Sunday, August 31, 2008

I Hereby Resign

As anybody who has worked in a corporation will attest, employing executives is no (if any) guarantee of probity, a fair go, competence, decency nor with executives is there any likelihood of freedom from racism, laziness, bigotry, nor any more likelihood of culprits owning up to simple mistakes. This all in spite of executive level job perquisites and salaries.

This is something Mine Host keeps uppermost in his mind on those occassions when the armchair-bound (or computer desk-bound) advise him that if he "paid more" a satisfactory staff performance would be achieved.

Mine Host always notes very carefully that those expounding forth to him with their expertise on this topic actually don't have any, (expertise). That is: they are yet to use their own money and hire someone to help them provide a good or service to someone else, in return for payment.
But oh boy, they shore done got all the answers!

Mine Host has just had yet another reminder that executive level placements are as ordinary as anybody else.

A subordinate who was well paid (say $90,000 + fully found) and who at his best put in no more than a 40 hour week, was announcing to all & sundry that he would be moving on (to browner pastures), as he had resigned his position.

Not one to take notice of rumours, but hearing this from several sources Mine Host raised the topic with the purported departee.

.... who confirmed that he has indeed resigned, "three weeks ago".

Pausing to reflect, Mine Host, as yet uninformed of the resignation, pointed out that a resignation ain't a resignation unless the boss actually knows about it.

A shade assertively, the departee retorted that he "gave written notice three weeks ago".... (to one of the barmaids, would you believe?), and that "in accordance with the terms of his employment contract" he would be receiving a bonus, (meaningful glare directed at Mine Host)

It turned into rather an ugly scene, right there in the office, with all the office staff witnessing.
The ...er... scenario came to a conclusion when the resignee got so wound up he quit on the spot.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Cheap Foreign Labour

Mine Host calculates the minimum cost to the employer of hiring a 457 visa holder to be (roughly) $75,000 per annum.

If anybody thinks the cost is less, Mine Host defies them to prove it. (in practice, not in theory).

If anybody states the cost of a 457 visa holder is significantly less than $75,000 per annum, Mine Host has two very accurate things to say about such a person:
1/. The person saying this has never employed a 457 visa holder.
2/. The person saying this has never employed a 457 visa holder.