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How Not To Sack Someone

Posted: Friday, 4 January 2019 @ 13:43

The Manchester United football manager, Louis van Gaal may now know that he has been sacked albeit he has not yet been told by his employers prior to many media outlets on Saturday.

He found out via his wife after the media reports in the hours after the  FA Cup on Saturday of his impending dismissal.

Football clubs are largely a law to themselves when it comes to employment relations. The previous Manchester United manager, David Moyes was also notified of being sacked via the media prior to being told face to face.

Recently, the footballer, Jonas Gutierrez won a discrimination tribunal case against Newcastle Football Club after it was found that him suffering from his cancer played a role in his dismissal.

One of the reasons why many football clubs do not care about their employment relations is that the law of unfair dismissal is an irrelevance to them as the salaries are so high. The statutory cap of unfair dismissal which is less than £100,000 so need to go through those cumbersome employment procedures when we are talking of seven figures being on the line.

Louis van Gaal may console himself with a pay off of £5.4 million despite the lack of decorum from his effective ex employer.

All this goes to show the following at this level.

1.       The importance of careful negotiating prior to taking a job at this level. Mr Van Gaal have his agent/lawyer to thank for receiving such a princely sum despite the fact that he will be putting his feet up for a year and the lack of dignity from his employer.  

 

2.       The importance of a good PR agent;   Jose Mourinho whose record is maybe not so good long term was recently sacked himself by his previous club for the second time but able to secure employment via his agent. His agent, Jorge-Mendes is hugely influential and even in a results business it is maybe  not what you know, but who you know.

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