The case of the hard-working driver who won a labor court despite being seen in a bar after phoning to say he was ill is a good example of why the pendulum of power has swung too far towards employees.
The presiding judge could also have given all work evaders carte blanche to report sick when they fancy a pint or a trip to the beach. I don’t know why he didn’t invite him to bill the company for alcohol and cigarettes too!
Colin Kane was seen smoking outside a social club after telling bosses that he was lying in bed with an illness.
Not only that, but the 66-year-old has a smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, suggesting he has the same respect for himself as he does for his bosses.
Incredibly, the judge found that Kane had not violated company rules and was unfairly fired. Does that mean that we all need to make an extensive list of things that employees cannot do when they are sick?
Will a contract need to state that ‘Bob cannot go to the beach, visit a zoo, or hang upside down from a trapeze’ when sick? It’s common sense, sure?
If ‘Bob’ is seen windsurfing on a sick day, will he get away safely because the employers refused to specify that he couldn’t do that in the contract?
Great strides have been made in protecting workers’ rights and health and no one wants to go back to Victorian nursing homes, but things have gone too far and bosses must fight back.
During a recent job interview, an applicant stated that they would rather not take the agreed-upon written test because they preferred a ‘talk’ and it would take too long.
They then informed our recruiter that they couldn’t stay for the entire interview because they had booked twice and arranged a Zoom call for a set time.
Another person quit after a day, apparently unhappy that she had to agree to her lunch time with the line manager in the morning and not being able to chatter on her cell phone during work hours.
Where do these people come from? How did they become so worthy and pampered?
Now we are faced with a situation where workers’ lips are reeling because companies have realized that the remote work fantasy is exactly that. It doesn’t work for anyone. That hasn’t stopped Apple workers from taking up arms over a recent edict to return to office.
There is a big difference between treating staff well and incentivizing them to work hard, like I think we do at Pimlico, and letting them trample you.
The idea that you can let the people in your service make the rules is the quickest route to a failing business, mass unemployment, and a contracting economy you’ve ever heard of.
I mean, who runs the program, the bosses or the employees? Bosses must lead, not indulge every whim in an attempt to be personable. Good workers are vital, but they are not the ones risking their livelihoods to build a business from scratch with blood, sweat and tears.
If the hired staff wants to do as they please, they must start their own business or be self-employed.
I spent almost a decade fighting a plumber in court. At first he loved the way we worked, after all it was worth a small fortune. Then he changed his mind when the chips did not go well and took us to the court. I was vindicated, but I should never have gone that far.
This latest labor court decision is a disgrace that undermines the authority of business leaders everywhere.
The company in question should fight this up to the Supreme Court, if not for themselves, but for all bosses and their companies.