HELP needed from folks in UK, esp. in Scotland!

by WTS Archive 101 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  cofty

  So much of the story is just bizarre.

  Why did she close the business? Just go advertise for new staff.

  Why end up in court? Is this a criminal trial or a civil one? What are the charges? If it's a civil case the person being accused is under no obligation to show up but the risk of losing is greater if you don't turn up and put your side. If it's a criminal court they would all be under arrest already for contempt.

  The prosecutor heard the story and couldn't really believe what she was hearing, but set a date for a case to be heard.

  There is no "prosecutor" in a civil trial. In a criminal case you don't go to the court you go to the police. They decide if a criminal offense has been committed and they liaise with the Procurator Fiscal who decides if it should go to trial. Quitting your job without notice is not an offense.

  The whole thing is just strange and I wouldn't want anything to do with it without knowing a lot more.
  
• 

  BluesBrother

  I am very much with Slimboyfat on this. I could certainly believe that they may hand in their notices to quit, but to all fail to turn up the next day is very dramatic, and breach of contract. As for shouting and spitting... No way !

  I am not trying to be hostile , it is just that we are all cautious these days.
• 

  Stealth

  I just stayed at a 100 room hotel this weekend and the entire place was being run by FOUR employees. She needs 24 employees to support a couple rooms??

  Hire new employees and move on!

  Something does not add up with this story.

  Link?
• 

  notsurewheretogo

  Indeed the replies on here and Reddit just make this story utterly strange.
• 

  steve2

  Okay, stranger stories have been subsequently verified. But man, this sounds OTT. And when I see any citation with Reddit, I almost always have to suppress an eye roll.
  

  This woman allegedly hired 24 JWs to help run a small hotel ('a couple of rooms, nothing big')?! Perhaps I need to hold my tongue - but here in New Zealand, small hotels (usually called boutique hotels) are run by individuals themselves without the need to hire anyone, let alone 24.

  Moreover, when you advertise for staff, NZ Human Rights legislation requires you provide evidence that you have hired the most suitable candidates for the positions advertised and have not simply hired according to affiliation or nepotism (in the event that an unsuccessful candidate queries their non-selection). Religious organizations are exempt from this - but not private individuals.

  If the shoe had been on the other foot - for example, she had been hired by JWs then lost her job because she was disfellowshipped - she could sue her employers for constructive dismissal.
  
• 

  darkspilver

  Oh! this could get interesting

  But first, here's Rab C. Nesbitt, because, well, it's Scotland, so why not?
  

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9NM2ZkXVQ

  As with the last time pleas were made on this board to support an ex-Witness in civil dispute with the organisation/individual Witnesses there is lots of hearsay and very little verifiable fact.
  

  Working on the assumption that, as this Polish lady is going to court, she has all her papers in order - ie health and safety for the hotel and all the employment contracts in place with all taxes including national insurance, PAYE and whatnot being done all above board.

  I think there are two little words missing from the story.

  Oh, and I wonder if she got copy approval for that newspaper article?

  Now, I'm only a lay person, but the two, ever so slightly controversial little words are....

  ZERO HOURS

  A 'zero hours' contract is often used in the hotel business - and when used properly it can work well, to the benefit of all, as it provides flexibility to fit in with demand (ie room occupancy etc) and makes a bit more sense of the 24 people being used if they're all part-time on shifts (fitting in with pioneering etc)

  Anyway, Wikipedia describes it this way: "A zero-hour contract is a type of contract between an employer and a worker, where the employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours, while the worker is not obliged to accept any work offered."
  

  BTW I underlined that last bit, but I'm sure everyone gets the principle? I suspect the Polish lady was using Zero Hours for all her staff and basically, got caught out.

  Zero Hours is controversial because it can very easily be misused - there are campaigns against it's use

  http://www.unitetheunion.org/campaigning/saynotozerohourscontracts/

  So, oh yes! this could get really interesting...
  
• 

  scotinsw

  This would be a civil case in court so struggling to understand why the police would get involved......

  until its in The Record, Scotsman, Evening News, Herald or Evening Times i dont buy it!
• 

  Phizzy

  If this is true, and is going to Court, I would be very careful about putting anything on the Internet, or elsewhere, until ALL Court cases are concluded.

  For instance, the spitting incident may well make for a five minute sensation on here, but if provable by film footage as you claim, could form the basis for a case against the woman who spat, apart from any cases against former employees.

  Keep us informed.
• 

  ab.ortega

  I know an elder who says he won't hire JWs for any work because if they don't do the job right etc., you can't really be unloving or whatever. And for sure you can't sue them, it's in the KS.

  He ended up suing a JW relative of his. He didn't lose his elder title, though. The branch didn't let it happen.
• 

  besty

  OMG somebody is wrong on the internet :-)