Gift to VM employees/agency workers.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Richard Coulter

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

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 ?????.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

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.

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.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Pierre

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.

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

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Peter_

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

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

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

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.

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..

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Pierre

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

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.

[Pierre]

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

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Pierre

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

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.

[DocDutch]

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.

[RichardCoulter]

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?

[Hugh]

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.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

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

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

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

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.

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.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Sir Branston

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

[Russ]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

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!

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.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Peter_

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.

Well spotted

Originally Posted by Russ

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.

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.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

A 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.

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.