Havering Council ‘mugging staff off.’

Havering Residents Association members today write in the Havering Daily:

The H.R.A have been contacted by several Havering Council members of staff, concerned about the waste of council funding.

Havering Council has launched a campaign called ‘Choose Havering’, in an attempt to recruit new staff to replace the large numbers of Council workers who have left or are planning to leave.

Council computer Home Screens display details about the campaign when they log onto their computers.

Part of this has seen the council sending out china mugs to each member of staff with a booklet about ‘Choose Havering’. However, the mugs have arrived in cardboard boxes without bubble wrap or protection and are ending up in bits. It has become a competition for staff to collect bits to make a complete mug and has been suggested they should read “Don’t” or “Why” should be in front of “Choose Havering”.

Chair of the H.R.A Councillor Gillian Ford said “It was the staff that brought the Choose Havering Campaign to our attention in the first instance”.

Councillor Ray Morgon Leader of the opposition went onto say “The staff are worth more than this. Belittling them with a mug is lip service and a complete waste of public funds. At a time when staff are leaving the Council in their droves, is this the best that the Leader of the Council could come up with?  

“We will be asking how much this wasteful exercise has cost, why this was thought appropriate and what meaningful measures are being taken to recognise the valuable role Havering officers play”.