General Chat

I voted NO in the first EU referendum, I felt that deserting the Commonwealth and established independant trade would be detrimental and I still remain convinced of that.

*waits for missiles*

Which comes first - the legislation or the well-being of employees?
In other words, why do so many companies moan about legislation that is actually protecting workers?
I do agree with you Sue in that the legislation and subsequent practical integration of it can be an absolute nightmare but if it makes the work environment a safer place then I am sure any right thinking person would agree that it is necessary.
Where I get angry is the ridiculous rules that make no sense whatsoever.

i agree merlin

The trouble is,the Financial institutions,Banks,Media are "Talking" us into a Recession,The Government???? needs a swift kick up the Jacksie,and start to look after this Country not the rest of the World.Or the EU. **M**.

i must admit the 70s were better as i was too young to care power cuts were fun you think when your 6

It is much more difficult. Just keeping up with new legislation takes me about 5 hours per week. That info then has to be disseminated to the right employees. I may have to adjust our insurance cover to account for changes. Because of the 'working at heights' legislation we had to invest a huge amount of money on sophisticated systems because the boys can't work off ladders.

Risk assessments and method statements take ages to prepare and that's before we earn a penny. Our overheads are crippling but we operate as a professional company (we deal with crime scenes as part of our services) and can't operate in any way other than totally professionally.

Our staff are paid good money and their welfare is paramount because some jobs are high risk.

I despair some weeks!

Sue

Errol, I wouldn't want to be responsible for making 35 people redundant.

But Sue - those were the days of much lesser worker's rights, consumer's rights, employer's rights etc - would you rather we went back to the '70s? I prefer progress and I truly believe that, even for very small companies like yourselves, things are much better now. The paperwork is a bit of an ache admittedly and I am sure you find it expensive just keeping up with things like disability rights but surely things are better now than they were otherwise you would have "shut up shop" a long time ago.

Financially, i have to work far more hours to make the same wage i got 5-10 years ago

sue is it easier to run a buisness now or ten years ago

sadly, santas (I want a peerage) elf - only joking - it is very difficult to compare in isolation because world dynamics, politics and economies have changed drastically over the past decade but I do understand what you are saying and I think if anyone were honest they would agree that they are better off.

Im going to fly to Albania, smuggle myself back in, and get discovered, and get a council house and free furniture, wooo-hooo. Back soon!!!

Worse. Not just financially, BUT for me there's more to life than money.

in what way brian

Errol,

We gross £.5m so are a small company. With enforced extra holidays to be paid for (and the possibility of having to pay for bank holidays in the near future) increased NIC rates, much higher PLI rates, exhorbitant fuel costs, 3% of business costs spent on legislation controls you cannot say that failing businesses have only themselves to blame.

I have to complete stats for government departments and certainly don't get paid for all the data filing I have to do, failure to complete on time attracts a fine!

Running a business in 2007 is certainly much more difficult than it was in 1970.

Worse off

can everyone answer are they worse off or better off than ten years ago

Sue that is the whole point of Tony Blair's modernisation of government campaign. As part of that, the power was taken away from the mandarins and handed to smaller decision makers at a local level who can, through their decisions, make a real impact.
Budgets are no longer held centrally (in general terms) and this has helped in many ways to destroy the corruption that traditionally existed in British politics - budgets were held by a very small minority back in the days of jobs for the boys etc.
Now, there is higher accountability and therefore responsibility.

me too romany but are you worse off than ten years ago y or n

I was brought up in a mining town to vote labour. Everyone had parties the day Labour won the election and kicked Maggie out. However, I will never vote Labour again, after seeing the balls up they've made of our country. Its gone to the dogs.

personally i think within ten years we will part of a european super state controlled by one man in america