press clippings
Friday, 01 Jun 2007
this time it’s NOT personal
CCW's Alison Marshall writes in the Scotsman
Those with an interest in employee relations may have noticed some novel internal communication methods being deployed by firms in recent weeks. When Hexham department store Robbs realised its staff had to be urgently notified of its closure, management used a fire drill to clear the store of customers and congregate staff in the car park. This was deemed the “most efficient and practical method” of breaking the news. Not only did this anger many of the employees, it also shocked the public.
Procedural issues aside, such insensitive and impersonal treatment of employees, coupled with the publicity such events tend to attract, is likely to cause problems for employers. In the Hexham case, ...