OT: Handyman Stats;

[Bob Eager]

Quite apart from having a choice of three stores within a reasonable distance, all of which I go near quite often...one of them usually has what I want.

[Andy Hall]

Except that it doesn't apply to people who have control of their working time, AIUI.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It may not, but if you had an accident involving others, you could be held sort of more responsible if you don't take sensible breaks. Like as in anything. I certainly don't ever work for more than 6 hours solid on either paid for work or my own stuff. And I doubt you do either.

[Andy Hall]

No of course not, but it's surprising how many people do.

[Mathew Newton]

A far cry from the branch in Bristol... I think their staff must be those that failed the Argos interview...

Mathew

P.S. Speaking of the Argos comparison I'd like to see Screwfix adopt the 'ring-and-reserve' service (or whatever the web variation might be called) - reserving things online (and hence knowing if they've got stock) and then popping in to quickly pay (via a machine) and collect is a real selling point for me.

[S Viemeister]

When I was self-employed, I had snack-minutes.

[John Stumbles]

Compile your wishlist. IIRC when our local )Reading) branch opened they had something like 20% off your initial purchase on the day they opened.

[John Stumbles]

I like them for much the reason you say you dislike them: instead of accounting for each individual order from Screwfix or B&Q I only have to add the monthly invoice to my tax accounts. Compare that to entering each till receipt from Wickes or poorly laid-out receipt printed on a worn-out ribbon from a trade merchants.

It would be nice if Screwfix got clued up enough to do direct debit though, like everybody else. At the moment I have to pay them manually each month. It's also a PITA that having a trade account means _more_ form-filling at the trade counter, rather than less.

OK if you like hanging out with other tradespeople, drinking plastic coffee and (in one of our local merchants) watching telly. I'm not saying I'd rather be working, but I would rather be earning.

[Andy Hall]

Yes, I completely agree, and already suggested it to them several months ago. Their response was that they were "looking at it" but that their system "couldn't do it at the moment."

[Dave Liquorice]

Depends if they are allowed, there are self employed self scheduling in which case it's their problem or there are self employed, like myself, that are contracted to another who dictates the hours and location of work. In which case the Working Time Directive kicks in.

20 mins and part of the 6 hours. So the longest legal working period is 5hrs 40 min. This "working period" includes travel from your normal base to the work location if different but not from your home to normal base.

[Mary Fisher]

Mothers and housewives don't have that protection.

Mary

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yup - others may not have realised we do simialr jobs.

And a wonderous thing it is too. Before, some in charge thought it perfectly acceptable to make others work *any* hours without a break. With the 'if you don't like it plenty more outside will' attitude.

My worst example ever was being stuck on a small motor boat on the Thames below decks right beside the engine which was running at full pelt most of the time from 0700 to 1600 without a break of any sort.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Get a life, Mary. A housewife or mother takes a break exactly when she wants or needs to.

I take it you've never done any employed work?

[John Stumbles]

...

Presumably they do if they're "contracted to another who dictates the hours and location of work" but not if they're "self employed self scheduling" like TMH, me and others, in which case they/we have to look after ourselves.

IMHO it's A Good Thing (tm) to protect people from exploitation by others but where the law attempts to protect us from ourselves it makes an unholy cockup of it, cf current drugs policy.

Discuss .... :-)

[John Stumbles]

Seems to be a lot their system can't do. Still, could be worse: at least the core online ordering function works OK. Compare with Toolstation which logs you out after 10 minutes, or Pulsar which is so borked I did my last order by phone.

[John Rumm]

For all the fine words about encouraging enterprise, and flexible labour markets, this gov seems quite incapable of understanding that people may actually want to work for themselves and not want nanny to interfere. Seems to be a combination of the usual belief that they can run an individuals life so much better than the individual, coupled with an irrational fear (no doubt encouraged by HMCR) that all small businesses are on the fiddle, and one should discourage them by taxing the bastards our of existence.

[Andy Hall]

I've used Toolstation a couple of times and did find it a bit flakey as you say.

I agree though, the Screwfix one has most of the features I like such as remembering shopping baskets and keeping an order record so that one can quickly pick out items that were bought before. For this kind of business, it does seem reasonable that there would be repeats on commonly order items.

RS has quite a good ordering system as well, in that during checkout, one can select a trade counter and place the order there - it does check local stock. If SF had something similar, it would seem to fit the bill. The product search functions on the RS site since it was last changed I find quite dire though - not very logical.

[The Medway Handyman]

John Rumm for PM! You get my vote!

[dmc]

Still tasted good with mustard and onions on a cold rainy day in Feb :)

Darren

[Dave Liquorice]

Self employed, self scheduling. They don't need protection as no other person is telling them when to work. I guess one could argue that infant waking and demanding a feed during the mothers "break" is a contravention but that really is being very silly. Mother should have scheduled her break whilst infant was asleep.