VP Operations sending letters about tough situation in the country. Four weeks ago it was all about love for the people and keeping prices up. Now screw the staff and rent vans to the government for 15 quid a day. Going down in style!
After 16+ years I have more experience in my big toe than he does in his entire body. Hundreds of other colleagues too. Any plonker can lower prices and implement furlough. Of course he keeps his job at comfortable six figure salary and we are the ones sent home.
You think President AB cares? Rumour has it only when the camera is on. You think it crossed her mind to do one probation period termination to save experienced staff at the branch? Seems not. Back scratching in the club at the top that cuts everything for everyone else in the name of saving the company, but the true reason is protecting their fat paychecks for as long as they can. Must be really tough to have full pay without giving up a single penny, not even as a gesture to the rest.
I was once so proud to see the bright yellow. Not anymore. Let’s have my 32 weeks redundancy and end this effing sh+tshow.
20 replies (most recent on top)
I understand JF from Legal is responsible for our negotiations for support from governments.
On the basis it took him on average 6 months to do nothing in the good times, I won’t be holding my breath right now. Chocolate teapot that man - what a travesty that he took over from NM. Another great leadership decision that is contributing to our downfall.
Frankly you would be better off letting Nat from the restaurant negotiate for bailouts.
I would also strongly advise taking legal advice ACAS or Citizen Advice if you don’t have legal cover, however Furlough was designed to support companies through the crisis this scheme is relevant until June 30th then reviewed.
However at the end of this time a company has to decide if they can support all the jobs previous to Covid-19 in Hertz case this would seem unlikely, therefore they could choose to make you redundant in the UK you are entitled to your notice period and statutory redundancy assuming you have more than 2 years service under 2 years your F.
This is capped at £538 a week this is also subject to your age, however its one week per year so its very minimal and max is £16,140 if you have years of service also capped at 20 years this is tax free.
The company has no obligation to pay any additional amounts, being Furlough does not change these rights.
However Bankruptcy would mean the Goverment has to pay this if Hertz has no funds to do so, everyone’s situation is different and your contract has not been changed due to furlough but it’s unlikely you would be able to claim enhanced payments, prior to 2 years service they still have to pay your notice period.
Issues with this is who do they select it has to be a fair process, they have to consult WARNING they did not do this in the US hence class action lawsuit was filled, so the employees basically lost 60 days.
However I would also recommend you don’t make this easy if you refuse redundancy due to process then it’s unfair dismissal assuming you have 2 years service but then you would file in court and that may take 12 months to be resolved.
If your not already on Furlough refuse, if your are check your contract length of service etc to understand what may happen, remember European nationals so those with French or Italian contracts have way more rights and the process is much more complicated hence if the company wants to cut costs UK is an easy target unfortunately.
Also many more questions should be asked, why is the complete ILT neither Furlough or being let go, they could surely merge some jobs, the sales team as an example, RG team who really cares about NPS now, use the European WC they are not the best but defo should be supporting everyone, and remember stay together, no one else is looking out for you strength in numbers.
AND IGNORE WE CARE ABOUT YOU BS, THEY DON’T THEY CARE ABOUT SAVING THE COMPANY.
Be clear your now a number and a liability and pray someone buys the company who will rebuild it because with AB at the helm I would imagine it was going down irrelevant of Covid-19 she has no expertise or knowledge to bring what the company needs, unfortunately she’s also now dealing with a crisis also seems to have no expertise or knowledge in this, until this point has done nothing with rents no negotiations just sent a note say she’s not paying them, has not negotiated with suppliers, has no relationships with the banks, Europcar has already secured all funding as has Avis why has Hertz not got deals agreed in every country to see this out, questions have to be asked COVID is the problem but their were solutions but she acted to late to slow and incorrectly.
Good luck
This is why you were asked to accept furlough - so that it was done with your agreement, whereby you effectively agree to vary your terms of employment. You’re not alone - everyone accepted.
You may be able to argue that you did not realise the implications of accepting the furlough, and therefore the company would owe you the difference to your normal pay. You may also be able to exit the furlough on the basis you do not agree with it, and the implications of your initial acceptance were not explained.
Go and check to see if your home insurance includes legal cover, and then phone their advice line to kick off the process. They will talk you through the options.
Don’t do anything until you get this legal advice!
What’s going to happen to all of us that have already accepted the furlough? I didn’t realise we could not accept it. I was given the impression that it was the only thing to do at that point. That it was the company’s decision to put us on furlough rather than me having to accept the furlough. Obviously that was before all the bankruptcy possibility.
Isn’t that Colin P’s job, or is he merely the managements’ mouthpiece?
Either way I don’t think a WhatsApp group is a great idea right now - I’m sure a hit list is being created, and I see no benefit in putting my name at the top of it and painting a massive target on myself.
For now let’s just be prepared, and DON’T ACCEPT ANY FURLOUGH!
Can any one get everyone together who’s been effected on a what’s app group?
Perhaps it’s worth us sticking together if the 20 rule applies, reading the news this sh– will hit the fan Tuesday and perhaps we can hire one lawyer together.
Thoughts?
Also share this page with others who may not be aware the more noise the better we are all in this together we should get in LOCKSTEP (cupcakes favourite saying).
No matter how much Hertz would like this not to be true, your rights are unaffected.
What Hertz can do is play with the solvency of the the various legal entities, although my understanding is that European entities are deeply financially intertwined, and so it’s unlikely that, for example, the UK could be declared unilaterally bankrupt.
The first issue is that those who are furloughed (and ‘accepted’) are effectively trapped with the only option being to resign. That’s all of us, so we are in this together.
Take legal advice (if you are sensible your household insurance policy will cover this - if not, get this option added quickly!).
There is a significant opportunity (get legal insurance!!!) to take action against Hertz, as the furlough represents a breach of your employment contract - you can sue for the difference between your contracted pay and what you receive in furlough. If you have the insurance it won’t cost you anything to do that. Of course suing a bankrupt company is very much pointless.
If Hertz is solvent and they have the money to do it you will get at least statutory redundancy - maybe more if they play nice (spits coffee all over keyboard whilst laughing so hard).
Remember that the requirements re the number of employees involved (20 or more) in the redundancy, consultation period etc etc apply. Watch out that Hertz does not suggest that the initial notice of furlough (2 Apr) is the beginning of this period. This is DEFINITELY not the case. It could have been, but they have worded the initial communication very poorly and they cannot now do this.
The biggest problem is that the sheer number of employees that will potentially need to be made redundant represents a huge cost in itself. It’s not like Hertz has massive cash reserves, and remember that the assets (vehicles) are in hock to the provider of finance. Don’t even think about helping yourself to one of those ridiculously wrapped minis outside hertz house in lieu of an redundancy payment!
Finally, if you’re not lucky enough to be furloughed now and it is subsequently offered to you DON’T ACCEPT!!!
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#if-you-do-not-want-to-go-on-furlough
The only option available (and this is in the government website - see link above) - is to not furlough you, or make you redundant. This is one occasion where the government is looking after you, and any company that has used the employee retention scheme will be under close scrutiny to make sure they don’t mistreat employees.
If more than 20 decline it gives them a MASSIVE headache, because they can’t afford the redundancy cost.
I know this sounds very militant, but be under no illusion that this is where we are now.
Think of self-preservation. Think of your families. Don’t think about bollox bird boxes or front gardens or cleaning beaches.
That nice lady that gives your cupcakes and tells you how much she loves you is making plans right now to end your employment so can she can keep her job. She doesn’t love you really.
Don’t worry, she’ll have a lovely golden parachute encrusted with diamonds - and anyway she was brought in because at IHG (previous employer) she ran a FULLY FRANCHISED operation without any assets. So guess what happens to Hertz in Europe after all this...
I wish you the Best of British luck!
Hertz didn’t make anyone in the U.K. redundant yet so that they can avoid huge payouts. Bet they are waiting to avoid it via bankruptcy
I’ve read that redundancy rights will be the same? Consultation, notice and statutory redundancy. Unlikely there will be enhanced redundancy at this point. Statutory will only be 1/4 of the what I should be receiving though.
The U.K. furlough is a con, signing it basically ment you signed away your right to your notice period, consultation period and years of redundancy pay.
Revenue is not coming back anytime soon, Heathrow is 97% down in volume.
Filing a Chapter 11 allows them to restructure the company with no consequences so you will get statutory redundancy pay and perhaps another cup cake we have been mislead, 25 years service and thrown to the dogs.
AB the cupcake Queen living next to Buckingham Palace in your Mews House, getting paid for NOTHING if you cared you would of been honest the US is not driving International you are, Oh and no one cares your claim to fame is passing your driving test in Uxbridge most irrelevant fact ever.:
How is it possible AB was awarded shares, for what painting the reception?
So let’s look as this we got a cup cake and she got a ton of shares Is this true?
She only joined in Nov disappeared for weeks and reappeared in Jan in my coffee chat stated how awful everything was and she was going to fix everything because she cared about us..she’s defo fixed it wrecked 102 years of business in 2 months, Covid is a crisis but she’s a bigger one, not even changed her linked in still says she’s some consultant to a company that’s made up it’s not even registered in the US!! Fake Fake Fake.
VP Operations is monk. Which is interesting I itself - why is the U.K. GM/Country Manager now called vp operations? To increase the salary?
And why haven’t we fired such an expensive role whilst still in probationary period to protect other jobs? It’s cheap to offload him right now, and let’s face it - he’s not doing anything.
You can be sure we won’t be needing/able to afford such a high paid role in the future, and surely it’s pretty important that whoever we do have in a U.K. leadership role knows SOMETHING about how to run a car rental business.
We have to stop hiring useless leaders.
Or maybe bankruptcy will be a merciful release?
If/when Hertz goes bankrupt then you will only get whatever the government will provide:
https://www.gov.uk/your-rights-if-your-employer-is-insolvent
This is a lot less than statutory redundancy, paid by a solvent employer:
https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights
Everyone who accepted the UK furlough is pretty much trapped - having accepted furlough (this is why the company asked you to confirm acceptance) the only way out of furlough now is to resign. This doesn’t help if you don’t have a new job to go to. Did you notice that the June extension didn’t require any acceptance this time? That’s because you signed away your rights in the initial acceptance - read the letter of 2nd April carefully.
As long as the government extends the scheme you can be sure Hertz will take advantage.
Post COVID-19 Hertz will be dramatically smaller than before - I would estimate at least 50% smaller initially. Hertz simply can not afford to make that number of people redundant now, so taking the government handout to keep staff furloughed is the only way for the company to survive.
There is no revenue. No cash.
Inevitably when the government stops the scheme many will have to be made redundant, because without the government money Hertz can not afford to pay your wages, and it forces the issue.
If you’re lucky and the company is solvent then you will get at least statutory redundancy. BUT how likely is this really?
Just be happy that not only are the senior leadership still on full pay FOR DOING NOTHING, but also AB got a NICE payout in March. Yes, that’s right - she cancelled our bonuses in exchange for a cupcake, but then she got awarded a load of shares. And this is one of the many reasons why Hertz is screwed.
DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE WHOLE ‘I CARE FOR YOU ALL’ ACT.
What letter did the VP of operations send? Is it RG? Didn’t get anything.
SEND HER BACK, her contribution to APAC since the fires is zero...
Are we still qualified for redundancy if Hertz goes bankrupt?
Can someone please send Happy Clappy back to where ever she came from IHG heard she was also useless and got sacked.
She has just rambled about how wonderful she is since her first town-hall, words no action and surrounded her self with puppets who are to scared to have a voice, no actions no plan no ideas nothing how is it possible for a company to have such an id–t leader, so many things could be done differently hundreds of years experience in the building but no one asks.
Note your useless, please believe no one believes in you go home your not wanted needed or valued.
AB probably the worst President in Hertz history, your right she’s sitting on her throne doing nothing just getting paid until it’s all gone making rude comments about past leaders who at least made an attempt to save the ship, this Captain is steering it straight at an iceberg, send her home she’s useless?
Unfortunate for once a great brand to succumb not to Covid 19 but to leadership that has failed. I am reading about leaders in other industries and even our competitors and they have built a solid foundation to ride this crazy time out. But not Hertz.
Good Luck.
I share your pain and frustration.
An obvious lack of real leaders...just greedy puppets!