Employing staff

[sibs]

I can't believe what I'm hearing in this day and age....women of child bearing age being discriminated against even though employers can claim full maternity pay back off the government plus a bit more besides if what I heard on Geremy Vine is correct. Its like going back 100 years. It disgusts me that this happens and it's happening more and more. Anyone out there who is thinking along these lines - think again! Someone has to have the child bearing role which in itself is a beautiful and natural thing and to be penalised for this is outrageous. If nature made us so that both sexes were capable of giving birth do you think that there would be any of this discrimination?????! I DON'T THINK SO !!!!! Ok this is just something I feel very strongly about as you can probably tell lol... Its not aimed at anyone in particular - just a general rant about something I keep hearing more and more about I can understand how difficult it may be as an employer be but geez I'd rather employ no one than do that to a woman:furious3: ... ok rant over..:grouphug: Grouphug! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

 

[grumpygrouter]

I know where you are coming from sibs but it is an unfortunate fact of employment life now that the rights of employers have virutally disappeared in the last 10 years.

No one is saying that women should not have babies or have time off for it, but unfortunately legislation is such that now businesses can go bust because of it. I have first hand experience of this.

A woman is soon to be entitled to have a full 12 months off work to have a child, the employers has, by law to keep the job open, just in case the lady wishes to return to work. In the meantime, her work load either has to be redistributed amongs the other staff, or as is common, some one else employed on a temporary contract to cover. If this "new" employee is better at the job than the person being covered for, what is an amployer to do 12 months down the line, let the person doing the better job go and bring back into the fold someone who, in all probability will want to do "flexy" hours to suit her new life obligations or break the law and not take them back.

I know in many cases whether the worker is male or female in the work place is not significant, but for such women oriented business like hair or beauty, this legislation can have a devastating effect.

No disrepect meant to any ladies, whatsoever, what would we do without them, just that I think the legislation has got way out of control now. Employment is now a legal minefield for any prospective business and should be condsidered very carefully before taking on even 1 employee.

Your assumption that the government pays for maternity benefit and a little bit more is in fact factually wrong if a company has more than 250 employees. These companies have to foot something like 30% of the costs themselves. Employers with less than this amount of employees get maternity pay refunded plus a small percentage on top. this doesn't begin to cover the loss of income a hairdressing salon loses when the stylist takes 12 months off. Imagine 4 at a time!:grouphug:

Grumpy

 

[Branty]

I have started down this route! I started with one employee and about to take on another full time. Hopefully I have made the right decision but with Health & Safety and liability insurance going through the roof I am beginning to wonder:huh2:

Kev

And all the extra expense of being an employer. Holiday pay and the like.

 

[sibs]

Fully understand what you're saying Grumps but still think it is the thin end of the wedge and just goes to show the inequalities women still have to face. It should't be this hard for women to have children. They shouldn't have to choose one or the other. Most women don't have a choice in weather they work or not. They have to. Women shouldn't be made to feel guilty about becoming pregnant.Seems we are going backward. Flipin eck I'm ranting again but shame on us if the society we live in is making women of childbearing age unemployable because of seemingly unbalanced and contradictory employment laws that don't do enough to help employers when their female employees go on maternity leave. Sorry but it just doesn't cut the mustard! ok I'm gonna shut up now lol. Nuff said:yes:

 

[Fekin]

Looks like I upset sibs :lol:

Fair enough I didn't know about an employer being able to claim back pregers pay, so I stand corrected on that score, but it still doesn't change the fact of what I said before, that it would still put some people off hiring women.

I was obviously pleased that my wife got preg pay with our daughter, but she works for the council, so it's only our money anyway that she was being paid but I can fully understand how it can bring a company to it's knees with the current employment laws, and Im not just talking about women and babies here.

 

[grumpygrouter]

Looks like I upset sibs :lol:

Fair enough I didn't know about an employer being able to claim back pregers pay, so I stand corrected on that score, but it still doesn't change the fact of what I said before, that it would still put some people off hiring women.

I was obviously pleased that my wife got preg pay with our daughter, but she works for the council, so it's only our money anyway that she was being paid but I can fully understand how it can bring a company to it's knees with the current employment laws, and Im not just talking about women and babies here.

Don't know if it was you Fekin or me with my last post! Hopefully she is not offended and takes the post as part of a good debate.

Grumpy

 

[sibs]

Absolutely Grumps and Fekin neither of you upset me at all you are just stating what is and how it is for employers and my comments weren't aimed at you guys. It is all a good healthy debate and I would say please don't hold back from constructive valid opinions because I won't and don't get offended very easily. I like to make constructive points too but all taken in the interests of having a good debate. I was showing the frustration and disbelief I feel as a woman. I had a chat with a good friend of mine this morning who is a Director and she said it came to something when she would rather employ a man than a woman lol because of it and she laid the blame firmly and squarely at Harriet Harmons door for taking things too far one way. She was telling me about things from an employers point of view. I think I mentioned that the government needs to do more to balance things out. This whole situation is gonna get worse I think if something is not done.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

I'm speaking from having been an employee and a employer. IMO Payment in the form of wages ect is compensation for your time effort and service rendered to your employer. If for some reason you cannot provide the service then why should you be compensated. If employers get rebates from the government for maternity leave and are not suppose to be out of pocket (Which is not the case) Then the employee should be able to submit a form stating leave of maturnity and her pay direct debited into her bank account by the government, leaving the employer to get on with the job of running his/her buisness which is stressful enough. Same thing goes for sickies and injury claims. If your sick or injured then you should not expect to be compensated for this by your employer, It;s ridiculous. At the moment I'm an employer so if I get sick or injured who pays me I'll tell Ya who no one does I'm on my own. Why should I fund an employers holiday and give him an extra 17% leave loading on top of that as well, No one funds my holidays but myself, It's called saving for a holiday. Tax is another thing why as an employer should I be an unpaid tax collector witholding my employees tax so it can be paid they have got 2 legs and a heartbeat and are old enough to take care of there own tax matters but OH NO!!! we'll just get the poor git boss to do it for us Poor little darlings that call in sick on monday mornings saying they can't come to work because the dog died or I've got a cold my girfriend has left me or I've got a sore back my head hurts or my car won't start, Why is involving an employee into a buisness with problems atomatically become my problem GIVES ME THE SH**TS Then I have to deal with the fact that someone can't get to mrs jones kitchen splashback or mr holms bathroom renovation and they both shout "WELLL WHEN CAN YOU GET HERE" and I say "I'm not quite sure but what I am sure of is that little Johnny my so called gun tiler is tucked snuggly up in bed staying nice and warm so he recovers from his runny nose and dry cough (Pigs fly he's out at the pub drinking **** at my expense) and I'm sure mrs jones and mr holmes that he will call me in the morning and tell me that he will be in (No he won't he'll want another 2 days of with bloody pay and in the meantime mrs jones and mr holmes have got other tilers to do the work because they could not wait any longer. Then when little Johnny comes back to work bright as a button and says "so where do I go Today Mick" (I could say something here but would be to vulgar for this forum) I have to tell him that I've got no work for you today and have to stand him down (with pay of course what else heaven forbid) then another couple of weeks go by and little johnny makes a few mistakes here and there and starts to cost the company alot of money so i pull him into the office and tell him he is FIRED. 2 weeks go by and a letter arrives in the mail, now I'm being sued for unfair dissmissle and unpaid wages and expenses and the total comes to $30 000 and he has only been with me 12months and the little SH*T thinks I still owe him 30 grand then I have to get myself a solicitor out of my own pocket to fight these ridiculous claims but little johnny gets legal aid and it does not cost him a cent my god this is absolute crap..So who would employ anyone certainly not me I'm glad now It's just me and the radio employee leeches you can stick it where the sun don't shine.

RANT OVER.

 

[Fekin]

wow

Paragraphs would help to read that block a bit better :lol: , but I do agree with where your coming from.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

Excuse the grammer.........Punching away like a MAD MAN:lol: