It's never too late

Published on 22nd November 2007 in Letters

Sir - After reading your story about the employees leaving Howden Kitchens and not being invited to the party, I thought about the following.

Employees are paid three months' pay in lieu of notice, and given pay for unused holidays for that three months. They also receive company benefits such as BUPA for those three months. This suggests they are still employed in some way for the three months. The government recognises this by not entitling these employees to claim any benefits for this period, the same way these employees cannot claim mortgage payments for being unemployed for three months or less.

So, surely the company could invite these people to the party, as a gesture of goodwill, as it is the season of goodwill.

Another thought is: this company may give these people dates in November to leave, but as Howden Kitchens has done many times in the past, they may let the leavers find employment elsewhere, go through many interviews and medicals, not to mention life-changing decisions often involving big family changes, and then - on the leaving date, just hours before they leave - change their minds and make the employee stay. Which at least would mean a party invitation after all!

So they can look on the bright side, right up until they have actually walked through the gates!

FORMER EMPLOYEE

Goole

(Name and address supplied)