Newsletter Sign Up
Regular work+family updates for
HR and diversity professionals.
Is George Osborne's plan to allow employees to sacrifice employment in exchange for a few shares - inspired or cuckoo?
The proposal
George's plans, announced to a mixed reception, got me thinking - Do our employees really have too much protection? Would My Family Care be bigger and richer and doing more for UK PLC if we could hire and fire more easily? I'm not so sure. We're a typical SME - we turn over a few million, we employ just over 100 people and the future looks challenging but exciting.
Of course there has been the odd employee over the course of the last few years who we have been keen to "let go". And when it comes to letting go, I take lessons from John Timpson. If someone stops performing and starts detracting, you need to get them out of the business as quickly as possible. Do I wish it was slightly easier? Yes. Have we made settlements occasionally? Yes. But - it's never seemed particularly unfair to me.
And we have some big advantages as well. There are far less hiding places in small businesses. You know very quickly if someone needs to leave the business and you can push the exit along in ways that are simply impossible for a large employer.
Rules, rules, rules
The rules might be difficult to follow, but they're not impossible and it's easy to surround yourself with good advisers as well. Something else that always seems to be forgotten is that it's in everyone’s interest for the exit to be smooth. It's not a great negotiating position to be in if you are sitting at home, worried about your next job as well as a reference!
I'm glad I don't run a business in France, but are UK employees over protected? No, absolutely not. And would I be interested in handing out shares in my business in return for being able to sack people more easily? What an awful starting place for creating a good, engaged team!
So, sorry George. I understand the need for austerity but this is cuckoo. Ben Black
