Unfair Comment from a Surprising Source
A number of people who we have reported for copyright abuse, or named and shamed for other unethical behaviour, have from time to time posted negative, untrue, biased, and defamatory comments about our company and its directors.This is probably only to be expected for any successful business or individual. What we did not expect is for an ex member of staff to join in. Sure all businesses will experience previous employees who think they deserved better, and think they could have run the business better. Most progressive businesses welcome suggestions and input from its staff, we certainly do. Managing expectations is important. When Steve Simpson left, he sent an ill-advised e-mail rant to all our staff, slagging the company and its management, partially for failing to innovate. As we have the biggest and best web presence of any coin dealer worldwide, this was a rather silly criticism.
If we failed to make as much progress as we wished during Steve's employment, he could look at his own performance and abilities. We have had to redesign the limited database he had created. It was not documented, and rather flaky.

Resignation E-Mail

Good morning,
I would like to submit my notice of resignation with immediate effect. After a culmination of recent events including the rejection of my annual pay review which was promised to me during my initial job interview I feel that I have got no choice other than to leave and work for an alternative company with better prospects, better pay and a better attitude towards how it treats its members of staff.
I have worked for Chards for just short of 12 months and in that time I have been disgusted at the attitude of certain members of staff towards other staff members and in particular the management style which has been adopted. I do not buy into the issue of a divide amongst the members of staff. Any divide which exists is purely down to the bad management and treatment of staff.
I feel that as an employee at Chards I have worked hard and tried not to let my private life interfere with my job. This however was brought into the workplace after my recent house warming when due to circumstances beyond my control, our office manageress decided to bring my private life into work by showing photos of me to our directors. This was in my opinion highly unprofessional and completely unwarranted.
Despite all of this nonsense, I have still managed to secure employment with a leading local company for a substantial increase in salary. I feel that my hand has been forced in this issue due to a lack of job satisfaction and a complete lack of respect from LC and CJ!
I have tried and failed to introduce creative changes to the company and I have resigned myself to the opinion that there is no room for creativity or room for new ideas. As the appearance of the company websites in particular reflect partly on me due to my position, it is disheartening to say the least when customers ring and speak to me on a daily basis telling me how bad and inefficient the websites are. Call me biased but the photographers at Chards encounter the exact same problems but are in exactly the same position with regards to the ied back.
In short, I am not happy with my current situation and this is why I have decided to leave albeit I would prefer to be under different circumstances. For all those people who matter, it was a pleasure to work with ya.
Steve x

Hi Caroline, I have passed the key for the back gate onto Yann who is bringing it into the office with him this week. Thank you for the offer of a meeting to discuss my reasons for leaving however I do not feel this will achieve anything. I do regret acting in the way I did when I left but this was more out of frustration than anything else. I honestly believe that I worked hard during my 12 months at Chards and that I have dramatically improved the way in which the business functions both internally and over the web. This however did not feel like it was going to be appreciated and rewarded. Also looking ahead I was struggling to understand Lawrences ideas for this huge database of coins and how this was going to be implemented. The truth be told I just did not enjoy working with Lawrence. The last couple of months in particular I found myself disagreeing with him on lots of things. I also found his attitude towards me rather unpleasant at times and almost disapproving in some way. I do not wish to say anymore other than I hope the company continues to do well and wish all the staff including yourself a happy future. Kind regards, Steve

Steve Simpson's Undertaking

LETTER OF UNDERTAKING
To:
Mr Lawrence Chard and Chard (1964) Limited
C/o Pannone LLP
123 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2BU
Ref: MRB/RL/818596.5
Dear Sirs,
In consideration of your desisting from issuing proceedings against me for libel and malicious falsehood as described and set out in a letter of your solicitors, Pannone LLP, dated 23rd May 2011, on behalf of myself, any servants or agents or howsoever, I hereby:-
1 retract and withdraw the allegations complained of made in the comment posted by me at the URL: http://lawrencechardexposed.blogspot.com/2011/04/important-warning-to-all- would-be.html?showComment^l304346192055#comment-c8370385420672673542 on 2nd May 2011 at 7.23am on the Google Blogspot which appears at this URL ( the "Posting"), which allegations are set out and referred to in the letter from your solicitors, Pannone LLP, dated 23rd May 2011 (the "Allegations");
2 apologise to you for making the Allegations;
3 acknowledge that:-
3.1 there is no truth in the Allegations;
3.2 at the time the Allegations were made, I had no reason to believe the Allegations to be true and nothing was known to me to suggest that there might be truth in such Allegations;
3.3 making such allegations is likely to cause you considerable harm, distress and embarrassment;
4 undertake that:
4.1 I will not publish, repeat or cause to be repeated any of the Allegations or any like allegations to any third party in any form or medium whatsoever (including in any electronic form);
4.2 within seven days of the date of giving these undertakings, to disclose to your solicitors, Pannone LLP, a written list of all persons, firms, bodies, companies or howsoever, together with full details of their contact addresses (including email), to whom I, or to my knowledge any servant, employee, agent or any other person(s) acting through me or on my behalf, may have made such or like Allegations or to whom such Allegations may have been published in any form or medium whether oral or written, electronic or otherwise.
Signed: (Steven Simpson)
Date: 26/05/2011

A Common Problem All companies must get a number of current and ex-employees who each believe could run the business better. Usually they couldn't which is why they aren't. We do take employee development seriously for numerous reasons.

Fair Comment or Defamation? We believe in free speech, but it must be balanced by ethics and fairness.

Advice