I am increasingly worried about the law. Not, you understand, because I’ve done anything wrong. Far from it. But because, as the boss of a small charity, virtually everything I do appears to be governed by an astonishing web of rules, regulations and statute.

At times, this can seem oppressive. I am still reeling from reading the complex and apparently contradictory rules governing the reimbursement of volunteers’ expenses. I never knew something so seemingly straightforward could be so bafflingly complex.

Likewise, I learned recently that I am a ‘data controller’. Apparently, this means that I have to follow the eight data-protection principles when dealing with almost anything that arrives in the post or drops into my inbox.

Top cap it all off, my fingernails recently suffered after reading government advice surrounding the conduct of job interviews. Giving constructive feedback, it advised, ran the risk of appearing discriminatory – though goodness knows how.

After all this, I can see why small-business owners and charity bosses complain so much about the dead hand of regulation. But I don't agree with them.

Although abiding by the multitudinous rules can be both time-consuming and irksome, it’s been my experience that regulation generally exists for the best. Rigidly following the rules about interviews and recruiting people has made our recruitment process both more professional and more thorough. And following the rules about reimbursement of expenses has tightened up our internal financial control.

So my feeling is: small-charity bosses and business-owners should stop whinging. And regulators like the Charity Commission should stop worrying about their role. Regulation isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it can even be a force for good.
 

 

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