Day 167 - 02 Oct 95 - Page 54
1
2 Q. It says it is the McDonald's Operations and Training Manual
3 1990/1991, which we all agree on. What form of book, or
4 whatever, or a document or whatever, what form does it
5 take?
6 A. It used to be a book. It used to be a big soft back
7 book, 550, 600 pages. It was found that it was impractical
8 to update a huge book, and so we now use a file similar to
9 this with sections and dividers, so that if a section needs
10 to be updated you just replace it.
11
12 Q. When did that happen?
13 A. 1991/1992, just -- probably the year after this one was
14 produced.
15
16 Q. This may be the last ----
17 A. That is probably the last one of this original format.
18 It is certainly for at least two or three years.
19
20 MR. ATKINSON: Unless your Lordship raises any questions on that
21 particular matter, I have no further questions.
22
23 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
24
25 MR. MORRIS: Can we just have five minutes? Is that possible?
26
27 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. I will come back at half past. If
28 I might say so, if we can easily get at documents which
29 will actually be productive, that may be one thing. What
30 is unattractive is having to scour through lots of people's
31 personnel files in anticipation that something may come up
32 which helps one way or another, especially since, heaven
33 knows, I do not want any more witnesses than we have to
34 when we have actually got people identified who could, if
35 it actually came to the pinch, said, "No, this talk of
36 mistreating me is a load of old baloney", or "Yes, I have
37 been complaining about it for years but never got
38 anywhere". I will come back at half past.
39
40 (Short adjournment)
41
42 Cross-examined by the Defendants
43
44 MR. MORRIS: Mr. Richards, the policy of the Company is to keep
45 personnel files for seven years after termination, is it
46 not?
47 A. I believe so, yes.
48
49 Q. Presumably, you adhere to that policy?
50 A. We do.
51
52 Q. If somebody makes a complaint, a written complaint, a
53 letter, that would be kept in their files?
54 A. It would, yes.
55
56 Q. Right. There is something which I was getting a bit
57 confused about: The weekly schedules are the ones, the
58 things that are done in advance and posted; is that
59 correct?
60 A. That is correct.
