Glaring Lack of Legislative Support

Glaring lack of legislative support

How is anyone supposed to make the right choice in the glaring absence of appropriate guidelines? How is there such a political and moral vacuum that no-one is addressing this incredibly serious question?

How to buy the right Easter egg?

• General Data Protection Regulations – well that is a disaster as part of GDPR requires one to process data for legitimate purposes specified explicitly to the data subject when you collect it. Are you really going to spoil the surprise by asking the data subject for the right to give them an Easter egg?
  

• Health & Safety – definitely an area best avoided. The amount of potential allergies (nut, lactose, etc) is vast, and this is before we even consider potential injury from flying shards of Easter egg that are cracked with enthusiasm rather than finesse.
  

• Weights & Measures – don’t get me started on this. How am I to figure out the size and weight of an Easter egg when there is such a massive choice. Whatever Government Department is responsible for this is clearly not doing enough – when did it become alright to term Easter eggs shaped like a rabbit?
  

• Cartel – if all our family members buy the same type of Easter eggs have we formed a cartel?
  

• Family – probably the thorniest issue of all as at the end of the day falling foul of legislation is going to be the least of our worries if we don’t buy the right Easter egg.
  

Depending on your age all the above are very serious questions. All I can do is wish you the best of luck when you make your selection. Personally, I don’t even like chocolate and perhaps after this blog neither will you!

HAPPY EASTER

More Detail...

What makes a “good” Board Director?

There has been so much discussion in recent months about the make-up of a Board, the qualifications and abilities of it’s members, and Chairperson. Let’s take a moment to focus on the Director, we will focus on the Chairperson in our next blog.

Being a Director should be challenging, interesting and bring value to all involved – you, the Board, the Company, its employees, and shareholders.

The Fiduciary duties of a Director are clearly laid out in S.228 Companies Act 2014. The problem for a number of people (whether already a Director or just thinking about it) is how to translate the various duties and legislative requirements into being a useful and practical Board Director.

Finding the right fit is very personal. For example, there is no use being a Director of a manufacturing company if manufacturing bores you rigid! Likewise, you have to ask yourself if you can bring anything of value to a Board where you do not respect or like your fellow board members.

Any Director should consider the basics:

• common sense

• corporate governance

• frequency of meetings

• agenda

• decision making and implementation of same

• do you ever listen to yourself, e.g. do you talk too much, too little, have difficulty expressing your opinion, could you be perceived as being belligerent or a pushover; and

• interaction with Management Team, staff and shareholders.

The above is particularly important for individuals who have been acting as Director(s) for quite a while. We can all fall into the trap of becoming stale or set in our ways. Why not consider:

• carrying out additional training

• how long have you been a Director?

• are the reasons you wanted to become a Director still valid or, if they have changed, have you changed with them?

• would you like to do more within your role, e.g. act on one of the Board Committees?

• how much capacity do you have for considering taking on additional directorships?

Take a few minutes out of your day to think about yourself. Part of being a good Board director is being engaged in the process in the most effective manner possible. Try to find your own personal enjoyment and challenge in a role where we can see the impact and relevance of our actions.

More Detail...