Is it un-British to tell someone that they can’t cover their face at work? But on the other hand is really un-British to tell someone how they can or cannot observe their religious practices?
For some people the burqua is sign of oppression, while according to Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman it is a sign of liberation for the women who wear it. For Spelman, it is a woman’s right to wear a burqua if she wants to. But is it really something she wants to do? And do we have to tolerate the inability to see a co-workers face while we work side-by-side?
While I understand that people have strong religious beliefs which encourage them to dress modestly, I do not believe that women are empowered when their faces are covered. And I do not believe that they are more effective in the workplace wearing such garb.
There is a difference between tolerance and mutual respect versus accepted protocol in the working environments of western society. It is not acceptable to touch a co-worked against his or her will. It is not acceptable to make lewd comments directed at a co-worker. Breaking these rules does impact employees’ ability to work effectively. However, I can truly understand how difficult it would be to work with someone whose face was covered.
It is interesting to note that a YouGov survey found that 67 per cent of voters agreed that wearing a full-face veil should be banned. France has a similar ban and apparently other European countries are in the process of preparing similar bills.
One MP (Hollobone) put it best when he said: “This is Britain. We are not a Muslim country. Covering your face in public is strange, and to many people both intimidating and offensive.”
Business protocol in the Western world means that people have to be able to identify you – and that means being able to see one’s face. If people want to dress that way, then they should find jobs in places where it will not impact their co-workers or decide to wear religious dress only when they are not at work.
If you went to work in a bank with your face covered, that would be problematic.
Muslim women living in Britain should be treated fairly and equally to all other people living in Britain. If we went to visit or live in a Muslim country then we should expect to follow the rules of that country. However if you choose to live in Britain then you should come here fully prepared to live as a Briton – at least in public.
Martin David
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Does a 2:1 degree really matter?
The recent news reports about employers ignoring graduate job applicants who did not receive at least a 2:1 has left me very frustrated.
I remember well the period of time after I completed university and was looking for my first professional position. It was also during a recession and getting a foot in the door was particularly challenging considering the numbers of laid-off employees seeking jobs.
I met with several potential employers and head hunters during that time. And the question which most commonly arose was: “Do you have any prior experience?” While I tried to put together a list of my volunteer experience and university work-placements, it sounded very hollow to my ear.
On one hand it was a lot less expensive to hire a keen new graduate but on the other hand, it was a lot more labour intensive to train one -- and in turn, more risky. I was an unknown commodity despite all my letters of recommendation and my excellent academic results.
Within a few months I did find a great job that gave me the lots of opportunities to use my head and develop new skills. But in truth, most of what I learned in university never really entered into the picture.
The graduates with the highest scores do not necessarily make the best employees. While they are well trained in reading the material and learning it, they do not necessarily have a “feel” for business or the ability to connect what at first glance seem to be many disconnected dots. While it never hurts to be a good student, the skills necessary for school learning are rarely the same as those needed to survive and succeed in the real world.
I once had a boss who said that there was nothing new under the sun. At the time I thought that was an incredibly cynical attitude. Today I understand that adage differently. There IS nothing new under the sun but there are always different ways to approach old problems. And yesterday’s solutions may not be the best responses today.
The most useful skills that I have learned over the past two decades are the ability to think outside the box, the ability to turn easily and head in a different direction that I thought I was going to take, and the ability to not get bogged down with the “that’s the way it’s done” approach. And all of those skills have nothing to do with school and in-house learning.
And at the end of the day, there is nothing like hard work to get ahead. There are no easy formulas for success. There is an old joke in MBA programs: A students will be senior managers, B students will be middle managers and C students will own the company!
Elizabeth Mead
Liverpool
I remember well the period of time after I completed university and was looking for my first professional position. It was also during a recession and getting a foot in the door was particularly challenging considering the numbers of laid-off employees seeking jobs.
I met with several potential employers and head hunters during that time. And the question which most commonly arose was: “Do you have any prior experience?” While I tried to put together a list of my volunteer experience and university work-placements, it sounded very hollow to my ear.
On one hand it was a lot less expensive to hire a keen new graduate but on the other hand, it was a lot more labour intensive to train one -- and in turn, more risky. I was an unknown commodity despite all my letters of recommendation and my excellent academic results.
Within a few months I did find a great job that gave me the lots of opportunities to use my head and develop new skills. But in truth, most of what I learned in university never really entered into the picture.
The graduates with the highest scores do not necessarily make the best employees. While they are well trained in reading the material and learning it, they do not necessarily have a “feel” for business or the ability to connect what at first glance seem to be many disconnected dots. While it never hurts to be a good student, the skills necessary for school learning are rarely the same as those needed to survive and succeed in the real world.
I once had a boss who said that there was nothing new under the sun. At the time I thought that was an incredibly cynical attitude. Today I understand that adage differently. There IS nothing new under the sun but there are always different ways to approach old problems. And yesterday’s solutions may not be the best responses today.
The most useful skills that I have learned over the past two decades are the ability to think outside the box, the ability to turn easily and head in a different direction that I thought I was going to take, and the ability to not get bogged down with the “that’s the way it’s done” approach. And all of those skills have nothing to do with school and in-house learning.
And at the end of the day, there is nothing like hard work to get ahead. There are no easy formulas for success. There is an old joke in MBA programs: A students will be senior managers, B students will be middle managers and C students will own the company!
Elizabeth Mead
Liverpool