Saturday 14 August 2010

False Economies…

Remember this story from last year?
A Cornish council worker who became a minor celebrity for commuting to London from an Epping Forest campsite claims he was forced out of his old job for speaking out about his choice of accommodation.
Because I certainly do…
Philip Hanman, 58, hit the headlines in the midst of the MPs' second homes scandal last year when he revealed he travelled 330miles every week from his home in Penzance to sleep in a £7 a night tent at Debden House campsite in Loughton.

He would then commute to his job at Barking and Dagenham Council, but Mr Hanman has now revealed his employer was not happy with him telling his story of cut-price accommodation.
Which won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has had to deal with council officials.
He said: “It all started with a broadcast I heard on Radio 4's PM programme. It was about the expenses scandal and second homes. I sent them an email saying 'My second home is a tent', and they sent someone out to the forest to interview me and then broadcast it.

“That very evening when I got home to Cornwall there was an email on my computer from the council saying: 'Be very careful, you are looking at disciplinary action.'
No, I can’t quite figure out what for, either!
“I'd never had any criticism for my work and then all of a sudden everything I did was unsatisfactory. I was criticised for everything and couldn't do anything right.”

Mr Hanman eventually became so fed up with his job as a (redacted) at the council, he took voluntary redundancy in April this year.
An interesting story, and he deserves to go far.

I thought about him when I saw this report:
A fraud probe has been launched into Town Hall workers after a council cheque was cloned three times, altered to a six figure sum and sent to India.

Serious Organised Crime Agency investigators got involved after forged cheques for more than £10,000 were received by families thousands of miles away.
Mr Hannan’s former job with Barking & Dagenham? They one they dispensed with? The one I redacted?

Yup, you guessed it:
…his job as a fraud manager at the council
Well, I guess they couldn’t predict they’d ever need those, could they?

9 comments:

Mike said...

yup because we all know that being resourceful, imaginative, efficient and thinking outside the box is in fact dangerous. It shows the majority of lazy, parasitic, selfish people up for the waste of space that they are.

This is why the best way to approach the current problems in Pakistan is to offer food aid and Obama is right to back a Mosque near ground zero. Because as much as the thought sticks in my throat two wrongs does not make a right. People, yes human people are starving in Pakistan right now and regardless of the regime and the past you will be measured by the side you fall on. This coming from a man who has and will say 'all fucking false rape accusers must fucking hang' but deep down I know I'm wrong. You kill your enemy with kindness, simples. Not blind, ignorant kindness but directed acts of compassion. Always while first protecting you and yours.

Mike said...

mind you I did just spray a wasp in my office and can't decide if I should stomp on it or see how long the poison takes to do its job?!?

Bill Sticker said...

Do not dare be innovative or show initiative if working for a local authority. Even if you are that brave, tell no one else. Not even your closest friends. Never your work colleagues.

If you work for a local authority in the UK, you work for a bunch of prissy, backstabbing, PC slapheads with few redeeming features. Been there, done that, escaped.

Mike said...

agreed, been there, done that, burnt the t-shirt. actualy, used it as a rag to clean my car.

Mark Wadsworth said...

I did read the original story and this week's update in the paper and found the whole thing too depressingly sad to 'blog about.

Although I didn't realise that B&D council was riddled with fraudsters.

Brian, follower of Deornoth said...

Quite. Someone who claims less than everyone else is showing the rest of the council up for the valueless vermin they are. Naturally they can't have that, so he will be disciplined.

Anonymous said...

Now then, how's this for a story? I'm a manager in a local authority, and I have to employ a person in a grade 6 role (22k +) whos is on a "phased return" to work after a brush with breast cancer. She's been with the section since August 2008, and has yet to complete 9 month's service due to "ill-health", including 12 weeks off with a broken ankle, followed by this unfortunate illness. Back at work for the past 13 weeks, still on 2 days a week only, and refusing to carry out the full range of duties, which should include evening and weekend working. She wants to change her contract to allow her to remain on restricted hours but on full pay. And you know what? HR are considering it! FFS! Can I do anything? Can I f**k !

JuliaM said...

"yup because we all know that being resourceful, imaginative, efficient and thinking outside the box is in fact dangerous. It shows the majority of lazy, parasitic, selfish people up for the waste of space that they are."

That does indeed appear to be one of the mysteries of modern life..

"If you work for a local authority in the UK, you work for a bunch of prissy, backstabbing, PC slapheads with few redeeming features."

That seems to go for a lot of quangos too!

"Although I didn't realise that B&D council was riddled with fraudsters."

Well, councils do tend to reflect the demographic makeup of their area... ;)

"And you know what? HR are considering it! FFS! "

The disability card trumps everything in Victimhood Poker. Everything....

sobers said...

I thought Muslim was the trump card in Victimhood poker?