may have read that I not only send her letters but cards and gifts as well with the most recent a little chocolate bunny and Easter card. She wanted me to call her some time ago ( although unsure if I could get authorisation) so I actually did today and we had a little chat with awkward silences as we didn't really have anything in common to talk about ( I think we both prefer to write) but maybe that could be because of the line of communication - the phone was echoing and also she could not hear me very well as she is partially deaf and even joked about swapping over to her good ear as the other ear was dead ( not quite the word but close). I think I interrupted her tv time she was having. At least I know she is getting my letters and gifts. I hope I didn't offend her by thinking she was Catholic as she advised me she was Protestant. Oops.
My other aged care resident I made an initial phone call to before the above was not as successful. It did not end well. She did not understand why a stranger would be calling her and who I was or why I was calling. I was put through to her by the manager of the aged care facility. She had been contacted prior in regards to the request for someone to converse in Cantonese with through the volunteer organisation I signed up with. I have advised the volunteer manager/co coordinator of what happened in my initial phone call. I was not set up for video calling as the aged care facility uses FaceTime and Skype and I had neither. I do have Skype but have not used it for so long.
Tuesday 30th March 2021
Myer 8 am - 4 pm stock only new added to Kronos 19th March 2021. Checked Kronos 21st & 29th March no changes to shift
I checked Kronos yet again in case my only 2 stock only shifts for this week have been cancelled. I wish they were sometimes as it is just not worth me getting up and leaving home around 6.15 am in the dark (and yes it is now still dark at 6 am in the mornings and getting colder) just to travel to work to start at 8 am just for 2 shifts which aren't even together so I can't go away mid week if I wanted to ( not that I want to at the moment as borders keep opening then shutting at the last moment and transport interstate just ceasing to run at the last minute. With QLD going into a snap 3 day lockdown and some states shutting their borders again with other states restricting border crossings and with the lastest COVID cluster jumping over and across the NSW's border into Byron Bay a popular tourist destination, I'm not going anywhere so close to the Easter holidays. I feel a bit sorry for those hundreds of thousands of people that have waited so long to go on holidays and all the planning and budgeting involved way in advance just to go which could now all be cancelled. Why does a COVID cluster in a different state each time always happen so close to a major public holiday to spoil it? Last time it was NSW over Christmas New Year now it's QLD so close to Easter)
Last Sunday night at midnight ( and it is now not even 2 days ago) most COVID restrictions were lifted in NSW and people partied into the night and early morning like it was NYE again! This morning I'm on the bus and am still wearing a mask and so are a few other people however masks on public transport in NSW are no longer compulsory but recommended as of midnight last Sunday as one of the COVID restrictions that was lifted. COVID is still alive and well and we should not be letting our guards down. The people not wearing a mask are probably those that are infectious and risk passing COVID onto people who are wearing a mask. There is someone coughing constantly on the B Line I am on. I hate catching the B line it is the germiest form of public transport but it's the most reliable and slightly faster way to work. Everyone please wear a mask!!!!
There was so much gossip today from not only Myer team members but team members from Myer's concessions. The gossip started prior to 7.55 am and went on until almost the end of the day. Most of the rumours I heard related to how team member's shifts have been cut severely and how team members are not happy about it. So many complaints about how Myer operates. Why have shifts been cut for casual team member's? Is it really because of the end of JobKeeper government subsidies? or just poor management? One rumour was it had something to do with the operations manager - the online department was his baby and now that the decision to close it down completely has now been executed, all those team members that came from that department had to be absorbed into other departments somehow or transferred to another store therefore they have been retrained and taken up a lot of the shifts that are normally reserved for other casuasl team members in different departments that have worked there longer. Unfair? I think so. The other rumour O heard from another team member was that due to very poor budgeting Myer can't afford to put more team members on now because 1. they overspent on the staff budget during their last "batch" of mega sales 2. Management are saving their entire staff budget for the next scan count coming up when it will be all hands on deck ie all team members will be rostered on for scan count. Poor Electricals team leader had requested leave in advance for certain certain dates and it was partially rejected dye to scan count. He had a lready booked and paid for his flights but was told he could not go on a certain date but could go a few days later. A lityle annoying he thought as he would have liked to have spent the erntire leave with his friends and not just mert up with them half way through their holiday. That's Myer for you. still wondering if it is just the way this particular Myer operates or if all Myer stores operate Luke this. one team member advised me that It's onl y this store tgat operates the way it does.
Now let's mention unions - I've never joined a union before but know that the SDA is the union organisation for retail workers and you have to pay a membership fee to join. Unsure how many team members are actually members but there are sure a lot of complaints from them.
Lunch was at 2 pm again today which gave me just enough time to clean up the drink bottles, reusable coffee/tea cups, thermos etc wall and restock some more of the decor drink bottles drink cups and double walled insulated coffee cups in their range. There were a few more boxes of Thermos products however I did not have time to restock them along with tidying up the Keepcups on the wall. I left some space for these on the shelf for the next person to restock. I didn't add anymore product to the wall except a few boxes from the decore range - I just tidied and consolidated all the products together - so many reusable coloured ceramic double walled coffee cups everywhere - it drove me made so I had to do something about it. It was not the best arrangement but I at least products were all together in tidy rows.
It was interesting to see thst the rest of the leftover mats and things down in the now defunct online department of Myer Warringah taken out and upto the dock for storage or transfer to be reused. I asked a team member from the dock what the online department space was going to be used for now and was advised maybe for the VM department. It would make sense so it would free up the fittings and fexture room and the VM studio to be used as as additional reserves for stock and consolidated the mannequins stored behind a screen in the staff lunch room also to be used for alternative purposes but the plans I see are not always Myer's plans which are never logical.
Since I don't need to work tomorrow, I stayed at Warringah and did some grocery shopping for items still on my shopping list to buy. Product review of photo below
Wednesday 31st March 2021
Day off
I am only venturing out now and it is almost 3 pm.
I slept in a bit this morning then paid a few more bills due soon before preparing my lunch for tomorrow of a duck ragu with mash potatos and brocollini ( unfortunately I ate most of the brocollini as soon as I blanched them!) as well as 4 boiled eggs for breakfast ( I didn't eat all 4 yokes just 2 of them).
I'm now off to recycle my 5 drink bottles I accumulated including 2 free bottles of water purchased with my voucher from work. Done.
Waiting for a train to Central now from Chatswood.
After this I plan to head into town to see a movie. The cinema showing the movie when I went online to book was empty - not a single person had booked seats to see this movie - I thought oh good I have the whole cinema to myself however I looked again today online and there are now 2 people who booked to see this movie tonight. I am assuming there are still plenty of tickets left for tonight's session therefore instead of paying the booking fee for an online booking, I am going to the cinema to purchase a ticket over the counter to save on the booking fee. Just looked online again and the cinema is empty again! What's going on? What happened to the 2 people that had booked seats? This is a special event closing night of the French Film Festival in Sydney for 2021 and all participating cinemas are hosting this special closing night event which I assume would be close to, if not. fully booked out for each cinema. Was I looking online for the incorrect film and session? - there was only one 6.30 pm special event closing night session showing up at the palace Central cinema. I checked again online to look at which seat allocation i would like for the sesdion and now there are 7 people booked for the same closing night movie session! I can't work it out - what's going on? Was there another session running at the same time for the same event and the same movie at the same cinema that was actually sold out hence not advertised? I guess I will not find out until I actually arrive a few hours beforehand to purchase my ticket over the counter at the Palace Central cinema.
Now onto something announced in the news which again I question where the government gets it's figures from. It just does not make sense. JobSeeker payment recipients are now required to apply for 15 jobs a month rather then just 8 during the COVID pandemic ( or in my case 4 according to my current job plan). As of July 1st this job searches increases and returns to pre COVID to 20 per month. How can anyone be expected to search for 20 jobs a month when quoted current job figures have increased from 1 job for every 12 -13 people increased currently to 1 job for every 38 or 48 depending on which news article you read. Surely if these figures are correct the government should be keeping the job search efforts to a more reasonable and same level of 8 per month. What's the point in applying for so many jobs when there are so few jobs available it's a waste of the job seekers resources and time which most would not have goven the current rate of JobSeeker payments which has not increased yet. How about people in my situation who have ongoing casual work but not regular hours each week or fortnight? Is tge exprctation still to job search 20 jobs a month whilst working? Casual work is casual work and there seems to be an increasing number of Jobseekers who are under employed rather then unemployed who supplement their income with JobSeeker payments whilst looking for more permant work.
Onto something more interesting It is 3.30 pm and I arrived with just enough time to see Lumen @ White Rabbit Gallery. Recommended time to see all 3 levels of this gallery is 1.5 to 2 hours ( I have 1.5 hours). I can always come back at a later date if I miss anything. Warning this is an adult interactive art exhibition where there are flashing or pulsating bright lights, lasers, fog, dark rooms and strobes. Not recommended for people with epilepsy or other medical conditions that can be or are triggered by above.
I have to admit I don't know anything about any of these Chinese artists but I liked some of their interactive art works. This exhibition has everything lights lasers fog projections photography sculptures etc . I do have my favourites and almost missed one "mystery room". I would not go into either of these mystery rooms on my own though. I have upload some videos onto my YouTube chanbel as some interactive artworks can only be shown in video format and not as still photography. Totally enjoyable 1.5 - 2 hours. Rating 9/10 Free entry to exhibition but beware of the huge image of a Chinese man's head that projects onto the wall on the ground floor. I got a bit of a shock when I walked in sat down on the benches and it was dark then all of a sudden there is a loud bong sound a large blank white screen before the image of a head appears! ( see below photo)
Home by train from Central to Chatswood then 144 bus home by around 9.30 pm . Lunch of mash potato brocollini and duck ragu prepared earlier today and packed for work tomorrow.
At Central Station the new overhead roof connecting The Grand Concourse (where intercity and interstate trains depart/arrive) to the rest of Central Stations suburban train lines has opened up foot access between the 2 sections of Central Station. About time! Train service tp/from Melbourne was running tonight so I wonder why I could not book until at least Friday online?
Thursday 1st April 2021
Myer 8 am - 4 pm stock only new shift added to Kronos 19th March 2021. Checked Kronos 21st & 29th March 21 no changes to shift.
Happy April Fool's Day
Centrelink Fortnightly reporting done today ( due to Easter public holiday tomorrow)
First piece of news for today another brand partner concession exits Myer Warringah. I overheard about this exit a few weeks ago when I was passing the corridor of the reserves but did not think anything of it. So Polo Ralph Lauren has now gone and stock is being moved around the Menswear department to cover the space they occupied previously. This was offically confirmed by a team member in Menswear who normally did not start at 8 am and when I asked her why she was starting so early - she was helping with the move around this morning.
F*** I was told to check mcomms again Why should I? I only have 2 shifts a week! AND not even on the floor.
Just checked Kronos again and I'm down to 1 shift a week doing stock now. I might as well just not go to work and spend my time finding another job!
Today I had lunch at 2.30 pm, the latest I have ever had lunch and I finish at 4 pm.
I did end up seeing one or 2 of the VM team members at lunch in the staff lunch room but they had lunch a little earlier then me.
I lost count of how many cages of stock I put out today but just grabbed any half full cages of stock and went around other cages full of stock and selecting anything I saw definitely needed refilling on the tables or shelves. Anything to get empty cages back onto the dock for the pallet loads of stock arriving in. I haven't had to go down to the reserves much as there us for one thing no more space to put any stock on shelves except for MV stock and we are not allowed anymore to put any stock on any of the top shelves in the reserves which has probably reduced our storage space by a good third capacity as well as being told to leave any excess stock in cages on the dock. I don't get it -
I ask the following questions
1. Why are we leaving excess stock in cages on the dock if the team members on the dock need every available empty cage to fill all the pallets of stock arriving? If excess stock is taken to be put straight onto the floor and the excess taken down to reserves on the now empty top shelves in reserves, wouldn't this free up the number of empty cages needed insteas there is now a backlog of excess stock piled up in cages on the dock some only less then half full so i just consolidated these and returned any emptied cages I could to keep the flow of stock going.
2. Sorry my blog crashed yet again. It seems to always happen when i have something negative to write about Myer. Let me start again as it is an important point. I'll save as I go so I don't lose what I write again. So I keep hearing how goid sales figures have bern and still are and a team member from Electricals al so on stock advised me tgat this is an excessive amount of stock where there is just no room for it on the floor or in the reserves and that it never used to be like this and tgat there was just enough stock previously to refill on the floor and reserves were partially empty for excess stock arriving. I don't get it if sales are so good and Myer can afford to buy so much stock then why have they cut quite a few casual team members hours including mine? That's no longer poor budgeting but extremely poor cash flow managaement and allocation of cash resources. Is expense allocation to staffing not important to increase sales generation? No wonder I always get the same feedbasck from customers of " There is never anyone around to serve me!" over and over again. The "Do you work here?"or "Can you help me?" I am tempted to answer with something along the lines of " No i'm just putting stock on shelves for fun! OF COURSE I WORK HERE!"
Treat all customers the same way - with respect and tgey will respect you back.
Friday 2nd April 2021
Day Off
No new shifts added to Kronos as at 20th March 2021.
Checked Kronos again 24th 25th & 31st March no new shifts added.
Easter Friday Public Holiday
Happy Easter Everyone!
Today is really a catch up and do nothing day.
I slept in until 11 am wow!. It is really hot and sunny today after a few weeks of continuous rain and bursts of showers - one Myer team member said to me yesterday that there is more Winter rain to come as it always rains in Winter.
I would like to go to the beach but I don't want to get caught up in the crowds and have a bit to do around the apartment today.
All my bills are paid but I still need to update my hardcopy diary - done and staple any receipts into it - done , clean the apartment - half done I vacuumed , take the rubbish out - done , wash the dishes - done but I missed a pair of scissors , do my laundry, iron fold and put my clothes away, change my sheets - done upload all my YouTube videos that I have quite finished uploading yet - done and finish all my blogs that are all half done this week - still working on it. Then there is my shopping list I didn't quite finish doing and another attempt at booking a trip to Melbourne to see the Triennial at the NGV and there are still quite a few places of interest and events to book and visit for later this year. So I do have a lot of life admin to do today.
I also trying to recover from a severe allergic reaction I had yesterday. My lungs may be 100 times better now as I have been constantly wearing a mask everyday - hardly any coughing fits ( except when I eat a particular type of nougat that contains some type of nut in it) or asthma however my skin is really sensitive to anything and everything I am working with and my eyes are even worse. There seems to be a pattern since working at Myer the air conditioning has been drying out my skin severely and since working on stock not only am I covered in cardboard each day, I am coming up with really itchy skin and my ezcema has flared up 200 times worse. My eyes can hardly open because the skin around them is so dry, itchy and flaky but my eyes are watery and my nose runs all the time. It's all the dust and dirt from the stock.
Just checked Kronos again and I'm now on stock 3 days in a row Tues 6th - Thus 8th April 21 & the following week 2 days Mon & Thurs all 8- 4 pm with 1 day only Tuesday 10.30 am - 5.30 pm on service ( I won't take this shift very seriously as Tuesday shifts NEARLY ALWAYS GETS CANCELLED ! Refer all previous blogs track record).
Saturday 3rd April 2021
Day Off
Easter Saturday
Daylight Savings ends turn clock back an hour - yes it's getting dark!!!
Still not feeling the best. It's a beautiful day outside but today I am again not venturing outside.
I spent today researching and booking a day trip down to Melbourne for later in April - I hate flying but due to several factors I am unable to take the snail paced XPT overnight train Sydney Melbourne return this time round. I have decided to fly Virgin airlines Sydney Melbourne return and even taken out travel insurance. it's been so long since i have flown Virgin but it was the cheapest fares I could find for the day i wanted to fly ( except for REX which I have never flown and am not wanting to try as I read some pretty bad reviews on the airline in regards to reliability of it services). Jetstar had some cheap flights but they were more expensive then Virgin and don't include checked in luggage only 7 kg carry on like Virgin ( not that I would nerd 20 kg or 23 kg worth of check in luggage for a day trip but you never know) . I would loved to have flown Qantas but at $200 a flight minimum one way it may be a lot more reliable then Jetstar and also include check in luggage, all airlines are the same so Virgin is my choice as it is middle of the range although can still cancel flights. I am still a little scared of flying particularly interstate but I really want to see the Triennial @ the NGV before it ends the following week so made myself commit and booked a return flight for Friday 9th April 2021. The only session for tickets available for that day online to see the Triennial was at 12 pm so I booked a free ticket for that time hoping to get in much earlier upon arrival. So flights are booked, travel insurance taken out, ticket to the Triennial booked. I have now registered for a travel permit to cross the NSW Victoria border online. Final thing I have to do is purchase return Skybus Airport Southern Cross transfers online but I can do that closer to my flight.
Now to decide whether to go to the Royal Easter Show or take a day trip out to the Blue Mountains to see sculptures at Scenic World & Sculptures Otherwise @ the Cultural Centre.
So many things to see and do but on a budget! I am trying to register and apply for one of the dine and discover NSW vouchers so I can visit Sculptures @ Scenic World for $25 less. this is suppose to be an incentive scheme by the NSW government to encourage people to go out and explore NSW and visit it's attractions or dine out in NSW to boost the economy in the tourism and hospitality industries which have been doing it tough during the COVID pandemic as well as a series of other natural disasters bush fires and floods. I am having trouble logging on to register and apply so will try again at a later date.
Sunday 4th April 2021
Day Off
Easter Sunday
Another do nothing day today. I am saving all my energy for next week.
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