horns of wilmington's cow

By anth

Deer oh Deer...

For they were two...

Not the most earth shattering of photos, but I love seeing things like this within the city walls (for walls substitute 'bypass' in these most modern of times). Craigmillar Castle Park to be exact, on another bird hunt. This time a Buzzard - they're often seen cruising around there but, nope. Three times I've gone there hunting and drawn a blank each time. Then these fellas appeared creeping along the edge of the trees before making a dash for it, one at a time, over the open space in between.

Quick tip for the deers out there reading this. If you're going to be a prey animal scared of everything that moves and prone to belting off at the slightest provocation... A bright white rump isn't going to do you any favours in the 'blending in and looking like you've disappeared' stakes.

Had gone into work this morning due to a sense of 'doing things right', combined with realising the bosses are getting stroppy about things after I pointed out mistakes they were making with regard to the redundancies a week or so back. The latest wheeze is desperate annoyance at 'missing' personnel files. Turns out it was one file. For the person they're trying to screw over. I explained that the person in question had the file, as she was entitled to get. Boss replies that, oh yes, they understand she's entitled to it, but only if another member of staff is there, and the important question was how and when the request to see the file was made.

Now. If you're going to pull me up on what employee rights and so on are here's a tip that's as likely to be followed as that given to the deer. Do some research, maybe even get legal advice, and make sure it's right. Otherwise someone else (that someone else may possibly have been me) will explain how the Data Protection Act applies, about how an employee is entitled to get copies of the contents of they're personnel file (save a few specific exempted items) (which necessarily means another member of staff doesn't have to be there), and that while in normal circumstances requests should be in writing, and the company has 40 days to comply, and can charge up to £10 for the information, well, in these circumstances I thought it only morally right that we cut to the chase and the employee should have sight of the file.

I also asked (for I knew the answer) if there was any specific information they were looking for, could I get it for them now I had the file again, and should I let anyone who now wanted sight of their personnel files know that they should submit a request in writing to them, as the directors of the company... Interestingly there has been no response to this message, with specific queries to be answered, at all.

I may not be doing myself any favours, but I'm on the verge of telling them that really they are getting too much wrong here for it to be ignored, and if they are not going to heed my advice as the company lawyer, then please seek some other legal advice down in Londonshire. But again I'd expect that to fall on deaf ears.

And anyway, I've got through to the second round with my recent interview (sadly not until a week tomorrow). I'm now in with a literal 50:50 chance as only two of us were put through.

Trying out the telescope as a wildlife lens again... (pondering how daft I'd look lugging it down to the Figgy...)

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