'Employers who ignore older workers are making a mistake'

A This is a difficult one, because in principle I can appreciate the reason why new laws are being brought in. Employers in this country are, sadly, slow to recognise talent among older people and it is quite easy to end up on the scrapheap in your 50s, despite being well qualified with good experience. Such employers are making a mistake. You only need look at inspirational Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson to see the benefits - in terms of wisdom, calmness and knowledge - that older workers can bring. However, while I feel that older workers should be given more of a chance, I would prefer it if the government tried to change the underlying culture in the country that, for some reason, does not value older workers. This would be a far better idea than enacting another "one size fits all" employment law which, if it is anything like the multitude of other employment regulations that have been introduced in recent years, will only end up being unnecessarily damaging to small businesses.

Q I am a property investor focusing on domestic lettings. I have a decent portfolio of properties across the North of England and have watched with interest the boom in the UK property market. A friend of mine who works in banking has recently warned me of an imminent house market crash and advised me to tread carefully with my investments until the market readjusts. What do you think?

A Your friend is wise to advise caution as I have spoken to a number of leading fund managers who are also warning of a major house market crash. They point to rising oil prices, spiralling levels of personal debt and rising interest rates - all of which precipitated the economic collapse of the late 1980s. Traditionally, there has been a relationship between house price levels and wage levels. It is interesting to note that, at the moment, that relationship is completely out of sync with historic levels. Therefore, it is hard to ignore the argument that a major economic readjustment - such as a collapse of the housing market - is just around the corner. One more thing - I have seen a number of people purchasing houses recently which seem, even in the current market, to be ridiculously over-priced. My gut feeling tells me that if something seems ridiculously over-priced, then it probably is. I do not want to sound too gloomy and I would also point out that the housing market may well simply level off slowly over a number of years, but it is worth taking your friend's comments on board and treading with care in your investments over the next 12 months.

Q The recent stories containing allegations about Leslie Grantham reminded me of an incident concerning a member of staff where I work. I worked late a number of weeks ago and thought I was the last one to leave the building. But on my way out, I walked past the darkened office of a senior manager at the company and noticed their computer screen was still glaring. It quickly became clear that the senior manager was enjoying pornography. Thankfully, they did not see me. Although I was not offended by the situation, I found it hypocritical that somebody who is often praised for working late was up to this kind of thing. What do you think?

A Well I know what the law thinks and it is quite clear on this. Using company equipment to indulge in activity such as viewing pornography is classed as gross misconduct and, as such, is a sackable offence. Thousands of people each year are warned - or worse - about improper Internet use at work. And rightly so in my opinion - why should people who are being paid to do a job take liberties with their employer in this way? It is up to you what you do in this instance.

If you find out that the senior manager in question indulges in this kind of thing regularly, I would tell your immediate boss and take it from there. You are right in what you say - it is hypocritical - and I for one do not see why they should be allowed to get away with it.

Q I have recently been made redundant from my job after 22 years. I am still only in my 40s and feel I have the energy to do something completely different. One idea that has crossed my mind is investing in a franchise. I have always fancied running my own business and this, from what I have read, looks like a good way of doing it without too much risk. What are your thoughts?

A Well the first thing I would say is that there is risk in starting up any business. I do not know what the failure rate is for new businesses, but I believe it is fairly high, the most dangerous period of their development being in the first two to three years. With a franchise, however, you are to an extent negating some of that risk. The reason for this is that, chances are, you will be working with an established brand that people recognise. You will also receive extensive support from your franchisor, including marketing and PR back-up and advice and encouragement, which is very useful in the early days when things can appear most daunting. Ultimately, the franchisor has a vested interest in ensuring you succeed. What you must weigh against these factors is that you pay for all this when you invest in the franchise. It is up to you whether you feel this is an investment worth making. All I would say is, make sure you invest in an area of business in which you have a genuine interest and are passionate about. And do not jump into anything too quickly - speak to friends, family and, of course, a small business advisor before making any decision. Good luck.

Q I took on a member of staff at my company six months ago. Although the person has proven to be a good team player with an enthusiastic nature, I have recently been informed by another member of staff that the new person is a member of a far right political organisation and regularly expresses extreme and bigoted views about ethnic minorities, homosexuals and so on. I now feel very uncomfortable having somebody like this working for me. What would you advise?

A From the way you are talking, it sounds like you may already have made your decision to dispense with this person's services. This is a difficult situation because clearly, one could argue that, provided that the person is carrying out their duties to an accepted standard, then in a democratic country, they are entitled to their opinions. However, if your other member of staff is right, and the new employee is openly making racist or homophobic remarks, then this is something you must deal with immediately. For instance, you have a duty as an employer to promote good race relations in your workplace - having a bad apple such as this could make that very difficult to do.

On a more general note, if this person's opinions offend you to such an extent that you do not want them working for you, the option to dispense with their services is always there. But unless you can build a compelling case against them, it may well be costly.

Published: 25/05/2004