Did you carefully go over your employment contract? Did you read all the clauses before signing and effectively agreeing to uphold the stipulated requirements? No? Neither did I. I was just happy to get the job to be honest. I schemed over the part detailing my duties and salary and that was about it. I signed and started work the next day. Unless you’re highly skilled or sought, many of us don’t usually have the luxury of negotiating certain terms to our desire because we know there are people waiting to grab the opportunity and the prospect of hitting the streets again looking for work and the uncertainties that entails is not something anyone is willing to risk. There’re those in position to negotiate work contracts to their every whim though and I think Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale is one of the lucky ones. His recent actions point to someone who knows exactly what his Contract says and what he can get away with. His other advantage has to be his Agent and Legal Team who must have pored over the fine print and are thus advising him to fight for what is rightfully his. Those following this very public feud know what I’m talking about. It’s a shame that two great Sportsmen are caught up in a spat and are reportedly not on speaking terms. Once communication breaks down, nothing can get done. Manager Zinedine Zidane’s public statements appear to confirm he’s deliberately sidelining Bale. Apparently, the Coach wanted him to play a certain way which Bale didn’t fancy. Creative differences I guess, which happens in many workplaces. Subsequently, Bale has been consistently benched and that’s the last thing any player wants because if you’re not playing, you’re essentially not working and that must be tough for someone who thought he’d made a dream move to his dream club. He must have been relieved when Zidane first left, only to return for a second spell and this time, he seems determined to stay. Lucky for Bale, he’s still getting paid despite the fallout. He could request a transfer but his Agent must have advised him to sit this one out. He has three years left on his Contract and just like his Coach, seems determined to claim every coin he was promised so it’s the Club losing by not letting him play. He earns £350,000 a week and I think it’s a smart move on his part. I would do exactly the same. Your average employee isn’t as lucky though. There’s little we can do about unfair dismissals and contract breaches. Transfers on short notice and often without compensation or reassignment to positions and tasks you may not be adequately trained or equipped for and the result usually is that you can’t do the job to the boss’ satisfaction and so are forced to resign or take a pay cut. If you dare to challenge such decisions, you could be fired on the spot. How many of us can afford to hire a lawyer or sue for wrongful termination?
