EVENING STANDARD - FRIDAY 17 JUNE 2005

THE SAUCE OF HUMILIATION FOR ONE CITY LAWYER

It was embarrassing enough for £100,000 a year lawyer Richard Phillips when his email asking a secretary for the £4 cost of cleaning ketchup from his trousers became the talk of the City.

But today he returns to work knowing that the rest of Britain is laughing at his miserly demand.

After Jenny Amner copied the email that he sent her asking for the cash “today” to everyone in their office, along with her withering reply, it was naturally forwarded by colleagues to other firms in the square mile.

The Evening Standard reported the story in yesterday's later editions and this morning Mr Phillips, of global law firm Baker & McKenzie, awoke to find his behaviour plastered across newspaper and online news sites.

Mr Phillips sent Ms Amner the email on 25 May after she spilled ketchup on his trousers during lunch at the firm's canteen near St Paul's. She was slow to respond and Mr Phillips followed up with a reminder note on her desk.

It turned out that Ms Amner had been off work after the death of her mother, which perhaps explains why she sent her response to all 250 people in their office. She wrote: “I must apologise for not getting back to you straight away but due to my mother's sudden illness, death and funeral I have had more pressing issues than your £4.”

Baker & McKenzie said it was investigating the incident. “This is a private matter between two members of staff that clearly got out of hand,” it said. Neither Mr Phillips nor Ms Amner could be contacted for comment.

HOW HR2all CAN HELP...

To help govern the use of your emailing system within the workplace, visit our ‘employing staff' module and create an IT and communications policy. This should help ensure that private matters stay private, and do not get out of hand.

TIMESONLINE - THURSDAY 02 JUNE 2005

POLICE CHIEF QUITS OVER HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS IN BAR

A police chief quit over allegations of drunkenness and sexual harassment during a national conference for chief constables.

Tom Lloyd, 53, resigned his £120,000 a year post with immediate effect. He admitted that a “moment of foolishness” raised questions about his leadership of the 1,400-strong Cambridgeshire force.

The night that finally cost the job for Mr Lloyd, an Oxford graduate and policeman for 31 years, was at a four-star hotel last month during the summer conference of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in Birmingham.

At the end of a five-hour drinking session in the hotel bar, Mr Lloyd, who is married with four children, was said to have ogled and made “inappropriate” remarks to a senior woman ACPO official. Chris Fox, the president of ACPO and a former chief constable, intervened and told Mr Lloyd to go to bed.

The woman did not make a formal complaint but on Tuesday, when the allegations were made public, Mr Lloyd, who was on leave, issued a public apology. But he had doubts about whether he could continue to face his force and is understood to have discussed resignation with senior colleagues before confirming his decision with his family overnight.

In a statement he said: “This decision follows reports of my behaviour at a social event at the recent conference. I recognise that I gave cause for concern to those present. I feel honour-bound to step down before endangering the reputation of the constabulary.”

Michael Williamson, chairman of the Cambridgeshire Police Authority, accepted the resignation with regret and said that the authority “would like to make it clear that, despite recent media speculation, no formal complaint has been made against Mr Lloyd and the decision is a personal one, which we respect and support”.

Mike McFadyzean, chairman of the Cambridgeshire branch of the Police Federation, said that he had called for an inquiry and would have preferred one to have taken place.

“Only then would we have been able to establish what actually occurred that particular evening. From the findings of the inquiry a decision could have been taken regarding the alleged conduct, together with the introduction of any internal misconduct procedures considered necessary and appropriate,” he said.

HOW HR2all CAN HELP...

In this case Tom Lloyd had resigned without going through any disciplinary procedures. But tomorrow your employee may do something that could be classified as misconduct. They may not feel the same way Mr Lloyd did, and resign.

So what will you do?

You need to make sure you have in place all necessary procedures to discipline your employees. Our ‘HR & records' module will guide you through the disciplinary process.

BUSINESS LINK FOR LONDON - THURSDAY 26 MAY 2005

FIRMS URGED TO RECRUIT DISABLED WORKERS

Employers must recognise talent over disability and 'redouble their efforts' to recruit disabled workers, the government has urged.

Speaking to the Trades Union Congress, minister for disabled people Anne McGuire called on all employers to tap into the talent and skills of the UK's 10 million disabled people.

"Many employers are already realising that they need to recognise talent - not disability - when they see it," said McGuire.

"It's about harnessing and developing that talent. It's about liberating disabled people from the prejudices and misconceptions that have held them back for so long."

McGuire argued that despite the success of past equality legislation in bringing disabled workers into successful employment, the time has come for the government to work jointly with Britain's employers to end workplace exclusion of disabled people for good.

"More employers are already realising there's a compelling business case for employing disabled people," she said. "It isn't just an ethical responsibility, it's a business imperative."

Recent changes to the Disability Discrimination Act in April brought reforms to Incapacity Benefits and the delivery of public services for disabled people, as well as strengthening preventions so that no employer, regardless of size, can discriminate against disabled employees or jobseekers.

HOW HR2all CAN HELP...

To find out more information on discrimination whether it be on disability or any other form, please visit our ‘employing staff' module.

BUSINESS LINK FOR LONDON - TUESDAY 07 JUNE 2005

EMPLOYEE REFERENCES GET THE SACK

Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) shows a quarter of UK employers last year withdrew at least one job offer after discovering a candidate has misrepresented himself in his application.

Some 23% said they do not always take up an applicant's references, and a fifth rarely or never check absence records. Another quarter never or rarely follow up on a candidate's academic qualifications.

"Employers need to be careful," said Rebecca Clarke, recruitment adviser at the CIPD. "A strong economy and low unemployment means many employers are struggling to find applicants.

"But there are risks that go with rushing candidates into filling vacancies without pausing to make basic checks," she added. "If you don't have rigorous pre-employment checks in place, you risk being a soft touch for people who are willing to be dishonest to get work or advance their careers."

HOW HR2all CAN HELP...

Our ‘employing staff' module will tell you what steps to take when obtaining a reference and produce a suitably worded letter to the applicant's referee. If the situation is reversed and you're the one giving a reference, see our ‘HR & records' module.