The (Nearly) Paperless Office

So, we've had the demonstration now we just have to wait for the training and the installation.

The (nearly) paperless office, as it will be referred to, isn't that sexy or exciting to be honest, it's just a system of scanning and recording. The interesting thing is that my boss was hoping this was the reason for making Squirrel redundant by I can see it's going to cause more problems than solutions. First of all somebody will have to be responsible for scanning all documents that come into the office, well there are only three of us in the office who are 'ever present' and we are the three highest paid workers - so all of a sudden the cost of administration goes from zero to, at the lowest end of the scale, £65 a hour - oh yes, good economics there (not!).

Secondly one of those three, Grumpy Parrot, is a technophobe who has learnt so little from computers over the past nine years that if you put all his computer knowledge on the back of a stamp you'd still have room for the collected works of Shakespeare (obviously not but I was using that exaggerated example for effect).

Now much as I like and admire Angela, she is the most overworked person in the office and quite frankly she won't be able to cope with this full time, so it's going to need some rethinking.

The software company are going to train us 'live' for six weeks, what this means in reality is one days training and then we are let loose on the system with 'real' clients for six weeks after which we are cast adrfit without a lifeboat. At what point Squirrel is made redundant will be interesting, it's only twelve weeks until the end of January - the deadline for filing 2006 tax Returns so somehow within the most concentrated period of the year we are going to lose our admin back-up and install a new software and office admin system - yes, it makes sense doesn't it?

Now, then dear reader, how are you on principles? You know, that thing you believe in but aren't quite convinced of your own conviction to back-up when push comes to shove (enough of the cliches Ed.)

Okay, far from being made redundant Squirrel is actually being sacked without grounds for dismissal. What is going to happen is that her job will cease to exist, then my Boss will employ his daughter to supervise administration and then in three months, if we need it, Squirrels job will be re-advertised. This all comes about because my boss is vindictive enough that when he found out that the three warnings he gave Squirrel for poor time keeping have been timed-out under current Employment Law he decided he would get rid of her by removing her job title - so it looks like a redundancy but it's actually a sacking without proper grounds.