Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

what other choice does he have.desperate times call for desperate
measures. :rolleyes:

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

Well it's good to see that certain sections of the media are really concentrating on the real election issues..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...en-Temple.html

A Daily Mail Reporter? Too scared to put their name to such a useless bit of drivel? :rolleyes:

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

And bring up Lord Ashcroft every other sentence.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

Oh that is just plain nasty.:mad:

I hate it when wives and families of politicians are attacked in this way..it's unnecessary and nothing to do with politics in any way.

I want the media to debate the issues not the people please.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

How pathetic - truly pointless reporting.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

I bet Gordon's fuming :)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

Desperate times these clearly....

What people have to appreciate is that ever since Bliar came to power, New Labour have relied on lies, spin and an ineffectual opposition to keep them there and we're all going to pay the price for that. This tactic has never really changed but around election time they ratchet it all up and we get quite ridiculous stuff like this. I seem to recall Brown telling us his administration would be different but of course it's just more of the same without Bliar's polish and charisma. Cynically conceived, populist, soundbite promises, which would be unlikely ever to come to fruition in a period of boom let alone now when savage cutbacks are going to have to be made. Brown and his cohorts have had 13 years in power with a massive parliamentary majority and yet they've failed to deliver on so many of the major promises they've made and often regurgitated over that period. The only thing they've excelled at is recklessly spending our money as if it were going out of fashion and as a result it has! If anyone really thinks that's about to change now, think again. Brown will say almost anything to stay in number 10!

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

No they are not. I have offered paid paternity leave to my employees for some time. Those who take it return to work, more refreshed and more relaxed than those who don't. Therefore maintaining their productivity, efficiency and loyalty.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

2 week statutory paternity leave is mandatory, the government wants to increase this period to 4 weeks at full pay. This may work just fine for you, for others it will not, smaller companies losing a highly skilled and difficult to replace employee for 4 weeks will struggle in their absence.

I also question if this has been costed in any way given the low level of statutory paternity pay at the moment. For someone on a high salary this would cost the government thousands.

Companies that can afford to offer this already do - for two weeks, I am not aware of any that offer it for four.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

I do run "a smaller company." In the last four years I have had three male employees take up their option to take four weeks maternity leave. It was a little inconvenient, but nothing we couldn't handle, after all we did have up to eight months' notice. One employee decided to split his leave over three months (a facility offered in the contracts), which made things a little easier for everyone.

Now you are. ;)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

I expected as much, and other companies that may not have the flexibility or indeed finances?

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

But it doesn't happen that often for a small company and the bulk of the costs can be mitigated by a workforce with improved productivity.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

Which begs the point that if one can mitigate that person not being around with improved productivity why employ them in the first place?

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

Family friendly companies also seem to get more productivity and support during hard times from their staff. Our boss has been sharing the care of his daughter whilst she is ill as both he and his wife have equally responsible jobs. We know he is available by e-mail should it be necessary.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 1
 

New Labour is long dead.

What we have now is good old "pie in the sky" socialism

At the moment I'd vote for satan himself if he was wearing a blue tie (sets up inevetible jokey comment)