Dilemma
Author
Discussion

greg_D

Original Poster:

6,542 posts

275 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
Someone i know owns a children's day care nursery, anyway.......they got an anonymous letter pushed through the letterbox informing her that a member of staff's child was a convicted paedophile (with a paper cutting of the story to back it up - subsequent enquiries by my friend have proved it to be true)

If word gets out we think that business could be affected quite badly.

Would you as parents be happy to drop your child off at a nursery where one of the staff was the mother of a kiddy fiddler???????

Do you think that we should get rid of the member of staff in question to be safe (bearing in mind that the worst case scenario of being taken to the cleaners at an industrial tribunal has already been costed up and is an acceptible cost given what the loss of even one child would be over the course of a year). ps. we know that it is grossly unfair to the mother as she has done NOTHING wrong, but business is business at the end of the day!!!!!!!

Suggestions please o sage ones

Greg

Mrs Fish

30,018 posts

287 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
It isn't the mothers fault... but unfortunately if word gets out I doubt all parents will see it that way... its a difficult one.

docevi1

10,430 posts

277 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
IMHO why doesn't the friend have a quiet word with the mother in question and say whilst she's happy with the work the woman does and doesn't personally see too much trouble with regard to her child been a convicted peado, others might.

She can't fire her, but a quiet word may suffice for the woman to move on, especially if no malice / a good reference is involved.

soir

2,277 posts

268 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
peodo should be castrated then shot!

However I totally believe that yes, the mother has done NOTHING wrong here.

no offence, but I know these nurseries pay their staff pittence and this poor woman will be hung out all because of her son.

business is business I agree, just feel sorry for this lady

vixpy1

42,699 posts

293 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
As a moral descision, no, they should'nt fire her.

It depends how this woman is viewed by the parents, if she is well likes and you fire her, there will be an outcry by the parents. However if they don'nt know her, and they find out. Then it could affect business.. (taking into account how mind blowingly stupid some people are!)

pesty

42,655 posts

285 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
you would be in trouble I imagine. After all she has done nothing wrong. It was her son

maxf

8,443 posts

270 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
I'd probably let her go. Its a shame the world is like that but I would imagine your mate's nursery pays for his/her mortgage/own children etc so they have to think selfishly.

Not the moral thing to do, but sticking their neck out and going down the moral route could prove very bad for the business.

I feel sorry for them both.

Incorrigible

13,668 posts

290 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
If you fire her, you're in trouble

If you keep her bussiness will suffer (IMHO, because of the irrationality of motherhood)

You're Donald Ducked matey

morebeanz

3,283 posts

265 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
Fact - it will affect the business if others find out
Fact - the mother has done nothing wrong

I am sure that the reality is that you could not legally let her go. In fact if you were to have a "quiet word", any subsequent departure could be construed as constructive dismissal.

Classic case of damned if you do, damned if you don't!

Tuna

19,930 posts

313 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
It's up to you to take a stance on this and make sure you can explain it clearly if needed. Speak to the woman in question, make your decision and stick to it. From my point of view (not knowing any of the people) I'd say it's no-one else's business what her offspring have got up to. If she is a good, trustworthy employee, that should be all you need. Giving her the sack might also be illegal, unless you have reasonable grounds.

Perhaps you could prepare a written response explaining that decision, keep it on file and only bring it out if the vindictive person who 'shopped' her takes things further.

TDTH1975

631 posts

279 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
Could you not take the mother to one side and explain the situation and whilst they are very reluctant to do so, they feel it is their duty to bring it to the attention of the parents and the parent can decide whether there is a 'bigger picture' problem. If there is, she goes, if there isn't she doesn't - at the end of the day, although the mother has done nothing wrong, some situations in my opinion are better brought to surface than being surfaced by the media or other sources.

bruciebabie

895 posts

265 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
You're all assuming the parents will go ballistic. Will they? Many on here are parents. How would you react? Exactly, so why think worse of your fellow man?
I suggest that this issue is taken to the parents. One by one, starting with the most understanding. If anyone has an issue try and resolve it without a sacking. Maybe any concerned parent could meet the person involved to ease their worries.
Communication is the key. If you just get rid of her and the word gets out, which it will, it could end up doing far more harm with the parents.

406

3,636 posts

282 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
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Your friend could just pay her off for the good of the business. IMHO I would - Sorry

agent006

12,058 posts

293 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
Paedophilia isn't hereditory the last time i checked. Don't be so bloody wet, keep her. You would be in serious legal trouble if you did anything to the contrary.

greg_D

Original Poster:

6,542 posts

275 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]


Precisely,

the cost of the settlement (if she were to be binned on jackanory "competency issues") would be in the hundreds as she is not full time. That would be my course of action. I would not mention the paedo issue at all and just get rid.

mentioning it, in my mind, is asking for trouble if she decides not to go quietly as she has ammo to shoot us with in a disciplinary hearing.

Greg

little me

544 posts

265 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
Tough call!!

All nursery staff should be police checked nowadays so hopefully this nursery has done that.The mother hasn't done anything wrong, apart from give birth to someone who has done something not very nice to children, which isnt her fault, but as with all school the parents will start a "witch hunt" to find out who the member of staff is and could possibly make her life unbearable.
Sad but true.

Jane x

edc

9,620 posts

280 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
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You better get reading the relevant employment law legislation and brace yourself if you want to push her out.

agent006

12,058 posts

293 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]


If you're happy with being on the front page of the sun for firing someone for doing nowt wrong then that's up to you. A certain Mr Clifford would have a field day with something like this.

You're relying on the big IF. It's not definite that it will get out that she's who she is. I'd even go as far as saying it's highly unlikely given that the baying mobs have now moved onto whatever pressing cause they've found after they got bored of peadophiles.

I really can't see any issue with employing her, and i can't think that even the most hysterical of parents would have a problem with it either. Just make sure that he doesn't give his mum a lift to work and there will be no problem at all.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
Having been witness to the proceedings of an employment tribunal that could have been potentially very damaging to the business involved I am sorry to say that Mr Clifford will probably not give a shit.

I bet this sort of thing has happened a lot in the past and we havent heard of a single one of them.

Theres more sorrow than local scruples like this to sell the redtops

Hugely tricky situation though on the hole, your friend has my sympathies.

Balmoral Green

42,561 posts

277 months

Thursday 14th April 2005
quotequote all
If this was my business I would rather see it fail than pander to the sort of odious wits who are happy to go around beating up pediatricians. If this woman is let go, you are as morally bankrupt as her son. I would stand by her and take the consequences, and have a nicely written letter ready for those who take their business elsewhere, hopefully eloquent enough to make those who do go elsewhere feel thoroughly ashamed and dirty about their misguided decision.

The lady is innocent FFS and yet here we have talk of sackings and costing out an unfair dismissal. What price justice, integrity and honesty?