An anonymous reader writes: G4S will donate 2.5 million pounds to British military sports and welfare organisations after failing to provide enough security staff for the London 2012 Olympic Games but was it really their fault?
Firstly, no mention has yet been made of the direct connection between attempting to recruit and train staff for what is ostensibly temporary work, and the existing reliable benefit system for the unemployed.
It’s too easy to think there are thousands of unemployed out there who must be desperate for work. The reality is some of the unemployed are well catered for by a range of benefits. As such, any offer of work has to be worth it. If you tell an applicant it’s only temporary work, say for a couple of months, a significant percentage will say it’s not worth coming off benefits for.
Secondly, all Security Officers have to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority. To gain this licence they must undergo recognised training as well as a screening and vetting process and Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check. This process is usually paid for by the applicant themselves. In this scenario I imagine the contract G4S received from the Government will have included sufficient funds to pay for this process. The problem is these people were only ever going to receive temporary employment. As such, some of them, having been trained, vetted, CRB checked and licensed, will have applied for full time security jobs elsewhere.
Finally, having recruited staff for temporary work it is imperative that regular contact is maintained prior to their eventual deployment. Failure to maintain regular contact with newly recruited personnel will inevitably result in some of those staff not turning up as either it’s not worth coming off their benefits for, or they have found alternative full time employment.
G4S faced a logistical nightmare due to sheer numbers. Perhaps questions ought to be asked of Theresa May as to the validity of the decision to place such a large contractual obligation with only 1 main security supplier?
