Day 216 - 06 02 96 - Page 29

 
 

                                                                  DAY 216
 
                                                KEVIN HARRISON, Examined:
 
 
 
     1        one stage, causing me problems.
     2
     3        "In general, a 'them and us' attitude was fostered between
     4        crew and managers.  Any relationships forged on the floor
     5        during parts of Managers' training" -- is that right?
     6        A.  "Any relationships forged during the on the floor parts
     7        of the Manager's training".
     8
     9   Q.   Sorry. "Any relationships forged during the on the floor
    10        parts of a Manager's training were expected to be forgotten
    11        in favour of an authoritarian approach.  I believe there
    12        was very much a hidden agenda of exploitation of crew
    13        members wherever possible by all levels of management."
    14        A.  Can I just say something else regarding that?  I was at
    15        one stage encouraged to be less familiar with crew members
    16        at the Ipswich store, because it was felt that now I was a
    17        Manager I ought not to have so much familiarity with them.
    18
    19   Q.   Was that from senior management, or -----
    20        A.  From the Store Manager.
    21
    22   Q.   There is a signature there; that is your signature, is it?
    23        A.  Yes.
    24
    25   Q.   Then there is a PS: "On occasions when the cash plus or
    26        minus for the week was considered outside acceptable
    27        limits, orders would be rung through the tills apparently
    28        normally, then the items cancelled, so that they did not
    29        show up on the product mixed till read out.  This had the
    30        effect of creating surplus money which went towards
    31        balancing the cash shortfall.  Example:  ring up
    32        2 x Big Mac, 2 regular fries and 2 regular McDonald's Cola,
    33        giving the total; take the customer's money, give change,
    34        then the items are cancelled from the till, as apparent
    35        mistakes and the money taken would therefore show up as a
    36        cash surplus on that till.  This was always done by
    37        Managers operating various tills throughout a shift,
    38        depending on how much money needed to be 'made'.  Various
    39        tills would be used, so that one massive surplus did not
    40        appear on one till.  This 'system' was used at Ipswich,
    41        although I believe that other systems (i.e. employee meals
    42        facility) could also be used and indeed were at other
    43        stores."
    44
    45        When you talk about "other systems", can you just explain
    46        what was the purpose of this?
    47        A.  If the tills showed a particular shortfall of money, it
    48        was a way of adjusting it.  I am not quite sure of the
    49        system at Colchester, because I was not actually involved
    50        in it.  But this example I have given at Ipswich, I have 
    51        actually personally done. 
    52 
    53   Q.   Then there is your signature. "PPS: if anything else occurs
    54        to me, I will send further details.  No doubt further
    55        examples of bad practice have simply been forgotten by
    56        myself and others."
    57
    58        I have not got a date on my copy.  I do not know if there
    59        is a date on yours, a fax date, or anything like that?
    60        A.  22nd July 1993.
 
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