General Chat

going through

"Draconian new equality laws could spell the end of the office joke.
Ministers yesterday announced that the vast bulk of Labour’s controversial Equality Act would be implemented immediately, despite concerns about its impact on business and office life.
The legislation, championed by Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman, introduces a bewildering range of rights which allow staff to sue for almost any perceived offence they receive in the workplace.
It creates the controversial legal concept of ‘third party harassment’, under which workers will be able to sue over jokes and banter they find offensive – even if the comments are aimed at someone else and they weren’t there at the time the comments were made.
They can sue if they feel the comments ‘violate their dignity’ or create an ‘intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment’.
A one-off incident is enough to sue – there is no need for the ‘victim’ to have warned the perpetrator that their comments are unwelcome.

They could even have a case against their employer if a customer or contractor says something they find offensive." ( If it's reprospective I am going to sue ;))

and

"Health and safety zealots blamed for creating a ‘national neurosis’ are finally to be reined in.

Meddling officials who attempt to ban events or activities on the grounds that they breach red tape will themselves be threatened with huge fines under Government plans.

And emergency workers, teachers and office workers are to be freed from the compensation culture where someone must be held to account for everyday mishaps and accidents."

Anyone else see a contradiction here?

they HAVE to be seen doing SOMETHING to justify their existance!!

even if it means re hashing stuff that didnt work in the first place.......!!

Strikes me you now have more 'rights' if you don't have a sense of humour.
Legislation about bullying is still very lax.
Where I work, you used to have to claim a 'greviance' and if you (as the bullied employee) lost - you were disciplined - this is on top of the disciplinary procedure and constant monitoring of your (inevitable) high sick leave!
...They never seemed to link the two!
Now, it's slightly less intimidating - the bullied person is no longer instantly considered a liar - but the process is still quite harrowing - especially if the bully is your line manager (the usual scenario)

H&S,,well I read some coucil sent in a team to remove all Conkers from a Chestnut tree..!!!!!so children dont throw a stick up to get conkers off the branches incase the stick falls on little darlings head......do you laugh or spit ?


Offensive/Offended is the most overly used word to get results......jeeeeze ,where they half these people been all their lives.

Kay, Probably in some highly paid "Quango" to think up these ideas. Blairs Idea of " Blue Sky Thinking"**M**.

Apparently you have a case even if you did NOT hear the joke. Do not understand that. What sort of a world are we leaving for our children/gchildren. no freedom of speech, no fags, no booze, no foods (that you like) paternity leave, that is for starters. Orwell never envisaged this and we all thought he was daft when he wrote and we read them, those books

Why do they not get back to basics we have been yelling for for over 30 years to my knowledge. Law and order, bobbies on streets, stricter penalties for yobs. Judges to stay in line with sentencing and children leaving school with basic skills in literacy etc.