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Cover Up?

How’s the decision by the French government on banning veils in public places going? According to the BBC, a woman wearing a veil has today been detained by police in France who insist she was held not because of her veil but for taking part in an unauthorised protest against the ban. I’m not a big fan of banning stuff and I wonder how the French authorities are going to manage this?

I’m not a huge fan of dress codes at all mind you (no jokes about t-shirts or my forthcoming smart shorts project thank you), and I’m pleased that the customer I’m currently spending a lot of time with working on an internal comms plan, doesn’t have one. According to the recently published XpertHR 2011 dress codes survey, they’re in a minority. 72% of organisations which responded to the survey have “dress code regulations or guidelines, or operate a policy on dress or appearance at work.”

Yes or No?

Those employers without a code say they:

“Do not have one because employees dress appropriately without guidelines. Exactly half say that it is not necessary as the organisation has a culture that it describes as “relaxed” and not conducive to having a code telling employees what to wear.”

Those who do have one say they do for a number of reasons, including (in declining order of popularity):

  • to preserve the external image of the company
  • for health and safety reasons
  • to reinforce the internal culture
  • for practical reasons
  • to maintain hygiene
  • to distinguish or identify employees

I love the “reinforce the internal culture” point. I can’t help but read it as “we don’t trust you”.

Is it worth it?

Maybe this sounds harsh, but for me a dress code smacks of HR and head office (where 74% of these guidelines are set according to XpertHR) not having anything better to do. I hope that'[s not the case. And it’s notable that 53% of the employers surveyed said their code provokes complaints from employees and 33% say that too much energy is spent policing it. There’s an easy answer to that last point. Don’t have one.

What are you wearing today?

photo c/o Jacques Delarue

survey data c/o XpertHR

Tick the box – pointless surveys

What I am about to share with you has to be one of the most unimaginative and pointless surveys I’ve ever seen. And it’s real. Yes, real people have this inflicted on them (apart from one question I made up – can you spot it?). This survey was designed to measure internal customer satisfaction and every department had to send it to every other department and see how they rated. I can’t share the name of the company, I promised my source anonymity. She has since left and I’m not surprised. If this is any indication of how they work – I’d want out too.

OK then, get your pen out and tick these boxes:

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being most satisfied please rate the following:

1 – staff were supportive of your needs

2 – staff responded effectively to your problems

3 – staff were helpful

4 – staff understood your needs

5 – staff delivered what they promised they would do

6 – staff contacted you when they said they would

7 – staff responded promptly when you contacted them

8 – staff advised on matters in an appropriate timescale

9 – overall processing times were reasonable

10 – I want to die – this survey is so painful it makes my eyes bleed and my head hurt

What an utterly disrespectful waste of your colleagues’ time eh? And some folks wonder why surveys have a bad name. Can you do better? Have you been asked a dumber set of questions than this?

Happy Mother’s Day: I Still Miss Someone

a rare photo of me and mum together
Mum and me, out for a drive 😀 

14th October 1985, the phone rings. “Hello son, this is dad. We’re going to hospital; it looks like this is it, do you want to come?” I declined. I couldn’t face going to see my mum die. She was cremated ten days later and I turned 20 four more days after that.

Suddenly you were gone, and all the lives you left a mark upon.

For me Mother’s day is a Jekyll and Hyde affair. I love it because of the excitement and joy that Keira Carole and I share as a family. Carole is a wonderful mum and Keira and I enjoy letting her know. Not just on Mother’s day – Keira often leaves messages and drawings and little love notes around the place – and I try to remember to tell Carole often that I think she’s a top mum too. Equally I find the day a sad one because for me – time is not a great healer. It merely puts greater distance between me and that very sad and painful day.

Of course I would dearly love to have enjoyed my mum’s support and generosity and love for longer, who wouldn’t? And shit happens and we have to deal with it. I take huge comfort from the fact that I spent very nearly nineteen fabulous years learning from mum. She taught me many useful things, among the very best of which are:

  • Be yourself
  • Get on with it
  • Be kind to yourself and others
  • Make mistakes and learn from them

I’m driven to live these things and I love it.

Thanks mum

photo c/o my dad