The PC Age
Keeping pace with ever changing legislation is all part of my work as a Virtual Office Secretary, which does entail a significant degree of legal work. Most recently this has been prompted by The Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006.
I have been advising clients new and old – that’s long standing rather than suggesting they are significantly mature – on how this new legislation impacts upon them and especially in terms or recruitment and when employees reach what was considered retirement age.
Sometimes I despair that the working practices of some necessitate this kind of legislation, not least when I am familiar with companies who as a matter of routine acted in ways that legislation has subsequently demanded.
While I support appropriate legislation to make the working world a better place, I despair at the over-protective and over-indulgent PC brigade. They trivialise the real problems in society by focusing on some of the most ridiculous and often only perceived problems.
Political correctness has made common sense a thing of the past. If you catch a burglar in your house then it's best to help the poor soul by carrying your possessions to the front door lest he should trip up and hurt himself and it's you that end up in court – better still, offer them a drink on arrival!
Would you like a black coffee? NO! You can't say that! It's coffee without milk and Local Authorities spend a fortune of our money on making their employees attend courses on Newspeak!
Our British humour has suffered badly. We can't tell jokes anymore in case it upsets anyone. Don't these Politically Correct people realise that sometimes jokes are just jokes, said for fun and not real abuse?
Try organising an event or trip and you find yourself tied up in the endless red tape created by the Health & Safety Executive. These people are all part of the 'Nanny State' which insists in sticking its nose into every aspect of our lives and telling us how to live it!
For those still reading, I can offer a little gem of a book….Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: A Collection of Modern Tales for Our Life and Times (Hardcover) by James Finn Garner, available of course from Amazon
I have been advising clients new and old – that’s long standing rather than suggesting they are significantly mature – on how this new legislation impacts upon them and especially in terms or recruitment and when employees reach what was considered retirement age.
Sometimes I despair that the working practices of some necessitate this kind of legislation, not least when I am familiar with companies who as a matter of routine acted in ways that legislation has subsequently demanded.
While I support appropriate legislation to make the working world a better place, I despair at the over-protective and over-indulgent PC brigade. They trivialise the real problems in society by focusing on some of the most ridiculous and often only perceived problems.
Political correctness has made common sense a thing of the past. If you catch a burglar in your house then it's best to help the poor soul by carrying your possessions to the front door lest he should trip up and hurt himself and it's you that end up in court – better still, offer them a drink on arrival!
Would you like a black coffee? NO! You can't say that! It's coffee without milk and Local Authorities spend a fortune of our money on making their employees attend courses on Newspeak!
Our British humour has suffered badly. We can't tell jokes anymore in case it upsets anyone. Don't these Politically Correct people realise that sometimes jokes are just jokes, said for fun and not real abuse?
Try organising an event or trip and you find yourself tied up in the endless red tape created by the Health & Safety Executive. These people are all part of the 'Nanny State' which insists in sticking its nose into every aspect of our lives and telling us how to live it!
For those still reading, I can offer a little gem of a book….Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: A Collection of Modern Tales for Our Life and Times (Hardcover) by James Finn Garner, available of course from Amazon
posted by Sarah Rhoads - The Virtual Office Secretary at
11:58 PM
1 Comments:
Sarah is on the nail about the impact of legislation and those who do not keep up will find their reluctance leaves them very vulnerable.
Even in PR terms I am advising people on language they use in promoting recruitment. "We are thrilled to add someone so energetic to our team" for example would leave you liable if someone more mature and possibly perceived as less 'energetic' had been rejected.
By
Nigel Morgan, at 10:45 AM
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