Throwing £360k away

Throwing £360k away….

As adults we learn a few “truths” about life:

There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Too good to be true usually is
Your pay always looks less impressive when it hits your bank account

But there are also gender specific “truths” that “everyone knows” and that some people are foolish enough to say out loud.

BAE Systems have found this to their cost.

They’ve had to pay out £360k to an ex-female employee (plus the legal costs running into hundreds of thousands) because an un-trained line manager felt it was appropriate to say: “women take things more emotionally than men”.

Now you’ll probably react to this in one of two ways:

Either you think that this comment is correct and that there’s no problem with it, or you find it demeaning and belittling.

If we approach it from the other side, making a similar comment about men “they always think with their XXXX” (fill in the blank, and it is not “brain”!) would be comparable.

Is it true?

Maybe, of some men and some situations.

Is it demeaning?

Yes.

Does it imply that any decisions or opinions of men could therefore be easily dismissed because they are “emotional responses” and not a considered logical response?

Yes.

What beats me is why, nowadays, people feel that these type of remarks are appropriate OR necessary.

They don’t help get the job done. They don’t motivate the team.

They might be good for a cheap laugh at the expense of a colleague, but is that something the business should be paying for? Someone to demotivate members of the team?!

Surely it is hard enough to get good staff nowadays, you don’t want to alienate the good ones you have?!

The employee in question was earning £22k and will now get a payout of £360k.

Yes, you read that right. £360,000.

Make sure your managers (and all staff) know what are appropriate comments to be made, otherwise you could be losing half your profit to an award against you for discrimination, and the other half to lawyers who couldn’t get you off the hook!

If you know of a business that could do with our help, please let us know – we always reward referrals with chocolate!

Reviews

     EXCELLENT rating  
 Based on 37 reviews 
    
  
 
       It is great having Gap HR working with us for all our HR.  Brilliant company.
     
   Nick Jobson 
 05/12/2023
 
 
 
 
     I absolutely enjoyed my recent experience working with Gap HR. There are several aspects of their service that stood out to me. Firstly, their responsiveness is truly remarkable. Gap HR consistently demonstrated the fastest response time to all our communications, which not only streamlined our processes but also instilled a sense of confidence in their support.

Secondly, their expertise in HR solutions for medium and small businesses is unparalleled. Gap HR's in-depth knowledge and experience in this niche are highly valuable. Their ability to navigate the complexities of HR for smaller enterprises is a significant asset and brings peace of mind.

Lastly, the team at Gap HR is an absolute pleasure to work with. Their caring and dedicated approach goes beyond the ordinary, making them not just service providers, but trusted partners. They bring a level of commitment that is truly exceptional, and it's evident that they genuinely care about the success and well-being of their clients.

In summary, Gap HR has become our first and foremost point of contact for any employment law support. Their combination of responsiveness, expertise, and unwavering dedication makes them an invaluable resource in the realm of HR and employment law.
     
   Alisa Tolmaciova 
 07/11/2023
 
 
 
 
     I work for a local council and we began working with Gap HR a few months ago. I have found them an absolute pleasure to work with - very responsive, thorough and knowledgeable. Above all I feel that I am working with a friendly and empathic team who understand our needs and are dedicated to helping us achieve what we need to achieve. I am very grateful to have their support.
     
   Claire Bird 
 11/10/2023
 
 
 
 
     GAP HR has been supporting our business for a while now and they are very helpful and thorough in everything they assist us with, from the small to big issues.  Great company to support your business.  All staff are friendly and on point with all the knowledge they share.
Thank you GAP-HR
     
   Neath Afan Gymnastics And Activities 
 15/09/2023
 
 
 
 
     It has been great working with Gap HR, their guidance has helped immensely with the day to day running of the business.  The whole team are extremely responsive and knowledgeable which makes the experience a pleasurable one.
     
   Will Cairns 
 27/06/2023
 
 
 
 
     Great support from the whole team. The knowledge, advice and support that Gap HR give is second to none. They give me the confidence to know that i am doing the right thing. 👍
     
   Jeff Wicks 
 06/06/2023
 
 
 
 
     We are really delighted to have hooked up with Gap HR Services Limited – the team interpreted our brief perfectly and their advice and assistance was delivered in both a pragmatic and professional way. A big THANK YOU to both Carolyne and Cathy who steered us through the legislation with a best practice and smart approach.

Gap HR’s sense of urgency in fulfilment and delivery matched our own so we can do nothing but positively recommend the team for your HR needs.
     
   BCAS Ltd 
 28/04/2023
 
 
 
 
     We receive excellent advice and service from the team at Gap. Professional, but helpful with any question big or small. They save us from many hours of debating if we should do x or y - just email Gap is the answer, which makes it easy for us and minimises mistakes - thank you Gap HR!
     
   Jacqueline Shields 
 24/04/2023
 
 
 
 
     Brilliant company and I highly recommend their services, professional HR services.
     
   Robert Creer 
 13/01/2023
 
 
 
 
     I have been using GapHR for many years and find them a great company to work with. All of the team I have worked with are very professional and experienced in many areas. I would highly recommend using GapHR as there services are fantastic.
     
   Tommy Fisher 
 11/01/2023

Who We Work With

It is great having Gap HR working with us for all our HR. Brilliant company.

Nick Jobson

05/12/2023

I absolutely enjoyed my recent experience working with Gap HR. There are several aspects of their service that stood out to me. Firstly, their responsiveness is truly remarkable. Gap HR consistently demonstrated the fastest response time to all our communications, which not only streamlined our processes but also instilled a sense of confidence in their support. Secondly, their expertise in HR solutions for medium and small businesses is unparalleled. Gap HR's in-depth knowledge and experience in this niche are highly valuable. Their ability to navigate the complexities of HR for smaller enterprises is a significant asset and brings peace of mind. Lastly, the team at Gap HR is an absolute pleasure to work with. Their caring and dedicated approach goes beyond the ordinary, making them not just service providers, but trusted partners. They bring a level of commitment that is truly exceptional, and it's evident that they genuinely care about the success and well-being of their clients. In summary, Gap HR has become our first and foremost point of contact for any employment law support. Their combination of responsiveness, expertise, and unwavering dedication makes them an invaluable resource in the realm of HR and employment law.

Alisa Tolmaciova

07/11/2023

I work for a local council and we began working with Gap HR a few months ago. I have found them an absolute pleasure to work with - very responsive, thorough and knowledgeable. Above all I feel that I am working with a friendly and empathic team who understand our needs and are dedicated to helping us achieve what we need to achieve. I am very grateful to have their support.

Claire Bird

11/10/2023

GAP HR has been supporting our business for a while now and they are very helpful and thorough in everything they assist us with, from the small to big issues. Great company to support your business. All staff are friendly and on point with all the knowledge they share. Thank you GAP-HR

Neath Afan Gymnastics And Activities

15/09/2023

It has been great working with Gap HR, their guidance has helped immensely with the day to day running of the business. The whole team are extremely responsive and knowledgeable which makes the experience a pleasurable one.

Will Cairns

27/06/2023

Great support from the whole team. The knowledge, advice and support that Gap HR give is second to none. They give me the confidence to know that i am doing the right thing. 👍

Jeff Wicks

06/06/2023

We are really delighted to have hooked up with Gap HR Services Limited – the team interpreted our brief perfectly and their advice and assistance was delivered in both a pragmatic and professional way. A big THANK YOU to both Carolyne and Cathy who steered us through the legislation with a best practice and smart approach. Gap HR’s sense of urgency in fulfilment and delivery matched our own so we can do nothing but positively recommend the team for your HR needs.

BCAS Ltd

28/04/2023

We receive excellent advice and service from the team at Gap. Professional, but helpful with any question big or small. They save us from many hours of debating if we should do x or y - just email Gap is the answer, which makes it easy for us and minimises mistakes - thank you Gap HR!

Jacqueline Shields

24/04/2023

Brilliant company and I highly recommend their services, professional HR services.

Robert Creer

13/01/2023

I have been using GapHR for many years and find them a great company to work with. All of the team I have worked with are very professional and experienced in many areas. I would highly recommend using GapHR as there services are fantastic.

Tommy Fisher

11/01/2023

Throwing £360k away….

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