Slip no licence for sacking

What can you do about an employee who has been caught drink-driving? Dr MARIE WILSON is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland, research director of the Icehouse business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.

Q. One of my junior members of staff has been caught drink-driving - not while on the job - and has lost his licence for six months.

The job description does require a driver's licence and some driving is involved to keep in touch with clients. Often, two people go to these appointments, so in theory the other can drive.

I am happy to make some accommodations - more desk work, for example, and more keeping in touch with clients by phone - as his work record is very good, and his remorse is huge.

I can also help this staffer apply for an exemption, which allows disqualified drivers to drive just for work purposes between specified hours during the term of their ban.

However, that's not really the problem. I expect to come under pressure to fire him from my boss, who is quite autocratic and tends to make examples of people who he feels have transgressed. Your comments would be welcomed.

A. Making an example of people is not good practice; the focus is on performance on the job.

Given the circumstances you present, the driving ban will impact on his ability to perform the requirement of driving to visit clients, but there are other alternatives - the exemption that you note, or the use of cabs and other transport during the period of the ban.

It's also not clear how large a part of the job involves the visits that you mention. It may be very feasible to "re-balance" his duties for the period.

Under the requirements of good faith in your dealing with employees, you would need to work through these issues with the staff member before you took any action as extreme as firing him, even if you followed good procedure otherwise.

Certainly some types of work where driving is the essence of the job would provide little alternative than to stand down the employee, at least during this period.

You probably need to discuss the specifics of the job requirement with your HR adviser, legal adviser or the employment relation specialist in your industry association.

When you have a solid sense of how you should act, you'll be able to deal with the staff member and your boss. If your boss still insists, get it in writing - you may need it in employment court some day.

Q. As a British citizen looking to move to New Zealand in August, I am interested in recent questions about New Zealand-specific experience.

I have a non-standard career history - automotive technical into garage manager, into self-employed business owner, into recent full-time MBA student and now graduate, all self-directed.

A recent email from a New Zealand employment consultancy advises me that " ... most management jobs go to NZers who are working their way up" and consequently the consultancy is advising me only about mechanics' jobs - which (and I don't mean to sound arrogant) I grew out of some 20 years ago.

A. While the consultant's comments are probably correct, they are not a good reason to refer you to work that you left so long ago.

You should be aware, however, that career shifts in place, field or qualification normally cause a step backward in scope of responsibility.

You seem to be shifting your country, possibly industry, and from self-employment to being employed by another.

Any of these alone would probably mean starting at a lower professional level. Taken together, they suggest that you may well have difficulty in the job market, at least initially.

To improve your chances you may wish to start your CV with a skills profile and clear statement of the type of role that you are seeking, and test the realism of that goal with employment consultants or others who know the market well.

Ideally you would make the transfer to employment in a new industry while in the UK, so that you are only making one change in coming to NZ.

That may not be an option, but you will probably have to aim your sights a bit lower - or much lower in some cases - in order to gain your first job in a new country. After that you'll be another New Zealander working his way up.

A reader recently sought resources to assist a move back into work after a break. Career reader and life coach Kerry-Ann Stanton makes these suggestions:

* What Colour is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers, Richard N Bolles, Ten Speed Press.

* The New Zealand Guide to Transferable Skills: discover your most versatile skills for today's job market, Christine Dekker, Random House NZ.

* Successful Career Planning in a Week (Institute of Management), Wendy Hirsch and Charles Jackson, Hodder & Stoughton.

* It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start Now, Barbara Sher, Dell Publishing.

* Email your questions for Dr Marie Wilson to answer.

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