Speaking of Which: Britain Contemplates The Unthinkable-- Permitting Companies To Fire Non-Working Employees

Oh, I forgot, the British/European system: You don't have to be on the government dole, per se. You just have to trick a company into hiring you, and then sit back and do nothing but collect your company check, because the company simply cannot fire you under virtually any circumstances.

Same rational economic decision -- if you can do practically nothing and still get a fair check, why work? Why not just sit on a chair at "work" and do nothing?

Sure, you'll forgo promotions and raises. But, not all people value the marginal dollar in income the same. Some people might, quite rationally, prefer to work on their novel on the employer's time.

Or gamble. Or flirt. Or whatever.

Britain is considering the incentives they've built into their no-pink-slip system of dysemployment.

Britain’s “terrible” employment laws are undermining economic growth and should be overhauled, according to the confidential report obtained by The Daily Telegraph (Published below).

It says that British workers should be banned from claiming unfair dismissal so that firms and public sector bodies can find more capable replacements.

Under current regulations, workers are allowed to “coast along” and employers are left fearful of expanding because new staff may prove “unknown quantities” who are impossible to sack, the report says.

The radical recommendation to scrap the concept of unfair dismissal is made by Adrian Beecroft, a venture capitalist, in a report commissioned by David Cameron.

What a radical idea -- permitting employers to decide if they're getting their money out of their paid employees.

posted by Ace at 03:21 PM

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