Bonum Certa Men Certa

Evidence of Sirius ‘Open Source’ (or Sirius Corporation) Failing to Pay Pensions, Failing to Inform Staff, Not Responding to Staff

Pension letter 1



Pension letter 2



Summary: The job my wife and I left this past Friday (after about 21 years combined) had turned sour years ago; hoping that this serves as a cautionary tale to others, we've decided to show pension lapses, lack of payslips, and excuses that accompanied that for years

LAST night we wrote about Sirius ‘Open Source’ being in violation of payslips-related regulations -- a subject that I kept warning about from inside the company. This post presents some supportive evidence, citing in particular one of countless times I raised this subject, sometimes repeatedly just in order to receive any reply at all. I even escalated several levels before receiving a very belated reply. Does that mean Sirius has negligent and lazy management? Does it mean it is hiding something big? Or many things combined?



Are funds being misused (like pre-allocation of separation fees)?

The issue with payslips is related to the pension issues, so presented below are those two inter-connected issues. It started with 2019 letters regarding problems that had started in 2018.

My wife Rianne received the following in 2019.

Subject: IMPORTANT - Missing Contributions reported to The Pension Regulator for Sirius Corporation Ltd Date: 12 Mar 2019 18:39:02 +0000 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Dear Mrs Schestowitz

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust ("the Plan")

We are writing to you because we have recently advised The Pensions Regulator (TPR) that we believe there are gaps in the pension contribution records and payments as provided to us by Sirius Corporation Ltd. According to our records you were in their employment during the period in question. However it is of course possible that you were not making pension contributions at that time.

We are required by law to monitor the accurate payment of contributions; to report missing amounts to TPR after a prescribed period of time and to then notify members.

Further information about employers' responsibilities around pension contributions can be found here http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/contributions-funding.aspx#s9380

Where are the gaps?

As of 11th February 2019 our records suggest that we have not collected all contributions in relation to the following months:

Earliest Month Latest Month September 2018 September 2018

What happens next?

TPR may now be in contact with your employer and may provide a deadline for them to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so then an initial fine and escalating penalties for your employer are likely.

If you wish to understand more about this situation and how it may or may not affect you directly we would ask that you refer in the first instance to your employer. If you wish to talk to us about any other aspects of your participation in the ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust please call our member support line on ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆.

Important Note

We will never contact you by email to request or provide financial information or make any contribution payments. If you receive any such requests, please do not take any action.

Yours sincerely

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆


In 2019 physical copies started coming as well. As we shall see (or show herein) later on, two years later it happened again, so this wasn't just some one-off incident.

Subject: IMPORTANT - Missing Contributions reported to The Pension Regulator for Sirius Corporation Ltd Date: 10 Apr 2019 11:10:28 +0100 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Dear Mrs Schestowitz

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust ("the Plan")

We are writing to you because we have recently advised The Pensions Regulator (TPR) that we believe there are gaps in the pension contribution records and payments as provided to us by Sirius Corporation Ltd. According to our records you were in their employment during the period in question. However it is of course possible that you were not making pension contributions at that time.

We are required by law to monitor the accurate payment of contributions; to report missing amounts to TPR after a prescribed period of time and to then notify members.

Further information about employers' responsibilities around pension contributions can be found here http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/contributions-funding.aspx#s9380

Where are the gaps?

As of 11th March 2019 our records suggest that we have not collected all contributions in relation to the following months:

Earliest Month Latest Month September 2018 October 2018

What happens next?

TPR may now be in contact with your employer and may provide a deadline for them to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so then an initial fine and escalating penalties for your employer are likely.

If you wish to understand more about this situation and how it may or may not affect you directly we would ask that you refer in the first instance to your employer. If you wish to talk to us about any other aspects of your participation in the ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust please call our member support line on ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆.

Important Note

We will never contact you by email to request or provide financial information or make any contribution payments. If you receive any such requests, please do not take any action.

Yours sincerely

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆


And again a month later:

Subject: IMPORTANT - Missing Contributions reported to The Pension Regulator for Sirius Corporation Ltd Date: 13 May 2019 10:39:24 +0100 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Dear Mrs Schestowitz

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust ("the Plan")

We are writing to you because we have recently advised The Pensions Regulator (TPR) that we believe there are gaps in the pension contribution records and payments as provided to us by Sirius Corporation Ltd. According to our records you were in their employment during the period in question. However it is of course possible that you were not making pension contributions at that time.

We are required by law to monitor the accurate payment of contributions; to report missing amounts to TPR after a prescribed period of time and to then notify members.

Further information about employers' responsibilities around pension contributions can be found here http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/contributions-funding.aspx#s9380

Where are the gaps?

As of 8th April 2019 our records suggest that we have not collected all contributions in relation to the following months:

Earliest Month Latest Month September 2018 November 2018

What happens next?

TPR may now be in contact with your employer and may provide a deadline for them to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so then an initial fine and escalating penalties for your employer are likely.

If you wish to understand more about this situation and how it may or may not affect you directly we would ask that you refer in the first instance to your employer. If you wish to talk to us about any other aspects of your participation in the ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust please call our member support line on ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆.

Important Note

We will never contact you by email to request or provide financial information or make any contribution payments. If you receive any such requests, please do not take any action.

Yours sincerely

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆


In 2021 both of us started receiving the same again, e.g.:

Subject: IMPORTANT - Missing Contributions reported to The Pension Regulator for Schestowitz Date: 11 Mar 2021 11:52:42 +0000 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ To: roy.schestowitz@siriusopensource.com

Dear Dr R

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust ("the Plan")

We are writing to you because we have recently advised The Pensions Regulator (TPR) that we believe there are gaps in the pension contribution records and payments as provided to us by Schestowitz. According to our records you were in their employment during the period in question. However it is of course possible that you were not making pension contributions at that time.

We are required by law to monitor the accurate payment of contributions; to report missing amounts to TPR after a prescribed period of time and to then notify members.

Further information about employers' responsibilities around pension contributions can be found here http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/contributions-funding.aspx#s9380

Where are the gaps?

As of 10 February 2021 our records suggest that we have not collected all contributions in relation to the following months:

Earliest Month Latest Month Sirius Corporation Ltd May 2020

What happens next?

TPR may now be in contact with your employer and may provide a deadline for them to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so then an initial fine and escalating penalties for your employer are likely.

If you wish to understand more about this situation and how it may or may not affect you directly we would ask that you refer in the first instance to your employer. If you wish to talk to us about any other aspects of your participation in the ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust please call our member support line on ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Important Note

We will never contact you by email to request or provide financial information or make any contribution payments. If you receive any such requests, please do not take any action.

Yours sincerely

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ is a leading UK workplace pension provider. We look after the pension savings of tens of thousands of employers and millions of members from a wide range of industry sectors.

We have a clear mission - to fight for a fair pension system that benefits everyone. Not only does this mean achieving the best financial outcomes for our own members, but also playing our part in ensuring that all pension savers get the retirement they deserve. We do this by highlighting pension inequalities and campaigning for change.

We are the UK's third largest auto enrolment pension provider by number of members.

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆



And hers (we assume other colleagues received the same):

Subject: IMPORTANT - Missing Contributions reported to The Pension Regulator for Sirius Corporation Ltd Date: 12 Jan 2021 11:49:13 +0000 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Dear Mrs Schestowitz

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust ("the Plan")

We are writing to you because we have recently advised The Pensions Regulator (TPR) that we believe there are gaps in the pension contribution records and payments as provided to us by Sirius Corporation Ltd. According to our records you were in their employment during the period in question. However it is of course possible that you were not making pension contributions at that time.

We are required by law to monitor the accurate payment of contributions; to report missing amounts to TPR after a prescribed period of time and to then notify members.

Further information about employers' responsibilities around pension contributions can be found here http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/contributions-funding.aspx#s9380

Where are the gaps?

As of 11 December 2020 our records suggest that we have not collected all contributions in relation to the following months:

Earliest Month Latest Month May 2020 May 2020

What happens next?

TPR may now be in contact with your employer and may provide a deadline for them to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so then an initial fine and escalating penalties for your employer are likely.

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Important Note

We will never contact you by email to request or provide financial information or make any contribution payments. If you receive any such requests, please do not take any action.

Yours sincerely

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ We are the UK's third largest auto enrolment pension provider by number of members.

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆


And again:

Subject: IMPORTANT - Missing Contributions reported to The Pension Regulator for Sirius Corporation Ltd Date: 10 Feb 2021 10:47:09 +0000 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Dear Mrs Schestowitz

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust ("the Plan")

We are writing to you because we have recently advised The Pensions Regulator (TPR) that we believe there are gaps in the pension contribution records and payments as provided to us by Sirius Corporation Ltd. According to our records you were in their employment during the period in question. However it is of course possible that you were not making pension contributions at that time.

We are required by law to monitor the accurate payment of contributions; to report missing amounts to TPR after a prescribed period of time and to then notify members.

Further information about employers' responsibilities around pension contributions can be found here http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/contributions-funding.aspx#s9380

Where are the gaps?

As of 13 January 2021 our records suggest that we have not collected all contributions in relation to the following months:

Earliest Month Latest Month May 2020 June 2020

What happens next?

TPR may now be in contact with your employer and may provide a deadline for them to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so then an initial fine and escalating penalties for your employer are likely.

If you wish to understand more about this situation and how it may or may not affect you directly we would ask that you refer in the first instance to your employer. If you wish to talk to us about any other aspects of your participation in the ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust please call our member support line on ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆.

Important Note

We will never contact you by email to request or provide financial information or make any contribution payments. If you receive any such requests, please do not take any action.

Yours sincerely

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ is a leading UK workplace pension provider. We look after the pension savings of tens of thousands of employers and millions of members from a wide range of industry sectors.

We have a clear mission - to fight for a fair pension system that benefits everyone. Not only does this mean achieving the best financial outcomes for our own members, but also playing our part in ensuring that all pension savers get the retirement they deserve. We do this by highlighting pension inequalities and campaigning for change.

We are the UK's third largest auto enrolment pension provider by number of members.

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆



And one day later:

Subject: IMPORTANT - Missing Contributions reported to The Pension Regulator for Schestowitz Date: 11 Mar 2021 11:52:42 +0000 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Dear Ms R

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust ("the Plan")

We are writing to you because we have recently advised The Pensions Regulator (TPR) that we believe there are gaps in the pension contribution records and payments as provided to us by Schestowitz. According to our records you were in their employment during the period in question. However it is of course possible that you were not making pension contributions at that time.

We are required by law to monitor the accurate payment of contributions; to report missing amounts to TPR after a prescribed period of time and to then notify members.

Further information about employers' responsibilities around pension contributions can be found here http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/contributions-funding.aspx#s9380

Where are the gaps?

As of 10 February 2021 our records suggest that we have not collected all contributions in relation to the following months:

Earliest Month Latest Month Sirius Corporation Ltd May 2020

What happens next?

TPR may now be in contact with your employer and may provide a deadline for them to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so then an initial fine and escalating penalties for your employer are likely.

If you wish to understand more about this situation and how it may or may not affect you directly we would ask that you refer in the first instance to your employer. If you wish to talk to us about any other aspects of your participation in the ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Trust please call our member support line on ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆.

Important Note

We will never contact you by email to request or provide financial information or make any contribution payments. If you receive any such requests, please do not take any action.

Yours sincerely

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ is a leading UK workplace pension provider. We look after the pension savings of tens of thousands of employers and millions of members from a wide range of industry sectors.

We have a clear mission - to fight for a fair pension system that benefits everyone. Not only does this mean achieving the best financial outcomes for our own members, but also playing our part in ensuring that all pension savers get the retirement they deserve. We do this by highlighting pension inequalities and campaigning for change.

We are the UK's third largest auto enrolment pension provider by number of members.

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆


By that point, many payslips (which can verify if pension contributions were paid) were not being sent, neither physically nor electronically.

My wife and I were both impacted, so I asked:

Subject: July's payslip? Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2021 17:41:58 +0100 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Organization: Sirius IT To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Hi ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆, can you please send July's payslip? Thanks. Preferably every month rather than in bulk once a year. As a matter of employment law, too. ;-)

Regards,


Here's more from myself:

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ wrote on 09/04/2021 17:07: > > Please find attached payslips from April 20 - March 21. These will now > be sent around the first week of each month going forward.

Hi,

We're about 2 or 3 months behind now. :-)

Regards,


It kept happening for years. Payslips had to be repeatedly requested again and again. Promises to send them were not being fulfilled. No properly-functioning company should be like this:

Subject: Re: Payslips April 20 - Mar 21 Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2021 23:45:34 +0100 From: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Organization: Sirius IT To: ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ wrote on 09/04/2021 17:07: > Hi Roy, > > Please find attached payslips from April 20 - March 21. These will now > be sent around the first week of each month going forward. > > You will see they show bank holidays even though you didn’t take them, > there was a default setting which we were unaware of however this should > now only show on payslips if they are taken. > > Kind Regards, > > ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Thanks ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆!


The letters sent in the post are shown at the top. There were probably more, but we don't need to show all of them, merely a sub-sample.

Looking back at the whole thing, the company turned into a total disaster, a train wreck. When I joined in 2011 there was devoted and properly-trained in-house accounting staff, not some ad hoc personal assistant, an imposter who pretends to be "manager".

All the accounting people left later on (maybe around 2012), leaving a gap in checks and balances. Transparency was eroding and colleagues were leaving every year, many of whom never to be replaced (not with suitably qualified people anyway). Hiring of relatives who lack any suitable degree or work experience became far too common. Some people joined and left months later.

Meanwhile Sirius also changed pension providers (fragmentation), which meant staff had to keep track of several providers. A lot of the accounting was being outsourced.

In 2011 I was greeted by the in-house accountant, who wrote:

> Hi All > > ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ would like to come and meet you all to run through some > things with you, could you please suggest some dates that you would all > be available to come into the office to talk with him about your > individual pensions, I really need you all on the same day. I will > confirm a day when I get your response. > > Many thanks > > ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆

Hi ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆,

I have just come back. I am catching up with mail. Is there a date specified yet?


A lot of these meetings never even happened as the person above left a short while afterwards. The company did not bother announcing this.

Fast-forward a decade and staff was running out of patience, especially in light of a pension lapse (again and again and again), not to mention a lack of payslips.

I wrote to the founder of the company on 12/03/2021:

Hi ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆,

I've just received a formal letter from ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆, not for the first time. It suggests that there's some anomaly in the way the employer handles the pension. Rianne has been getting several of the same letters too. Does that mean someone isn't correctly handling the accounting with them?

Regards,

Roy


5 days later still no reply. Nothing.

On 17/03/2021 I followed up:

Hi,

Any followup on this? I also think it's important to still receive a payslip each month, whether as PDF of by post.

Regards,


And the following day again (already with more recipients (18/03/2021):

> Hi, > > Any followup on this? I also think it's important to still receive a > payslip each month, whether as PDF of by post. > > Regards,

Any update?


Later on the same day (18/03/2021) I was told that a week after the original inquiry there might finally be a response (or cover-up/excuses):

> Hi Roy, > > Yes there will be an update sent from ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆. > > As for the payslips, I will send a batch to you (this is taking longer > than expected as I am also doing it for everyone) and then will send > them monthly again. > > Kind Regards,

Thanks, ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆.


Of course payslips would not resume after that. I kept chasing them and early this year it was becoming pointless to even ask. On 01/04/2021 I wrote:



> As for the payslips, I will send a batch to you (this is taking longer > than expected as I am also doing it for everyone) and then will send > them monthly again.

Which day of the month will they be sent?

Thanks,


Over time the tone escalated somewhat. I wrote about half a dozen messages bemoaning that payslips stopped being sent. I also reminded the founder that it was a legal obligation to send these, as per the actual law. Their side of the contract wasn't honoured and I barely even received a reply when raising these perfectly legitimate points.

What sane person would stay in such a company for another year?

Recent Techrights' Posts

The Brand 'Watsonx' is a Terrible Name for IBM 'Hey Hi' (Chatbots) Because Watson Agreed With Adolf Hitler
Almost a century has passed and IBM still believes that selling "intelligence", chatbots in particular, should be done under the name "Watson"
 
Microsoft Windows Falls to Another New All-Time Low in Guatemala, It is a Bottomless Pit
Maybe users come to realise that Windows means back doors and those doors are open to a regime that ought not be trusted
"XBox" Will Become Slop After Mass Layoffs
When all else fails, "AI it"
Links 22/02/2026: Hardware Price Hikes Across the Board, "Microsoft Issues Statement on Potential Layoffs"
Links for the day
Microsoft "Layoffs Incoming"
This transition isn't about promoting games; it's about canning the console
Links 22/02/2026: "Bloat of Modern Fitness Apps" and Wikipedia Deprecates Archive.today
Links for the day
Our IRC 5-Year Anniversary (for Self-Hosted) is Fast Approaching
A week from now it's March already
Gemini Links 22/02/2026: Dream Job Gone and Slop in Taskwarrior
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, February 21, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, February 21, 2026
GNU/Linux Grew a Lot in Nicaragua
We've not noticed until today
Techrights Has Over 1,000 Good Articles 'in the Tank'
Drafts, notes, and lengthy documents
New Article Challenges Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for Choosing the Wrong SLAPP Cases to Investigate
The one point we can agree on is that SRA does not know how to correctly select the worst culprits/offenders
Why IBM is Still Scary and Dangerous
Keep a distance from "Big Blue" Bully
Measuring the Growth of Our Mission and Community
Something between experiment and prototype
Richard Stallman in the United States - Part III - Georgia Tech Did a Fine Job Upholding Free Speech Principles
The real problem was social control media (toxic)
Debian's Master is Deleting Criticism of SystemD and Other Things (On-Topic and Published by Debian Developers), Resorts to the Excuse Messages Are "Too Long"
Censorship serves nobody except the masters that control this censorship
Digg's Latest Incarnation Already Failed, It's Infested With LLM Slop
Many submissions go to slopfarms and some get summarised by slop
Gemini Links 21/02/2026: Veganism and DeskPi RackMate T0
Links for the day
On The Web, XBox Already a Dying Breed
Down to about 0.05% on large machines, based on statCounter [...] Microsoft will never publicly admit or say how many billions it lost on the XBox
2026 a Year of 'Top-Down' Microsoft Layoffs (Management First)
Stay tuned for what comes next
Your "Likes" Aren't Yours and They're Mostly "Worthless Clicks"
Social hermits are not popular, irrespective of how many "Facebook friends" or "likes" they get
Waggener Edstrom/Frank Shaw Lied, There Are Definitely Microsoft Layoffs
Microsoft never issued a formal statement, it made allusions by proxy
Microsoft-Controlled Media With Embargo and Press Operatives
This won't be the last example of media manipulation for narrative control or face-saving "damage control"
Slop Hype Makes Our Core Technology Less Reliable and Far Less Resilient (We Pay for the Catastrophe That Follows)
Only slop-free projects can be trusted
Going for 1,000 (Days of Uptime)
universal records are vastly better
Firefox is No-Go in China, Not Even 1% "Market Share" Anymore
Given Mozilla's utterly rubbish marketing these days (politics over technical aspects), set aside the cheerleading for slop, there's hardly a chance of Mozilla Firefox reaching or exceeding 10% again
EPO "Cocaine Communication Manager" - Part III - It's in His Eyes
Workers are free to draw their own conclusions
Links 21/02/2026: Tensions Over Iran and Illegal Cheeto Tariffs, Presidential Approval Sags
Links for the day
Links 21/02/2026: "Moving Away From Cloudflare", Many Layoffs or Shutdowns in Games (Including XBox/Microsoft)
Links for the day
GNU Linux-libre is a Grown-Up Today
"before that, every distro that wanted to respect its users' freedom had to remove itself all of the binary blobs that were distributed as part of the kernel Linux's so-called sources"
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, February 20, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, February 20, 2026
Gemini Links 21/02/2026: "The Evil of Action" and Slop Bots Causing Great Harm Online (Not Just the Web)
Links for the day
Like a Shell
Overreactions can backfire
Not Only Leaders of XBox Got Sacked (Layoffs)
Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond got laid off
9PM on a Friday Night: Microsoft Says the Layoffs Are Not Layoffs
We've said for a long time that XBox is doomed this year
Gemini Links 20/02/2026: Misfin Server and Magic in Programming
Links for the day
Former Debian Project Leader Branden Robinson Cautions Against Cover-up and Censorship in Debian
Debian drama. Again.
analytics.usa.gov Reckons Windows "Market Share" Fell to Just 38%, Vista 11 Not Even a Third of Windows Users
This coming summer Vista 11 turns 5
The New Digg.com is Slop
Slop "summaries" and Serial Sloppers are drowning out the site with fake 'articles' (plagiarism)
Linus Torvalds: Bill Epsteingate Good Enough for Me to Wine and Dine With
Torvalds is more connected to Jeffrey Epstein than Richard Stallman ever was
Our Uptimes Are Always Better Than Any Site That Uses Clownflare
Clownflare as a company operates like a cult
GNU/Linux Apparently Rose to 6% in Uzbekistan
If accurate, this represents a new problem for Microsoft and a big win for Software Freedom
Sponsored Videos and 'Articles' in The Register MS, Stenography as a Service/Product
They should more accurately label these actors
It's Friday Again and Many People Leave IBM for Good (IBM Should be Reported for Illegal NDAs That Hide Layoffs)
we very seldom see anyone deviating a lot from the "template-like" narrative, let alone mentioning "layoffs" or "RA" or some other term that implies non-consensual departure
The Little Clique of Sloppers/Spammers About "Linux" Got Even Smaller
Thankfully there are still genuine and legit GNU/Linux sites out there
Links 20/02/2026: Microsoft Intentionally Kills Older Hardware, "The Story of XBox" Shows How Defective Microsoft Hardware Really Was
Links for the day
Turkmenistan One of Many Countries Where Microsoft Fell to Distant Third in Search
We expect many layoffs in Bing some time soon
Don't Wait for "Red Hat Layoffs" Because After Bluewashing They're IBM RAs and Don't Wait for "IBM Layoffs" Because They're Perpetual
IBM layoffs are silent and "forever" (small trickle that never ends and is widespread - after all IBM is a very global and ubiquitous firm)
Links 20/02/2026: Standards, Science, and Politics
Links for the day
What Do People Ever Buy From Microsoft Anyway (Not PCs)?
Microsoft sells two things these days: 1) vapourware/promises. 2) its stock.
Gemini Links 20/02/2026: "Mainstream Unix, Underground Unix", Slop Staging DDoS Attacks Against Small Sites
Links for the day
IBM Inclusivity: Red Hat Summit is for Rich Sponsors Like Microsoft and Rich Guests Who Pay $500 a Day
Nothing signals societal tolerance more than paying a large military contractor
GNU/Linux Adoption is Higher in Richer Countries
Is it because freedom is actually expensive - something that only privileged people can pursue?
Links 20/02/2026: Windows TCO Versus Deutsche Bahn, Europe Seeks More Independent Digital Future
Links for the day
IBM, Red Hat and Fedora: Don't Say "Master", It Offends People. Also IBM, Red Hat and Fedora: "Master Podman".
The hypocrisy at Red Hat and Fedora shows no boundaries
IBM Layoffs Aren't Just in IBM 'Proper'
Who is still using Lotus after the HCL move?
The Register MS Gets Paid by Gartner to Promote a Ponzi Scheme for Gartner, Microsoft, and Others
The credibility of that site will suffer because it tries to sell a major scam to its audience
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, February 19, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, February 19, 2026