Offer to the CEO

Monday, continued ...

Anna Jones, Jodie Hughes and Hou Yi all left the interview room where they had been talking and Anna and Hou Yi made their job offer to Jodie, to ensure that the reached the staff meeting in time.

Right on 1:45pm, Stan Williams called the staff meeting to order "We firstly want to apologies to everyone for disrupting their lunch break.you will have this made up by being able to finish 15 minutes early on Friday.We have called this meeting to make a couple of announcements."Stan Williams paused and signaled to Anna and Hou Yi to come to the front of the group.

"Most of you know Anna Jones, and that she was on a few weeks leave to travel with Lu Jinhu to Country X to get married.However for various reasons, and these will not be discussed here as they are personal, she has married Hou Yi.Some of you within the commercial team have met him with respect to work of his family company's Hou Enterprises Australia subsidiary HOUENT.Due to her marriage Anna will be permanently relocating to Country X, however she will not be permanently leaving us."

"The partners have agreed to a proposal, given the increased activity of HOUENT in Australia, that it is advantageous for us and HOUENT and Hou Enterprises that she will deal with much of the commercial paperwork in Country X, minimising CEO Hou's need to travel to Australia.The position is only part time, as Anna will have responsibilities as the CEO's wife, but she is also going to be training to become a qualified lawyer in Country X, enabling us to offer opportunities to Australian clients who are involved in Country X, but also to create additional opportunities for new clients from Country X."

"I know there are a number of you within the office that call her the drafting queen.Part of the arrangement is if there is insufficient work with respect to Hou Enterprises or the other work we hope to attract in the long term, she will be available for drafting of affidavits and other documents, which will help all of you."

"Finally, I have something to raise with everyone of you.On Thursday a restricted access file was created, with Anna's name on it.Since then a number of staff have attempted to a access it. I am providing this once only reminder, when the partners have restricted access to any file, there is good reason for this.Any further attempts to access this file, or other restricted access files will result in a written warning.Some of you have two written warnings and if you attempt to access the file, it will be grounds for your dismissal.No one can say that they have not been warned.However in the future if we restrict access to a file, all staff will be receiving an email advising that the file has restricted access, and there will be no warnings like this given again.Anna, is there anything you wanted to say."

"Look, there is not much I want to add.I will admit that this is a hard general farewell to make, as I have enjoyed working in this office, but as Mr WIlliams said, I am not leaving the firm, I am simply changing how I work, and I will be an email away.As to answering what happened with my relationship with Lu Jinhu ending and my marriage to my husband, I will not be talking about that, as it is between us alone, and impacts no one here."

Anna paused and indicated to the table at the back of the room where the bodyguards had put the boxes containing the gifts on the table.She continued "Now as most of you know when I travel into Asia I always bring gifts back.They are in the boxes on the table.There should be enough for everyone to have two gifts, one as my usually I've been on holiday gift and the other is my see you in the future gift."

"OK everyone, meeting ended.Those that have to be somewhere this afternoon, go and select your gifts now, and everyone else can do it as time allows during the afternoon."

Anna was tapped on the shoulder by Alfred "Anna, I got the documents to the court.They have a urgent hearing listed for 2:30pm, and have requested your presence.We need to get going."

Anna in turn tapped Hou Yi on the shoulder "Alfred got an urgent listing at 2:30pm at court, I need to be there."

"Not a problem."With than Hou Yi signaled to the bodyguards that they needed to leave.

Anna spotted Jodie "Jodie, my laptop is in Interview Room 3.Can you pack it up for me, and place it in my office, and start packing that up.Once we have dealt with the court, I will come back and get my personal items."

"Will do Anna" responded Jodie.

With that Anna hurried out, and went into interview room to grab her handbag, but made sure that she turned off her mobile, indicating to Hou Yi and the bodyguards to do the same, which they did.Then went downstairs, and entered in the car, along with Alfred to drive to the court.