Day 116 - 26 Apr 95 - Page 22
1 A. Yes.
2
3 Q. I am not suggesting those are the only repeat occurrences.
4 Croydon has now appeared four times in this analysis ---
5 A. Yes.
6
7 Q. -- during a three or four month period?
8 A. Yes.
9
10 Q. Two things about that: In each case, of course, recording
11 a young person under 18 has worked more than 96 hours,
12 although no longer illegal, not, you tell us, advised by
13 the company; is that right?
14 A. That is right.
15
16 Q. First, how would it come about, in your experience, that
17 that should happen? There is Mr. Dawson, I think, twice
18 over at Croydon four times, how would that come about? Why
19 should it be necessary for a store to employ young people
20 for more than 96 hours?
21 A. To conform to our guidance to stores, they should not
22 do it.
23
24 Q. I know, but why would they do it?
25 A. What happens, in fact, is Croydon is a particularly
26 busy store with a very, very large crew. At one time it
27 was, arguably, the busiest store in Europe.
28
29 Q. In Europe?
30 A. Yes, indeed. If they had a spate of no shows, in other
31 words, crew people who had been scheduled to work phoned in
32 and said: "I cannot come in" for one reason or another,
33 the management would have to get staff from somewhere.
34 Very possibly, this person was there and said: "I will stop
35 on; I will work". No-one is made to work overtime, but if
36 they request and if the manager requires someone to work,
37 then he can give permission for overtime to be worked.
38
39 What we are doing here is highlighting those young people
40 who are being asked. This manager would be now seen and
41 the reasons found out and, if necessary, counselled.
42
43 Q. Take Croydon as the example: If during that period Croydon
44 has in four cases gone over 96 and Mr. Dawson at Croydon
45 has done it twice by, I think, two-and-a-half and
46 three-and-a-half hours in those two cases respectively,
47 what, if any, action would be taken upon seeing those
48 figures by Head Office?
49 A. Well, that would have gone out to that store's
50 Operations Manager and that store's Operations Manager
51 would have got on to the restaurant and said: "Why?"
52
53 Q. Would have said: "Why?"
54 A. Most certainly. If they can come up with a reasonable
55 explanation, that is the end of the matter.
56
57 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What does the "premium" mean?
58 A. Premium hours, sir.
59
60 Q. Yes, but what are they?
