An estate agent employee has claimed that she lost her job the same day that she was told of a possible promotion.
Separately, a leading figure has asked for kindness and co-operation in the industry.
Amanda Haynes, a senior negotiator at haart in Camberwell, London, told the Guardian that she was fired at 5.45pm on Friday after being given two minutes notice of a conference call.
In it, she said she was told that her contract was being cancelled immediately.
Haynes, a single mother, called the company “callous and inhumane”.
She told the paper: “My area manager had actually told me earlier in the day that I was doing so well they wanted me to cover the manager role at the Brixton branch from Monday with a view to seeing if I could be promoted to be the manager there full time.”
Haynes said: “It’s not really even about losing our jobs because we understand there is going to be casualties and the property market is one that is going to be affected by this, so we understand that. But the way they have done it so coldly and inhumanely and unprofessionally is disgraceful.
“In a time like this, when people are meant to be pulling together and they aren’t even giving us two minutes notice and there isn’t even a ‘thank you’ or a ‘sorry’ or ‘rest assured you will all be looked after’ after all the money we made for them.
“They didn’t need to do it like this. They could have done it in a way that was kind to their staff.”
We have invited Spicerhart to comment.
Meanwhile, Jon Cooke, CEO of eProp Services, parent company of The Guild and Fine & Country, has called for “humanity in leadership” and for the industry to work together.
In an open letter to the industry, in which he criticises Spicerhaart CEO Paul Smith, Cooke says: “Brands, companies and leaders will be judged by their actions over the coming weeks and months . . . As business leaders, we have a responsibility on our shoulders as never before.”
Cooke goes on: “We are entering into a time of great uncertainty, one of which this country and our industry has never seen. The supermarkets, which were recently at each other’s throats, are now working together.”
He calls for business leaders in agency to support staff through the coming months, adding: “Now is the time to show some humanity in leadership and not run for the hills.”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/21/uk-estate-agent-accused-of-inhumane-sacking-of-staff
Comments (9)
This would have been a difficult decision to implement in an easy way but I feel that SH should have been able to come up with some method of communicating this devastating news to the affected staff in a better way than a 2 minute telephone call.
Fundamentally, it underlines the point that the corporates (certainly CW and SH) are very good at saying things like “our staff are our greatest asset” when management actions then show that nothing could be further from the truth. Staff are cannon fodder to be used and exploited then casually cast aside either when they are no longer required.
Dont forget folks that Spicerhaart are a FAMILY and by joining the company you are joining a Family, we look after our FAMILY, these are all staements made on their recruitment campaigns.
Lip Service, i have worked at Haart and whilst my time their was a happy one mostly, a lot of what they do is smoke and mirrors you arent part of a family they dont care about you as an individual , Paul Smith has taken an opportunity to do what he has been probably planning for some time.
Cut costs
Interesting that the axing happened so quickly on Friday….Presume someone knew what the Chancellor was about to announce??? Very difficult to then get rid of so many people when the “support package” was in place.
I wonder when Mr Smith’s next PIE column will be? He only ever bashes CWD, PB and any other agents that aren’t under the spicerhaart “family” umbrella in his rantings, but bearing in mind his handling of this situation and the fact that clearly these plans were made weeks ago but conveniently brushed under the COVID-19 rug, how on earth can he ever comment on anything ever again?
A space in the estate agency eye rolling hotel set aside for Smith. In the room either side of him will be Quirk & Platt, and just down the corridor from the Rightmove PR team who are all holed up in the bar swilling moet at our expense.
Still room at the inn!
Well, it wont be the first time that Paul Smith has had his knuckles rapped for the ways in which he ‘gets rid’ of his staff!!
This attitude towards colleagues tells you everything you need to know about Paul Smith. Good luck recruiting when all this is over. Cant wait for your next column in PIE. Will it contain some humility…. probably not.
sad to hear, another business to add to the list of businesses to definitely avoid when this is all over
Paul Smith I hope will live to regret such ruthlessness and showing such lack of composure last week. Staff won’t forget his actions and I hope he has new recruitment issues for many years ahead.
Respect to Jon Cooke for calling this behaviour out.
Don’t expect to see him on here anytime soon.