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Personnel Today

On the job: where HR gets the chance to say what it really feels

by Personnel Today 20 Jan 2004
by Personnel Today 20 Jan 2004

Political correctness has gone utterly barmy

It’s January 20th and I’m still steaming! Well past Christmas, the New Year
hangover. The season to be jolly, wasn’t it? Was it hell. ‘Twas the season for
managers’ folly. Political correctness can no longer be said to have gone mad.
It’s gone utterly barmy.

Don’t put up a Christmas tree. Don’t throw a Christmas party. Don’t even
think of following any wandering stars. Why? You might offend the sensibilities
of the staff by the water cooler who worship the ancient Macedonian gods.

We don’t stop people participating in Ramadan. And rightfully so. It’s a
bona fide religious event that should be respected. Try that argument about the
majority belief (Christianity) and you’d be for the high jump.

The DTI’s Christmas cards didn’t have any images of a Christian nature on
them. They did have a rock guitarist (commonly believed to be an emissary of
Satan) and the word ‘Goal’. Surely venerating people like David Beckham falls
under the auspices of ‘thou shalt not worship graven images’?

So there we have it. In the thousands of years since Moses came down from
Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments (surely the eldest of HR proclamations)
and found the Israelites worshipping a statue of a calf, we’ve gone from the
worship of Golden Bulls to Golden Balls.

I’m tempted to just end it all, but am afraid of the industrial tribunal
that would result if I don’t include crucifixion, hanging, ritual
disembowelment and the death of a goat in the process.

HR Hartley
HR director at large

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Personnel Today

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