As a staff representative, the issue of entitlements comes up often and I think some clarifications are needed especially in the era of «new management». First, imagine an informal chat between two colleagues over a glass of beer one evening after work.
«Well, Jim, how are you settling into your
new job?» Asks Alec.
Jim: «Oh, it’s not my job»
Alec, stumped, «Oh Jeez, how do you
mean, Jim? Has it been given to someone
else? Have you been fired?»
Jim. «No, no, but you know we shouldn’t
personalize should we? I don’t have a job. I
occupy a set of functions for a period of
time.»
Alec, bursts out laughing. «Oh OK I get
you! You’re being funny – the new jargon –
straight out of new management»
«No, no, I’m not being funny. I am deeply
grateful to my esteemed boss for allowing me
to occupy this set of functions. He told me
that there are 100 people who would willingly
take it the day I am out»
«But why should you be out? That’s very
supportive kind of talk, isn’t it? Do you get on
well with your boss?»
Jim, sternly «Alec, please, He’s not my boss. He is the person occupying the set of
functions above the human resource occupying
the set of functions below his set of functions». Please remember not to personalize»
Alec: OK cheers, my dear set of functions…
drink your beer
«Jim It’s not my beer…»
Entitlements and human rights
Let us think for ourselves and throw off the
dross of neoliberal new management jargon.
And let us start with a few realities. The first
of which is that the discourse on «not personalizing» and «entitlements» is highly political.
Here is an alternative position for your consideration.
It is unashamedly and explicitly
political because all staff management issues
are. As is health or education or labour rights.
However, this political position has the
advantage of reposing on human rights arguments.
There is a human right to work, to a livelihood,
to a means of subsistence. There is also
a human right to a job that is remunerated
sufficiently to allow a human being to feed,
shelter, clothe, her/himself and her/his family.
Please refer to all the various human rights
declarations, covenants and general comments
on them.
Back to full employment
Entitled to a job? Well yes actually! Full
employment was a deliberate policy adopted
in Europe (and elsewhere) in the post war
years in recognition of the fact that the
means of production do not belong to a select
group on earth but to ALL, and that if social
justice is a value (anyone care to dispute
that?) then full employment is an integral part
of that. Incidentally even the most right wing
think tanks are coming back to the idea of
full employment as essential to civil peace
(rather than unrest) and social cohesion.
No one has the right from birth or from
outside an organization to a particular position
(except the Queen…and many good –
and patient – anti-monarchists would abolish
that particular nonsense tomorrow).
Do personalize. It is your right!
However once hired, a whole range of
rights come into play. These are encapsulated
in human rights covenants on the right to
work and the right to various conditions of
employment.
The set of rights which come into play
between a human being and an organization
in relation to the contractual agreement
between the two parties represents legitimate
personalization as expressed by the words «It
is my job».
Good performance, functions needed, budget available
Three conditions determine the entitlement
to stay in a job (and /or to be allowed to do
the job under fair and respectful conditions):
Good performance, functions needed, budget
available. If an employee is fired, removed
or otherwise abused despite the fact that the
three conditions are met, s/he will have the
right to appeal to an industrial tribunal for
example AND WILL WIN because yes, s/he
has a job and yes s/he is entitled to keep that
job unless certain conditions have changed. It
was indeed her/his job and will continue to
be so if justice is done.
When a staff says «my job», s/he is not
referring only to the set of functions which
s/he is privileged to fulfil. S/he is referring to
her/his contractual relations with an organization
which are regulated by laws and which
in turn reflect human rights agreements.
As a staff representative and humble
human resource, I urge you all to personalize.
It makes common sense, it is a legal
reality and it is a human right!
