Compensation Culture and the apparent, yet
none existant litigeous culture....
The Compensation Act was passed on July 25
2006 to combat this
compensation perception issue.
Judges now may to take into account the wider
issues of society when finding fault or blame in
compensation cases.
In particular the idea of
guilty before being found innocent which occurs
when public sector [teachers, police, youth
workers, hospital workers] are removed from
active duty not only until a case is subject to
court, but even whist it is being
considered….this can be months and years
– only for a not guilty judgement to be
found. The ensuing damage to professional
sef-esteem is traumatic.
It is due to the fear of all
this happening that the national goodwill of
volunteering and initiative taking is being
withdrawn. The UK has great traditions of
volunteering. This
volunteering comprises two key donations:
People offering their time for
free either through structured organisations such
as charities or through local clubs and community
activities
People who, although in paid roles, take
initiatives to extend the delivery of their work,
by undertaking activities which are in addition
to their role. This extends
past what they are expected to do and includes
taking opportunistic risks, e.g. changing ways
things are done, short-circuiting bureaucracy,
making savings, doing more than they need to.
In the former – group
a – the fear of litigation prevents people
even taking up volunteering opportunities –
less sports leaders, trustees, helpers in
neighbourhoods, police, et seq.
In the latter – group
b – stuck middle managers with great risk
aversion, teachers [although there are many
thousands who still do so much] reluctant or
refusing, even on the instructions of their
unions, to undertake out of school (even in
school) additional activities (dumbing down
science?). Of course covering one’s back
with huge mountains of paperwork on risk
assessments (excuses not to do things?) is a
great smoke-screen, disguising managerial
risk-aversion.
This giving of time is a
massive injection of national capital which helps
our society work, provides the place for people
to feel good about themselves and supports a
great feeling of place and belonging in our
increasingly status-bankrupt society, a sure root
of delinquency, stress and depression.
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Sat 4th Nov 
11:59
