Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Last Christmas VM gave staff a gift of Sir Richard Bransons' new book on business.

Has anyone read it yet? If so, is it any good?

I am thinking of buying it, but would like to hear the views of others first.

Cheers, Richard.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Many were recycled immediately.https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2012/12/10.gif

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Seriously?! :shocked:

I hate waste and think that it was ungracious of the people that did this.

Many employers are cutting back on Christmas gifts/parties etc (in my own organisation, for the first time ever, staff did not receive anything this year as part of efficiency savings.)

If people weren't interested in reading them, I think it would have been better to give them to a charity shop, sell them on ebay or even "re-gift" them.

I could have got myself a bargain :D

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Have you forgotten that they are closing our call centre and many people would find such a handout rather insulting, he may not own the company but he is the face of Virgin Media.

The book by the way is one of the top ten most left behind books on trains and planes so you may be lucky.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I can understand that some staff may feel sensitive in the current situation, but it does seem childish to behave like this. If the staff who are going to be affected had been excluded from receiving the Christmas gift, they, quite rightly, would have felt aggrieved.

Thanks for the tip! I'll keep a look out on the trains for a copy, unless someone would like to send me a belated Christmas present :D:D

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Sounds like when I worked for EDS and all employees got a copy of Dick Brown's book instead of bonuses. A whole load of those books were mailed to EDS HQ in Texas via the mail room that week (Royal Mail of course, not internal mail).

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I took mine home, but I haven't read it. :erm:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

If anyone wanted to take it home then I fully expect they would have done so, I think you can see the point of recycling them in the current climate.

The are still plenty copies left over that no one even touched.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

What are you like? Jeez, man - how up themselves VM management must have been.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Why not see what reviews it has on Amazon?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I never thought of that, what a good idea. Thanks for the tip :)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Being given a christmas gift by your company even if it is a book by RB is better than the one I got in 2009, my P45.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

You could always use it as a door stop. :p:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

And if you get both the RB book AND your P45 how schmitt is that?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

We got both as Seph posted above made me really want to .................

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I'm curious as to DIGITAL FANATIC vs DIGITAL FANTIC.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Yup confused me for a moment that when I saw DF with one post.;)

thought I'd slipped back in time. :)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

did I have a double on here? :)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Indeed.

But if the soon to be redundant staff had been left out and had not been given a Christmas gift like everyone else, they may have felt as though they were being treated with contempt in the run up to leaving the company ie that they didn't matter anymore and were being treated as though they had already left.

I think we can make an educated guess as to who the imposter was, that was trying to sneak back onto the forum!

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I rather doubt it somehow as the majority either recycled it or refused it plus the are boxes of the book still available untouched, I think that says it all.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I took mine home and have started to read it. However I was gutted I didn't get a bottle of wine like in previous years ;)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

They must have sold out at Virgin Wine but Amazon & co weren't selling the RB books. LOL.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Happily many at the dock took offence and left it in the boxes.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Why were people offended at being offered a Christmas gift and why did that make you feel happy? :confused:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

What are you like, RC?

VM announced they were closing their Albert Dock support centre and letting go everyone who wasn't prepared to move to Swansea. Agency staff would have to go anyway. That wasn't too far ahead of Christmas.

A Christmas present, you mght say.

Then the kick in the teeth; another Christmas present. RB's book about how wonderful he is.

"Happily" would have been Peter's statement of solidarity with the other colleagues of his who are also getting the boot.

No doubt he'll have his say too.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Surely you can see it was in poor taste to be "gifted" this book shortly after you have been told you are being made redundant?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Come on! even you cannot be that thick skinned, we are awaiting the closure of our centre, then come Christmas we get handed a book telling us how wonderful Richard Branson is and how great he is at business.

The is only one place for that book to go and that is in the recycling as to be realistic it was very stupid thing to do and if I heard they had left us out due to the circumstances of our closure I would have accepted that as a sign that someone somewhere can think for themselves.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

To be totally honest, If Richard Branson had given me the book for Xmas, l would have sent it back and told him to stick it up his rear, its an insult, especially with the money he has.

I always remember when l worked for a company called Cleanmaster, many years ago, we were given a £5.00 voucher to take the wife out for a Xmas meal, l sent it back to there head office and told them, if they are that skint they could have it back.

I am a great believer that if you work all year for the company, and many people work through the tea breaks and lunch break to help the company flourish, at least they could do was offer something a bit better, such as a party on the firm.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Totally agree, Arthur.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

You seem to have an unhealthy attraction towards we VM employees, May i ask why you only ask us questions about our employment, our employer and our work conditions and not those of other members of this forum ?????.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Arthur, you don't know the last thing about Virgin Media.

All VM employees receive £25 per head to go towards a Christmas party.

There are that many employees in so many different teams and locations that company organised parties are just not feasible.

Therefore it is left to the individual teams to arrange their own parties.

Some teams also get costs of their parties supplemented/sponsored by suppliers that they deal with.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Liverpool had a company organised party at a local hotel they do no t do individual team parties.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Well that's what your team/division decided to do. That's not representative of the rest of the company.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I don't believe it was up to RB..It was VM who are independent of RB's handling who gave the book as a gift..

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Nothing to do with team or division rather what Adecco decided was best, if we were offered money then I expect the would have been many different parties.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I'm talking about directly employed VM personnel , not outsourced or 3rd party associates

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I knew what you meant but your original post may have given the impression that we may have got that as well considering the post you replied to and general content on this thread, thank you for clarifying that for everyone.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Last place i worked at the worker bee got sod all as Xmas bonus but the managers got close to 15% what does that tell you about that company but then at a different company i got a 10% and the company made their own monopoly set (any monopoly lovers amongst us that fancy a very limited edition drop me a pm )

---------- Post added at 22:15 ---------- Previous post was at 22:13 ----------

Oh another company i worked as a temp for in Holland gave its staff a Xmas hamper including temps which was a nice unexpected shock.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

So, did the Albert Dock staff receive £25 towards a Christmas party as well as the book?

I still think that it's rather ungracious to refuse a gift that has been offered, a bit like handing someone a Christmas present straight back and saying that you don't want/like it! I suppose we all have different values and, it's a possibility, that the book was sent to Albert Dock to encourage people to start their own business after redundancy.

Of those that took offence to the book, what would you say was the main reason?

From the information I have gathered, the gift seems to be viewed as either:

- Insensitive and/or inappropriate. A bit like the bank repossessing ones house and then sending a Christmas card to say "all the best for 2012"!

OR

- An ego trip by Sir Branston, ie the assumption that staff want to read all about him.

From what I know about him, I doubt the second reason was anything intentional and he probably knows nothing about this.

Have I summed up the reasons accurately?

Are there any other issues regarding this that offended people that I have overlooked?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

If someone has just been made redundant, one can understand peope not wanting a free book about the public face of the company that has just made you redundant.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

No we did not get £25 each from the company only actual Virgin Media staff received that as per Pierre's post.

If you are being made redundant the last thing you want is a book from Richard Branson stating how good he is and its pretty obvious why most books where left in their boxes or put in the recycling bins and the word "Insensitive" springs to mind and that is the least offensive word that could be posted about that little ego trip.

His name is Branson as he does not also have a sauce named after him.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Ungracious? Had it been myself I most probably would have taken my copy in to a toilet cubicle, used it instead of the Andrex and handed it straight back.

I bet a fair few people have neither the time, money or inclination to start a business and to suggest his book be the catalyst for soon-to-be-former VM people to go it alone is pure fantasy.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Well spotted :D

Welcome back Russ, I was getting a bit worried as I hadn't seen you post on the forum for a while :)

A more mature and constructive thing to do would be to take the book home and read it, Who knows, it might have been a source of inspiration to some staff to go it alone.

Most large businesses started small with little money eg Marks & Spencers started trading from a barrow!

If people have become unemployed, they would have the time, but I do accept that money may be a problem with some people and self employment is not right for everybody.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Not really especially as only 10 weeks earlier we had been told that we were to lose our jobs and considering the amount of publicity he does for the company it was a step to far and it felt like you were getting your nose rubbed in it.

Someone somewhere thought that this was a bright idea and never stopped to think that maybe it is not a great idea to actually send these books to Liverpool.

I would have preferred a doughnut or a packet of crisps in preference to this book and I expect the majority would have thought likewise.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

When you look at it like that, I can see why some staff may have felt that way.

Did the books just turn up out of the blue, or did anyone eg the unions and/or management get chance to say that it might not be such a good idea to send some to Liverpool?

How did VM staff at other sites receive the gift (at sites where there no redundancies had/have been announced?)

Were they ok with it?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

They just turned up up idea what the union thought about it but to be honest even if they knew I think the best option was to let people decide what they thought about the book and if they wanted a copy, the were still many unopened boxes when I left.

I expect other sites also received them.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Why do you want to know?What is it to you how they received this gift? Who are you to sit in judgement? Were you the one who organised this 'gift'? What the hell are your motives in all this questioning?You have been worrying at this for over a month now and just can't seem to accept what you have been told.I'm now VERY curious as to why you keep reviving this thread.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

It was dumped on our tables with no explanation of why. We came in to work and there it was. I have found it to be a very boring read so far and nothing like i expected.

---------- Post added at 07:05 ---------- Previous post was at 07:03 ----------

A few have asked this as well as i don't see ANY questions being asked on here of anyone else about there employer or employment or even any gifts they have received. I feel we as vm staff are the only members of this forum to be targeted with these constant questions ???

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Its happened to me many times over the years, l think it would be nice of a company that you have helped make a lot of money, gives you back some sort of gift.

A company that l worked for many years ago gave me £10.00 for Xmas, l went straight up to him when he was talking to directors of the main company, and said 'you are a scrooge stick your money up your backside' the main company we worked for gave us a box of wine and champagne.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

What a career-enhancing move.....

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I took the book home, but I haven't read it. I can totally understand the staff who binned it.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Cor-blimey guvnor only an Ayrton Senna for Christmas you can stick that right up the Khyber Pass.

Dear boy how shocking. I’m flabbergasted here have some alcoholic beverages to calm you angst.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

:LOL:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I knew you'd taken yours home. What you did with it afterwards is your own choice, but at least you had the good grace to accept the gift in the manner it was intended :)

I don't see any excuse for putting the books in the bin, that is wasteful and ill mannered.

Recycling is a little better, but it is more environmentally friendly to reuse than recycle.

When you do get a chance to read it, would you mind letting me know what you thought of it?

Cheers.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Your constant begging for a copy of Richard Bransons book coupled with your small minded ignorant discriminative views of Bi-sexuals/Homosexuals leave me aghast.

You are quite simply one of the most narrow minded under educated forum users I have ever come across in my time on the internet. Perhaps the Jeremy Kyle show is a place you will find others with similar opinions to yours?

---------- Post added at 01:00 ---------- Previous post was at 00:57 ----------

WOW LOL.....

My Mrs got £3600 this year its usually closer to £7000 but hey, times are hard. I got the usual £500 + a westend show and meal for 2. I guess that's still worth £900 in total.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I don't want to sound mean, but get over it VM sent a book about RB to its workers some liked it some didn't.

---------- Post added at 09:07 ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 ----------

I take it that was your old work place.

---------- Post added at 09:08 ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 ----------

Should of told her company where to stick it lol

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I note you carefully did not answer my questions in post #48?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I do hope your are given an answer :tu:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Considering that we were under notice of redundancy it would have been good grace on the part of the company not to actually consider handing out this book to the Albert Dock staff as to all intents and purposes it was extracting the urine.

If the book went into the bin so be it but the were recycling bins so it would have been better to have put it in them.

Nothing to do with ill manners either it was an unfitting gift to give to people that you are making redundant so the company should have had common sense not to send it to the Albert Dock in the first place.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

As with gifting anything to anybody, people will appreciate it to different degrees.

I have absolutely no problem with this, as long as good manners are maintained and any unwanted gifts are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

Recycling is a start, but how about taking them to a charity shop, a hospital to ease the boredom of the sick or giving them as presents to the homeless?

I do recall humorously asking for a copy on one occasion, in an obvious lighthearted manner. I would like you to provide evidence of the "constant begging" that you refer to.

I have no problems with the sexuality of anybody, so long as it does not involve anything inappropriate. One of my roles in a directorship that I hold involves ensuring that diversity issues are properly managed.

I believe that your puerile comments have been more than adequately dealt with by Russ, so will add nothing further.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Yes they could burn them to keep warm :D

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I was thinking more along the lines of distributing the surplus books as Christmas gifts at the annual Christmas dinner for the homeless that I am involved in!

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Still waiting for a reply...https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2012/03/32.gif

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Are you real (I've asked that before)?

You'd be doing the same thing as VM did but with even less justification. Your "generosity" would underwhelm anyone.

Or were you being sarcastic?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Looking at his status i think you will be waiting for a while :LOL:

---------- Post added at 07:57 ---------- Previous post was at 07:56 ----------

Have you not figured out why he's here yet :LOL:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

So you would want the books for Christmas 2012, I think the homeless people would appreciate anything but that book somehow.:rolleyes:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Paper is paper when it comes to stuffing your clothes with it to keep warm :rolleyes:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

You know something I did think the same when I saw his original post saying that he would give it to the homeless.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I wonder if that applies to someone made homeless after losing their jobs because a customer persistently complained on forums about something they did or forgot to do which led to them being sacked.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

That sounds like a fantasy that some members may have when they start certain threads.;)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

hmmm :scratch:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Makes you think doesn't it. ;)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Apologies, I have been taking my first ever break in Snowdonia for the last week or so (beautiful place btw, I do recommend it to anyone) :)

I have answered your question as far as I am able to within the confines of commercial sensitivity and corporate confidentiality.

Yes, being perfectly serious. Rather than waste the books, it would be a nice gesture to give the unwanted books as presents to the disadvantaged. It may possibly be the only gift that they receive (even if they don't read it, the act of giving shows them that someone cares).

Just because someone has become homeless doesn't mean they are not intelligent or that they necessarily have literacy problems.

Why do you believe that this is a bad idea?

The charity is non judgemental, so yes, they would be helped and offered a gift on Christmas day if they met the qualifying conditions.

Anyone dismissed by their employer because of misconduct, capability or attitudinal problems would not be precluded from receiving our assistance.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I seemed to have missed that particular post.Could you give me the number of the post please?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Well, see it from the perspective of the disadvantaged. Along comes Santa Coulter with a sackful of goodies. Smiles all round. What could it be? Mars Bars? Tuck boxes? Hampers? Some clothes? Superhubs?

No - it's RB's book. Faces fall.

EVERYONE else can see that except you, apparently. Anyway, do please go to Albert Dock, pick up a lod of those books, give them out at Easter or Christmas (letting us know where that was so we can check what they thought about it) and report back.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

So you have had to sign an NDA with Virgin Media?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

He will have to be quick as very soon that is all that will be left in the building.:D

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I have answered your questions within this thread as far as I am able to, unfortunately I am unable to help you any further.

We don't normally have the resources to give them a gift to take away, so I think something like this would be a nice gesture. Many people give books as gifts at Christmas, i've received many over the years myself and I bet you have too. Two of our kitchen assistants have already offered to wrap them in Christmas paper in their own time and at their own expense, which humbled me.

It would also help to alleviate the boredom of being on the streets for a short time.

If this does go ahead and if I remember this thread, i'll happily keep you informed of how things went :)

No, but at times we all have to operate within agreed parameters and this is one of those occasions.

lol, if VM decide to close Albert Dock earlier than planned, due to viability issues, access could still be arranged as the lease still runs for a few more months. VM are liable to pay the contractual rent until the lease expires, so will still have access to the building.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

You haven't answered Maggy at all. Persistently ignoring and dodging her question then claiming you've answered it 'somewhere' just makes it look like you you don't have a clue but are too embarrassed to admit it.

Going on to say "I'd like to explain but I'm not allowed to" just reinforces that and looks like you want to come across as "in the know" without actually having any specific knowledge but want to retain the impression that you do.

As such nobody is able to take anything you say seriously.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

:clap:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I have responded to her as far as I am able to within my aggregated answers.

Such tactics to tell you anything more than is appropriate will not work.

I have no interest in whether you believe I am "in the know" or not (about what, exactly, is anybodys guess.)

I now regard this matter as closed.

Moving onto more positive things, can everybody have a think to see if they know anybody that regularly travels between Liverpool and Leeds (where the books will be stored until Christmas), that would be kind enough to drop the books off, should my idea go ahead? Cheers :)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I'm sure you do.

Making such claims and and comments in this thread then hiding behind "I can't tell you any more" translates to the rest of us as "I don't really know anything but I want you to think I do". It's the sort of thing that has gone on on CF for years and many other forums around the world for a lot longer.

If you can't/won't expand on your claims then that's fine, nobody is forcing you to however I'm sure we will all let the matter lie as long as you're fully aware that no-one will believe you or the claims you make.

Unfortunately we won't consider the matter closed as you've made some pretty impressive claims which I suspect were designed to get a response. now you've had such a response, you can't seriously expect people to just let it drop.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I was once told by my father if you open pandora's box be prepared for something you may not like, why do i feel this is such an occasion :LOL:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

They will probably be binned as I doubt they will go to another office.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I hope not, as it would be very wasteful to throw something away that could give people less fortunate than ourselves a little pleasure.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Who - redundant VM staff?

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I rather doubt they will be seen again more likely to end up in recycling with the reams of shredded paper any office of that size will have generated, in my eyes it would be the best place for them.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Richard, are you engaged in some sort of covert survey? This is a very particular and IMO peculiar line of questioning if this is for just your own personal interest. Once again you are showing a bizarre fascination with the thoughts and feelings of VM staff on this forum.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

The are not that many now.:D

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

As i have said before i have never seen a single question aimed at any other member of this forum about there employer or how they feel about there employer. It is only VM staff that are targeted in this way by one particular poster:)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Which one of these questions are you unable to answer and which are you able to answer..
The first one?The second one?The third one?The fourth one?The fifth one?Come on give us a clue..

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I found it odd but as I am no longer an employee I now find it rather funny and a rather strange infatuation with the closure.;)

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

No, to give to the homeless at Christmas (most likely the Leeds project.)

VM staff are entitled to air all reasonable views, just like everybody else.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but remember it is only your opinion and you cannot speak for anyone else.

Why the grin that a large number of people have lost their jobs? Some people may not be as lucky as you in obtaining another.

Has anybody had any luck in finding out if any transport is available from Liverpool to Leeds? I think it's really important not to forget those less fortunate than ourselves.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to point that out however I'll be very impressed (not to mention surprised) if you can find anyone who disagrees with me.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

Actually, they are entitled to air any views, as long as they are not criminal - you are not the arbiter of free speech on this forum, as your definition of "reasonable" may not be the same as the CF owners.

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I agree with you Russ :D

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I think that most people on the forum agree with Russ :clap:

Re: Gift to VM employees/agency workers.
 

I don't think the vast majority of CF members care either way.