John Timpson: there are green shoots and more to come Wherever you look there are signs of economic activity. Since the Olympics, shopping centres have had more of a buzz, cranes and concrete mixers are starting new construction contracts and traffic is being disrupted by more road works. It always was a question of when the recovery would commence, not whether things would ever get better. No doubt my remarks will be met with derision by the "flatliners"' and the "shock waves from Europe"' brigade. Q What do you make of the recent equal pay ruling in favour of female former Birmingham City Council workers? Are you worried about claimants coming out of the woodwork? A I know we have followed the equal pay legislation ever since it was introduced in 1975 but, in today's climate, there could be someone somewhere who is persuaded to make a claim. Good luck to the women from Birmingham who appear to have won a long-fought battle, but I worry about the shock waves that this judgment could cause. It is time to give the legal profession a reality check - business doesn't have the means to fight the lengthening list of legal action that lawyers are creating to increase their fee income. Nearly every high street and shopping mall now has a shady stall holder accosting shoppers to ask, "Have you had an accident at work?" If you use a stick or walk with a limp, there is absolutely no escape. Each of these landmark cases may lead to another new line of business for a greedy legal firm. Perhaps we will now be greeted by salesmen asking "Have you been unfairly paid?" in addition to their current sales pitch about PPI. It might get worse. As the passer-by is promised further ways to sue and make a fortune (even though the real winners are the legal profession), will we find some of the empty shops being opened by lawyers trading as "The Claim Shop" or "Fees R Us" Even if we are lucky enough to escape being the subject of a claim, we still have to pay the price in high insurance premiums. Perhaps we should be able to sue the lawyers for drumming up irresponsible business. Then again, we could be accosted by a new street salesman asking "Are you being sued at work?" Q I've heard some unsettling rumours about one of the senior managers in my construction law firm. The talk is of jokes in poor taste and sexist comments. I've had a word with him and he says it's all blown out of proportion, but I'm worried he's making people uncomfortable - and of course I fear a tribunal. He's a talented worker so I don't want to lose him - how do I impress the seriousness of this on him? A You need to take a much tougher line and get a grip of a potentially dangerous situation. This is a tricky problem but there is an easy answer. The words you exchanged with your indiscreet superstar haven't done the trick. He thinks he's fobbed you off by suggesting it's all blown out of proportion, so it is time to use a more direct approach. Tell him straight and tell him straight away but don't do the job yourself. Get your HR chief to take on the task. You might be the chief executive, but a face-to-face with HR will be seen as being much more serious. The message will be simple: "It has come to my attention that you have been making inappropriate remarks that make your colleagues feel extremely uncomfortable. I thought better of you, but if you can't cut it out you are in danger of losing your job. If he is as good as you suggest, those words from HR should give him the message. It would be a pity to lose such a talented member of your team, but if he can't toe the line he will have to go.