Day 118 - 01 May 95 - Page 33


     
     1        just above the Wages Council rate and then paying them so
     2        many pence extra in stages if the employee works well, and
     3        then enhanced payments for uncongenial hours, obviously,
     4        the employee has a perception of their hourly rate and
     5        whether that is satisfactory to them or not in those
     6        circumstances.  But then you do not pay overtime,
     7        accepting, for the purpose of this question, that you still
     8        pay more than the least that person should be paid, what
     9        would you say if it was suggested by not paying overtime,
    10        if someone works overtime, you are recouping some of the
    11        extra you have given them for performance or uncongenial
    12        hours?  Do you see what I am trying to put to you?
    13        A.  Yes, my Lord.  We have no desire for anyone to work
    14        overtime.  There is really no need, except in the most
    15        remote circumstances, for people to have to work overtime.
    16        So we have no desire to recoup anything that we have given
    17        them in extra wages.
    18
    19   MS. STEEL:   Why not pay them overtime then?
    20        A.  I am not sure I can honestly answer that question,
    21        because it was the policy long before I joined McDonald's.
    22
    23   Q.   You have made some changes since you have been there, have
    24        you not?
    25        A.  Oh, certainly, I have made some changes.
    26
    27   Q.   Made that suggestion?
    28        A.  But that is not one that I have pursued.
    29
    30   Q.   You have not suggested ---
    31        A.  No.
    32
    33   Q.   -- that the workers should be paid overtime?
    34        A.  No.
    35
    36   Q.   Was it the Personnel Department that keeps the check on
    37        whether workers are working more than 39 hours, did you
    38        say, and whether they were being paid the right amount or
    39        not?
    40        A.  It is the responsibility of -- it is the responsibility
    41        of the Restaurant Manager, it is the responsibility of the
    42        operations supervisory staff, to ensure that is done.  It
    43        is also the responsibility of the Personnel Department when
    44        they visit the store to make sure it is done.  It is one of
    45        the things they check on a store visit.
    46
    47   Q.   The operations staff would check it regularly, you say?
    48        A.  They would visit the store a lot more regularly than
    49        the Field Services Department.
    50 
    51   Q.   They do not check it every fortnight? 
    52        A.  I would anticipate they do.  It depends upon what the 
    53        return tells them.  I would anticipate they do, unless they
    54        already know the reason for the odd few people who are
    55        working overtime.
    56
    57   Q.   Which return is that?
    58        A.  That one.
    59
    60   Q.   This one?  This one is the fortnightly one?

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