Dedicated workers everywhere were dealt a blow last week when magistrates jailed Brian Rogers, 53, from Acton, west London, for taking his job far too seriously.
Brewery delivery driver Rogers was arrested for ‘going the extra mile’ for his employers before as well as during his round.
Wanting to truly live the brand values of the Courage brewery, Rogers knocked back 20 pints over 12 hours before his shift started. Not satisfied until he had squeezed every drop of productivity from his body, our driver then proceeded to order a pint while he waited for the barrels to be unloaded at one of his drop-offs.
Police were tipped off at this point and arrived at the scene to find him ‘unsteady on his feet’ and struggling to get back into his lorry.
Surely greater dedication to a cause would be hard to find. This was a case of Courage by name, courage by nature – and probably Courage by blood type as well by now for our well-lubricated hero.
Having found him to be three times over the drink-driving limit, however, magistrates sent Rogers to jail for four months and handed him a three-year driving ban.
What type of example does this set for the nation’s employees? How can HR professionals encourage youngsters to give more of themselves to their company when the courts are doing this to their role models?
It’s surely time for a radical rethink of the justice system. And Guru will drink to that.
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