Employees Protest Goes Viral

This week 7 staff members of a ski operator (Skithe3v) barricaded themselves in their chalet in protest of their unfair dismissal and were refused to be paid by their former employer. The‘Les Menuires 7’ as they call themselves have stirred up unanimous Twitter and Facebook support using the social network sites to generate publicity and facilitate discussion.

Having worked for a similar operator myself dramatic action such as this comes as no surprise. I am all too familiar with the poor pay, high staff turn-over and unprofessional behaviour that, it must be conceded, comes from both employers and employees in this sector.

In a time when companies reputations can be destroyed (and built) overnight due to social media, it has become more important than ever for companies and brands to consider their practices, transparency and of course their responsibility. Whilst employees can be excellent ambassadors they can also, as we have seen in this case, help destroy a company’s reputation. Social media is fuelling consumer and employee power which should be welcomed and it’s playing an important role in why companies need to be more responsible.

I hope that the debate that the Les Menuires 7’s protest has sparked moves the whole ski operator industry to act and consider their responsibility to their employees. The grievances they cite are a standard in this sector that is in desperate need of reform and independent regulation.

In fact there is something that can be learned by every company through the Les Menuires 7 example – employees, armed with the tools of social media are very powerful. If you treat them well and keep them happy they can be your best asset and if not well then they may just pull a stunt like this.

Reinventing the high street

How do we design a high street as if the world mattered? That was the question set by Retail Reset at the Changemakers Fayre at Westminster Hub, last night.

As the post-it notes and scribbles started flying, pretty soon a debate emerged about chain stores and big business – where do they sit in all this? Do they have a role to play or are they just a recipe for clone town Britain? How can they contribute more positively to our high streets?

Which got me thinking…because while it’s great to see more and more businesses think seriously about how they can have a more positive impact, too often this feels hidden behind a CR report – a series of (albeit well-meaning) programmes, initiatives and commitments which can seem removed from the everyday activity of the company on the high street.

Surely there’s a missed opportunity here? Rather than just talking about what’s going on elsewhere, why not show it in action? Have a clothes retailer give over a section of their shop floor to provide working space for young designers, or a supermarket run regular classes in seasonal cooking in their store, or a bank deliver drop in business advice sessions for young entrepreneurs, or a communications company provide a space to support small business…

You get the idea.

Companies need to be brave about showing people what it means to them to be a good business – and through doing so they can not only talk to their customers more effectively, but play a vital role in making our high streets more exciting, inspiring and interesting places to be.