Well this is a new one on me. Got a bottle of vodka today as a chrimbo gift form a customer, not the first time usually its a box of chocolates, but was well chuffed with the voddy.
Well the boss questioned me about it and quoted the bribery act apparently i got a letter about this when it was introduced. I swear to christ this is the first time i even heard of a bribery act.
But what the hell have i been bribed for? Im just a driver who delivers pallets of goods to customers you build up a re-pore with these customers. I give them nothing, there is nothing i can give them in return for a bribe.
So nothing will be said as long as i take it back and explain i cannot accept gifts.
Couple of weeks ago we were handed a form to sign saying we would not accept gifts/ hospitality/ food, unless we cleared it with management beforehand, all to do with this bribery act.
I handed the form back unsigned.
Occasionally we do get the odd breakfast paid for if we are waiting for a while so I am not making myself look a ■■■ by saying hold on I will just have to ring the boss and ask if it is ok to have breakfast.
Also as I pointed out to them at this time of year his boot is full of whisky etc that he takes round his customers so how come it is ok for them but not for us.
Was told that this is being made law by my MP therfore when the MP’s have paid back all the money they have nicked off us these last years they may have a leg to stand on. Until such time I consider myself hardworking and underpaid so Iam going to take whatever I can get!
bribery act my ■■■ , i took a full blown un hidden bribe to one of our customers the other day , it was even decorated with tinsel and christmas tree balls and stacked on a pallet , no one thought that was illegal or even odd … dont know if it will work or not but we’ll see …
merc0447:
Well this is a new one on me. Got a bottle of vodka today as a chrimbo gift form a customer, not the first time usually its a box of chocolates, but was well chuffed with the voddy.
Well the boss questioned me about it and quoted the bribery act apparently i got a letter about this when it was introduced. I swear to christ this is the first time i even heard of a bribery act.
But what the hell have i been bribed for? Im just a driver who delivers pallets of goods to customers you build up a re-pore with these customers. I give them nothing, there is nothing i can give them in return for a bribe.
So nothing will be said as long as i take it back and explain i cannot accept gifts.
Is this not madness?
I think he wants the vodka, keep hold of it or that vodka will be used for his Xmas day ■■■■ up
Sections 1 to 5 of the Act cover “general bribery offences”. The crime of bribery is described in Section 1 as occurring when a person offers, gives or promises to give a “financial or other advantage” to another individual in exchange for “improperly” performing a “relevant function or activity”.
operative word being “improperly”, usually meant to cover such items as a transport manager receiving backhanders (including bottles of vodka) from a particular agency in order to order drivers from that agency.
Ask him if that rings any bells?
edit to add
of course, there is no reason why a company cannot instruct its employees to refuse to accept gifts etc on company time.
I had some furniture delivered a few weeks ago and was giving the driver and mate a drink for doing a first class job, but they refused saying that they were not allowed to accept tips.
sounds like some pen pushers are in a panic.
just like:-
health and safety,
the working time directive,
smoking ban,
being dictated to by insurance companies,
and all the [zb] EU crap.
At my previous job, we had a power point presentation on the “dangers of bribery” accepting gifts etc ,then we had to sign a disclaimer to say we all understood the full implications of it all, i pointed out we were not likely to receive any bribes or gifts delivering sand,cement or drainage products to building or civil engineering sites,then a couple of days later the branch manager got an all expenses paid trip to play golf with the bosses of Polypipe at wentworth, you couldn’t make this shizzle up. !!
At a previous job we were told not to accept gifts from customers, but if it was only polite to do so then take it to be handed to management on return to the depot. Then all the gifts would be pooled across all lie depots and put into a raffle for ALL employees.
Now Im sorry, but if a customer gives me a tin of biscuits or a crate of beer for my hard work im not giving it to anyone, stuff the company policy!
Never knew a single driver there that did hand in any gifts tho…
I have been out visiting customers today. I have left either a bottle of whiskey or a box of chocolates to say thank you for their support over the past year. The bribary act is aimed at large companies handing over brown envelopes. We do have companies that will not allow us to give their staff anything. Christmas spirit eh!
Another case of bureaucracy gone mad. The below is an extract from Kenneth Clarke that came in to force on the 1st July.
The Act creates new offences of offering or receiving a bribe, bribery of foreign public officials and of a failure to prevent a bribe being paid on an organisation’s behalf. It also provides a defence to the last of these where an organisation can show that it has ‘adequate procedures’ in place. These are quite tough rules. But what the guidance I am also publishing today underlines — after helpful consultation with businesses, and NGOs — is that combating bribery is about common sense, not bureaucracy.
Bribery is one of those things we know when we see — it is a cynical attempt to manipulate someone’s judgement by financial or similar means. The guidance makes clear that no one is going to try to stop businesses getting to know their clients by taking them to events like Wimbledon, Twickenham or the Grand Prix. Reasonable hospitality to meet, network and improve relationships with customers is a normal part of business.
More ■■■■■■■■ I am afraid, there is no reason why a customer cannot give a driver or a forklift driver a bottle of whisky, a turkey or £100 for Christmas
It is important to note that no one can be prosecuted in England and Wales unless one of the two most senior prosecutors (the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Director of the Serious Fraud Office) is personally satisfied that a conviction is more likely than not, and that prosecution is in the public interest.
The Act is concerned with bribery. Very generally, this is defined as giving someone a financial or other advantage to encourage that person to perform their functions or activities improperly or to reward that person for having already done so. So this could cover seeking to influence a decision-maker by giving some kind of extra benefit to that decision maker rather than by what can legitimately be offered as part of a tender process.
"Very generally, [bribery] is defined as giving someone a financial or other advantage to encourage that person to perform their functions or activities improperly or to reward that person for having already done so.
You need to tell you boss that he or she has completely failed to understand the legislation.
There is no way that you receiving a bottel of Vodka could ever be considered as bribery. In fact your boss should consider it a compliment and good for his company that one of your customers thinks highly enough of you to give you a gift.
Reading the link Wheel Nut put up your company probably has to do very little if anything to comply with the act.
Bribery is when you turn up and say
yes I can take all these packages to your Shed right at the other end of your garden for you, but only if say you give me something in return I.e a look in the bedroom or if your not feeling in the mood for that Madam then that bottle of Whisky or Wine will do nicely as repayment
The bribary act has been around for years, whether your company adopts it or not is another question.
We’re not supposed to accept gifts as per the Bribary Act but a blind eye is turned especially at Christmas, last year i ended up with £100 in tips, numerous bottles of wine, beers, biscuits etc. The only time i’ve seen it implimented was when a driver was given a Mini Moto one year, he was unfortunately grassed up by another driver so he lost it.
keebs26uk:
Bribery is when you turn up and say yes I can take all these packages to your Shed right at the other end of your garden for you, but only if say you give me something in return I.e a look in the bedroom or if your not feeling in the mood for that Madam then that bottle of Whisky or Wine will do nicely as repayment
load of Bol****ks
I’m sure your post is tongue firmly in cheek.
But that wouldn’t be bribery, in the true sense of the law. You are not saying that if you get a little extra you’ll do something which is outside the law. (well depending on what you were planning to do in the bedroom if madam was in the mood of course )
It might be considered “payment in kind” which might be of interest to an over zealous tax man, but not the serious fraud office.
nickyboy:
The bribary act has been around for years, whether your company adopts it or not is another question.
We’re not supposed to accept gifts as per the Bribary Act but a blind eye is turned especially at Christmas, last year i ended up with £100 in tips, numerous bottles of wine, beers, biscuits etc. The only time i’ve seen it implimented was when a driver was given a Mini Moto one year, he was unfortunately grassed up by another driver so he lost it.
It’s an update to the act, which makes companies liable unless they have systems in place to check it’s not going on, but even a quick read of it pretty quickly establishes that unless you as a driver have some influence over your companies customers or suppliers, then any gifts from them is not going to influence these therefore cannot be considered a bribe.
Well.Your Boss would have a Problem with me.
im corrupt as if i would get paid for it.
Just last at Wimbledon Tsco
came back with Cages full Cardboard in it.
why,was the Question.
The Manager was that friendly,i couldnt say no,i answered.
How friendly was he?
Now,he served Coffee and Pastry.
Thats no reason to do against Company policy.
Well,who knows me knows im shy with talking to Manager and ladies,so i didnt explain that we had to free the Emergency exit.
i just accepted two Day banned from Work.
,then we had to sign a disclaimer to say we all understood the full implications of it all, i pointed out we were not likely to receive any bribes or gifts delivering sand,cement or drainage products to building or civil engineering sites,then a couple of days later the branch manager got an all expenses paid trip to play golf with the bosses of Polypipe at wentworth, you couldn’t make this shizzle up. !! 