Unfocused Rant

[LordOfTheFiles]

I do a very good santa impersonation.

It may be seasonal but it's still gainful employment. Well done you

[David Bailey]

Speaking as a woman on this

What, you normally speak as a man?

The one I think is the craziest is when a company is looking for someone to cover maternity leave. If 2 people internally apply (sex doesn't come into this at all, it could be 2 women) and one of them is pregnant. Say the pregnant person is really the best person for the job, the company have to offer it to her, even if she is due to be on maternity leave at the time that she is applying to cover! (she would be eligible for maternity, as she already works for the comany. That means the company has to pay maternity leave to the original member of staff, and to the lady who applied for the job, and then get someone else in to actually do the work, and pay them too! Its just mad!

Spookily enough, I too just came across this very rule an hour ago. We're advertising a job vacancy, and we have to let all members of staff who're on maternity leave know about it - fair enough so far.

But if one of them wants the job, and if we offer it to her, we have to wait another 10 months for her to take the job, and we have to arrange maternity cover for her. Which is clearly a dis-incentive to offer her the job in the first place, so I don't think that helps too much in the long run...

Where things fall down is that, women are still paid less than men for doing exactly the same job in a huge number of industries.

And, as long as women do the majority of the childrearing, taking time off from career-development areas, the average women's earnings will always be somewhat less than the average man's.

Of course, that's used as an excuse by some unscruulous / biased people to pay women less money than men for doing the same job, which is reprehensible.

[Father Christmas]

I do a very good santa impersonation.

Do tell...?

[LordOfTheFiles]

Do tell...?

Wow! That really is one of the scariest photos I have seen

[WittyBird]

Wow! That really is one of the scariest photos I have seen

you obviously havent seen my collection then

[LordOfTheFiles]

you obviously havent seen my collection then

There is nothing I can say here that wouldn't have incredibly unnecessary sexual overtones

[WittyBird]

There is nothing I can say here that wouldn't have incredibly unnecessary sexual overtones

good point

[LordOfTheFiles]

good point

That's what you get from me

[WittyBird]

That's what you get from me

So I've heard

[DianaS]

Do tell...?

Haven't we met?..
In Santa's Grotto?...
You were lap dancing! with a gay Danish guy called Rudolf!

[LordOfTheFiles]

So I've heard

It's just hard being famous. But I suppose it is one of those burdens I shall just have to carry with me

[WittyBird]

It's just hard being famous. But I suppose it is one of those burdens I shall just have to carry with me

Im sure you wood be lost without your burden

[LordOfTheFiles]

Im sure you wood be lost without your burden

Definitely there would be fewer illegitimate children. And who wants a world like that?

[murphy]

I haven't got a mind, so it will have to be the spaghetti. So... do I cook it first? ....

I would suggest cooking the spaghetti first so that you can tie a knot in the end to stop the courgettes falling off...

[WittyBird]

Definitely there would be fewer illegitimate children. And who wants a world like that?

Well if you've got it flaunt it...
dont be selfish bring joy to others its certainly the season of goodwill

[LordOfTheFiles]

I would suggest cooking the spaghetti first so that you can tie a knot in the end to stop the courgettes falling off...

Simple but effective. You sir are a genius. And perhaps you are also a stockist of the world's finest collection of pasta prodcuts??

[murphy]

Simple but effective. You sir are a genius. And perhaps you are also a stockist of the world's finest collection of pasta prodcuts??

I'm no sir, Mister. I am a lady!
And my pasta products are legendary in certain circles.

[LordOfTheFiles]

I'm no sir, Mister. I am a lady!
And my pasta products are legendary in certain circles.

man, woman, manchild, it makes little difference to me. I am an equal opportunity pasta afficianado

[ducasi]

... staff who're on maternity leave ...

Occupational hazard I guess...

[Bangers & Mash]

So, back to the unfocused rant...

I recently applied for the Political Correctness course cos the girl that runs it is a right babe...


actually, on a more serious note.. office environments are such that you have to be really careful nowadays because it is just too easy to be sued for saying the wrong thing - and the stupid thing is what some people find offensive, others don't. What some people say and cause offense, others can say and cause no offense whatsoever.. likewise with dancing, some moves can be carried off perfectly harmlessly by one person, but by another would be totally offensive...

I think the trick is not to define what is and is not offensive, because it is subjective. What is necessary is to define how to deal with it. For example, an employee needs 3 warnings before they can be fired, so why not introduce a form of caution for offensiveness in the office.

This gives the offended the opportunity to register that they have been offended and the offender the opportunity to desist and apologise. The offense should be recorded for a set period of time and then struck with no permanent damage. If the offender persists, then the second warning, third warning, etc. and no massive payouts.