theguardian.com/business/20 … m-diabetes
I feel for him but clearly he was very unwell and doing a crap job I would’ve concentrated solely on my heath and told DPD to poke it.
A damning indictment of…
The gig economy. A man so scared of failing his masters he just kept going until he flopped over.
Having said that, it’s up to individuals to read the contracts they’re signing and fully understand exactly what’s involved.
Also, I’m surpried he retained his licence with the medical history that’s been suggested by the article
No doubt there’s more to this story than the paper in question has reported, not as all other sources of mainstream media don’t have their own agendas, the grauniad no worse than any other.
I feel for the widow and children.
You have to take responsibility for your own health and take action if a job isn’t suitable, and this way of life obviously wasn’t suitable for the chap, so you have to find another way to make a living, it is not a companies responsibility to become a pseudo health visitor for its sub contractors.
I don’t know how the multi drop and parcels lads cope anyway, i wouldn’t do the bloody job for any amount of money.
yourhavingalarf:
A damning indictment of…The gig economy. A man so scared of failing his masters he just kept going until he flopped over.
Having said that, it’s up to individuals to read the contracts they’re signing and fully understand exactly what’s involved.
Also, I’m surpried he retained his licence with the medical history that’s been suggested by the article
My standard answer when I read these types of newspaper articles/Trucknet posts…
If we had Unions protecting workers rights conditions and terms, this sort of crap would NOT happen.
Poor guy was intimidated, terrified of losing his job (which was ■■■■ poor anyway) and put under over the top stress.
That coupled up with type 1 diabetes aint ideal.
Shame on those bastds !
Part of the problem was that he was self-employed. To be self-employed you have to be like any other contractor and provide a replacement when you are not available. This is what I was told when HMRC decided to return me to PAYE.
Santa:
Part of the problem was that he was self-employed. To be self-employed you have to be like any other contractor and provide a replacement when you are not available. This is what I was told when HMRC decided to return me to PAYE.
^^^ That. In theory he should have arranged for an agency driver to take over his round on days off as he was self employed.
Whilst it falls under the ruling that you have your own vehicle, it really does seem on the edge of self-employment.
Just been on J Vine, comes as a shock to the chattering classes that this sort of employment exists…
TiredAndEmotional:
DPD courier who was fined for day off to see doctor dies from diabetes | Couriers/delivery industry | The Guardian
Dpd odf.
The worst of both worlds.
Having done cover at dpd its pretty obvious they are out of thier depth.
Made promises to amazon they cant keep(1 hour delivery slots).
Treat new drivers worse than ■■■■■■ Then complain when they find better jobs.
The union rep at roche in cornwall was quickly got rid of by the management.
Ever wondered why you get the notification that they have tried to deliver your parcel bet you were out?
Even tho you been in all day?
Thats the management covering thier arses.
To get that message the driver needs to be within 100 yards of your house( he might of well just delivered it) or the office has give him the unlock code because he is out of his 1 hour delivery slot.
Its about percentages these days not parcel delivery.
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kyoung:
The union rep at roche in cornwall was quickly got rid of by the management.
I rest my case.
And for what reason would they feel a need to do that exactly ?
Other than them knowing fine well that they are not treating their employees fairly, and that they do not want their boat rocked.
I know I keep banging on about firms with Unions being much better to work for, (I’m even starting to bore myself with it 
) but it’s just to redress the balance of the brainwashed and gullible on here who keep spouting about the bad times in the 70s, and regurgitating Thatcher propoganda about Unions being bad for the country and the anti Christ of the working classes.
Open your eyes ffs.
robroy:
kyoung:
The union rep at roche in cornwall was quickly got rid of by the management.I rest my case.
And for what reason would they feel a need to do that exactly ?
Other than them knowing fine well that they are not treating their employees fairly, and that they do not want their boat rocked.I know I keep banging on about firms with Unions being much better to work for, (I’m even starting to bore myself with it
Open your eyes ffs.
As they say in croydon
“You aint just whistling dixie”
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Along with the self employed status, you are generally expected to be running a vehicle under 5 years old, signwritten so you can’t use it for other contracts.
Unless you had put in a chunk of cash upfront those sprinters are on finance so need the payments being made, along with insurance that is loads more than regular cover - although the amount of people I see delivering with engine running on van sat outside half justifies that.
If you look at what people are expected to pay the parcel cos for van leases, then compare to the deals on offer from the van manufacturers, you’ll see why parcel delivery is so cheap. Most of the profits for the parcel company must come from leasing the vans!
our myhermes and similar over here range from 10 yr old white van man scrappers,to our normal wifey in a scenic or espace with the deliveries done after 3pm with the kids in the back with the parcels.
same upmarket image as the scallys delivering the chinkies and kebabs.
top notch service.
I’m not sure about this one tbh. Yes, the chap was doing a crap job (which was his CHOICE), but after reading the article I got the sense that this chap has basically neglected his own health.
I understand that DPD will not come out of this looking like employer of the year, but when you operate a business like DPD do, I am sure they get plenty subbies taking the ■■■■ and letting them down.
What I do know is this; If I was coughing up blood etc, £150 would be the least of my worries 
The mighty pound isn’t everything, yet sadly lot’s of folk don’t realise this 
eagerbeaver:
I’m not sure about this one tbh. Yes, the chap was doing a crap job (which was his CHOICE), but after reading the article I got the sense that this chap has basically neglected his own health.I understand that DPD will not come out of this looking like employer of the year, but when you operate a business like DPD do, I am sure they get plenty subbies taking the ■■■■ and letting them down.
What I do know is this; If I was coughing up blood etc, £150 would be the least of my worries
How far do you take this?
I doubt he realised how ill he was. Of course not. Wouldn’t we admire someone who chooses to work on when a “bit rough” to support their family rather than skive on the sick? And as self employed what does the sick pay amount to? A Penalty! payable to his “employer”!
He had a choice of jobs? Dunno. Maybe he choose the best option. Maybe he was sold a pup with false promises? I dunno. He wouldn’t have been the first.
This sham system of companies shirking the responsibility bourn by more honourable traditional companies stinks. The gig economy is a good option for some, but an excuse enabling profiteering for others.
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Franglais:
rather than skive on the sick?
Being genuinely unwell…
Isn’t skiving.
Avoiding graft, neglecting to look for work or neglecting to take available work is skiving.
yourhavingalarf:
Franglais:
rather than skive on the sick?Being genuinely unwell…
Isn’t skiving.
Avoiding graft, negelcting to look for work or negelcting to take available work is skiving.
Of course that’s right.
But don’t many of us point fingers at people who “appear” ok? Isn’t there a macho feeling in the industry that everyone except ourselves is a skivver and not pulling their weight. And don’t we moan about tax and N.I. going to the undeserving?
I could have phrased it better I guess. Probably not any clearer now!
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Lane had collapsed twice, including once into a diabetic coma while at the wheel of his DPD van during deliveries, when the company fined him in July after he went to see a specialist about eye damage caused by diabetes.
I’m sorry, but this man shouldn’t have been driving, he would have had had his license revoked (and probably still been alive) if he had followed the DVLA guidelines and reported any change in his condition.
Franglais:
I doubt he realised how ill he was. Of course not. Wouldn’t we admire someone who chooses to work on when a “bit rough” to support their family rather than skive on the sick?
Being type 1 myself I am under no illusions that he must have known how ill he was, each time he collapsed he would have had to see a Dr about it and I would like to think that his Dr would have told him to stop driving and notify DVLA. As a diabetic he would have known that he needed to see a specialist at least twice a year and also attend eye screening once a year, (which probably flagged up the eye problems) so when he was taking on the contract with DPD should have taken into consideration that he would need to supply cover for those appointments and follow ups as well.
I am in no way in DPD’s corner about this btw.
scottie0011:
Lane had collapsed twice, including once into a diabetic coma while at the wheel of his DPD van during deliveries, when the company fined him in July after he went to see a specialist about eye damage caused by diabetes.
I’m sorry, but this man shouldn’t have been driving, he would have had had his license revoked (and probably still been alive) if he had followed the DVLA guidelines and reported any change in his condition.
Franglais:
I doubt he realised how ill he was. Of course not. Wouldn’t we admire someone who chooses to work on when a “bit rough” to support their family rather than skive on the sick?Being type 1 myself I am under no illusions that he must have known how ill he was, each time he collapsed he would have had to see a Dr about it and I would like to think that his Dr would have told him to stop driving and notify DVLA. As a diabetic he would have known that he needed to see a specialist at least twice a year and also attend eye screening once a year, (which probably flagged up the eye problems) so when he was taking on the contract with DPD should have taken into consideration that he would need to supply cover for those appointments and follow ups as well.
I am in no way in DPD’s corner about this btw.
I think Scottie is exactly where I am on this. The July eye appointment was also going to be my opening quote.
A sad situation all round, but I agree that companies are now a shallow imitation of what perhaps many once were
I haven’t read the article tbh but I’ve heard the news headlines about it so my take on this is pure speculation and may be way wide of the mark, but my thinking is that he’s a guy of a certain age who has quite probably been made redundant from another sector altogether, has made no provisions for his imminent retirement, has been desperate to keep a roof over his head and vis a vis of clutching at straws has sunk his meagre redundancy into a van after he believed the adverts of riches to be made. I believe that he knew he was ill but was faced with an awfully difficult choice and made the (with hindsight) wrong decision to carry on working.
The truth is that my heart goes out to him but as I’ve not walked a mile in his shoes I find it difficult to criticise the guy. Not that criticism will serve any purpose now.