At the Twitter office in New York they mix humour with sound advice, advising workers to leave the building BEFORE tweeting. This hilarious tweet came from Vivian Schiller, who started at Twitter last Wednesday as the company’s new head of news.
The journalistic spirit is alive and well at the @TwitterNYC office…. pic.twitter.com/0SGH9eirzR
— Vivian Schiller (@VivianSchiller) January 8, 2014
What do you think?
In today’s samey world a little personalisation never goes amiss. In fact signs and symbols accompany our lives at every turn, and in the office that can make employees feel like they are part of the business family. Nothing is more satisfying for an employee than starting in the bottom rung of a company and working their way up to an office and personal nameplates.
Whether we are driving or in a store, signs let us know where to go and warn us of danger ahead. In fact a world without signs would be a scary one indeed, and definitely one that is less interesting. And can you imagine trying to find your way around a hospital without nameplates on the door? You would never know what doctor to go to. A world without nameplates and signs would be hard to navigate.
In fact I think nameplates are so cool, and a sign that you have arrived, that I am thinking of getting my own nameplate, as the editor-at-large of this very magazine. It is going to feel very satisfying. Why not?
If you had your own nameplate what would it say?
Wave goodbye to the nine-to-five worker
Being late is fine with the boss, thanks to smart technology
The majority of global bosses are happy for staff to turn up late for work, according to new research by the world’s most trusted online back-up service, Mozy®. Mobile technology, including smartphone apps and cloud services, now means that bosses are surprisingly supportive of a flexible workforce – more than most employees realise.
The findings, which can be read in full at www.mozy.co.uk/9-5, emerged in a study of 1,000 British, German, French, US and Irish employees and employers, which found 73 per cent of bosses have a relaxed attitude to time keeping, as they trust their staff are working long before they actually get to the office.
Yet this will come as a shock to most workers as half of employees are under the impression that their bosses definitely will mind if they are late.
“This is brilliant news for workers everywhere,” comments Claire Galbois-Alcaix of online back-up specialist www.mozy.co.uk , which conducted the study. “Hard work isn’t going unnoticed and mobile working and technology is having more of an impact on employer attitudes than people think.”
Time-keeping
The average global boss would be willing to turn a blind eye to employees being up to 32 minutes late and let staff spend a quarter of the week working from home. However, British bosses are the strictest, wanting late-running workers at their desks no later than 24 minutes into the working day, whilst US employers take the most relaxed view, tolerating their staff turning up to 37 minutes late in the day.
Mobile tools
The death knell of the nine-to-five worker has been rung by mobile technology, with three quarters of employers giving employees tools to get their jobs done wherever they are. However, just 11 per cent of British employers tool their workers up to be able to access everything on the move – which would allow people even more freedom.
Email in bed
The study confirms the long-held suspicion that the urge to check emails first thing in the morning is overwhelming for some: a third of all British employees has logged in by 6.30am, compared with just 13 per cent of French employees. On average, by 7.00am one in five employees worldwide has already checked their email.
Give and take
Whilst the majority of employers globally are happy for staff to start their days later, in return they’re looking for flexibility from their employees and when they wind down for the night. The fluid approach to working hours means that many employers are now comfortable with calling after hours, with 80 per cent saying they think it’s acceptable to call staff in the evening. The research shows that French bosses are the most considerate and stop calling the earliest; 43 per cent draw the line at calling after 7.00pm. 16 per cent of UK employers, on the other hand, think it is acceptable to call workers between 10.00pm and midnight!
The real nine-to-five
Global employers demonstrate further evidence that behaviours have changed beyond recognition by underestimating the amount of work that employers are doing away from their desks. As a whole, they believe their employees spend an average of 55 minutes a day working away from the office, when in fact, the average global employee has already clocked up 46 minutes before they even arrive at the office.
What does the new nine-to-five look like? The global results show that the average person starts checking their work email at 7.42am, gets into the office at 8.18am, leaves the office at 5.48pm and stops working fully at 7.19pm, meaning employees are “in work mode” for nearly 12 hours a day.
“We can see from the research findings that we’ve come a long way towards work being ‘a thing that you do’, rather than ‘a place that you go’ but, with just 11 per cent of British employers saying their employees can access all of their work tools remotely, there’s still a long way to go”, continues Claire Galbois-Alcaix from Mozy. “Using internet-based solutions that allow workers to access their data as if they were in the office, wherever they are and whenever they want, will help everyone to continue seeing benefits.”
Taking a relaxed attitude
Bosses are taking a laid-back approach to more than just punctuality, as personal tasks creep into the office day. Across the surveyed nations, 37 per cent of global bosses are happy for employees to take longer lunches. Meanwhile, more than a third of British employers are OK with staff downing tools to enjoy office banter and regular tea breaks.
One in eight of global employers polled even claim they are fine with employees carrying out personal tasks like online banking, food shopping and paying bills while at their desks – with the American bosses being most relaxed (22 per cent) and the British being the most stringent.
Over half of British employees think nothing of leaving work early for a doctor’s appointment, with one in five leaving early to watch a child’s school performance, and around one in ten using Facebook or Twitter whilst at work.
Top personal tasks creeping onto the office to-do list
1. Leaving work early for the doctor or dentist
2. Personal phone calls
3. Regular tea and coffee breaks
4. Chatting to colleagues
5. Sending personal emails
6. Taking a long lunch to get a few things done
7. Online banking
8. Leaving work early for a child’s performance at school
9. Paying a few bills
10. Having breakfast at work
11. Reading newspapers and magazines
12. Using Facebook and Twitter
13. Calling customer complaints
14. Researching things to buy online
15. Brushing teeth
16. Researching holidays
17. Online shopping
18. Showering after cycling / running /gym
19. Looking up recipes for dinner
20. Playing the lottery
21. Online food shop
22. Reading gossip online
CELEBRITIES INCLUDING KELIS, ALESHA DIXON AND KIMBERLEY WYATT TURN OUT TO SUPPORT SARAH HARDING AS SHE TAKES TO THE CATWALK FOR THE LOOK SHOW AND CAUSES SALES FLURRY
AT WESTFIELD STRATFORD CITY!
Stunning Sarah Harding showed off her new catwalk skills with her debut modelling performance at the Look Magazine Show at Westfield Stratford City as part of London Fashion Week.
Sarah stole the show, showcasing a selection of outfits by Warehouse and Miss Selfridge whilst the gorgeous Dionne Bromfield gave a stunning performance of ‘Yeah Right’. Both performances were watched by a celebrity crowd including Kelis, Kimberley Wyatt, Laura Whitmore, Nicola Stapleton, Parade and Alesha Dixon.
The ‘Sarah Harding’ effect worked with crowds flocking as word got out about Sarah’s appearance with the doors to the centre actually having to be closed at one point for fear of overcrowding.
Look, the UK’s biggest-selling weekly fashion magazine, staged its groundbreaking fashion show during London Fashion Week. The show celebrates high street fashion and unites the most popular and iconic brands on Britain’s high street today.
The Look Magazine Show is the first and only magazine event to be part of the London Fashion Week calendar and the only fashion show open to consumers. This season’s exciting show was also streamed live on Facebook, allowing even more consumers to be a part of the excitement.
High street brands showcasing their latest collections included Miss Selfridge, Urban Outfitters, Next, Monsoon, Forever 21, New Look, River Island, Warehouse, Office, H&M, Mango, Oasis and Dorothy Perkins with hair styled by Toni & Guy.
Look Magazine’s presence in Westfield Stratford City will last into early next week with their pop up lounge situated on the ground floor. Bloggers are invited to visit the lounge and be part of the Q&A sessions hosted by well known bloggers and journalists taking place over the period.
The event also celebrated the launch of Look’s Style Search with Westfield Stratford City competition, a six-week search for the most stylish male and female visiting the new shopping and entertainment centre. Galleries of the most stylish shoppers will feature on www.look.co.uk.
Westfield Stratford City opened to great reviews this week with approximately **** people visiting the impressive shopping centre in the first 5 days of trading. With over *** retailers and 70 food outlets, it offers the ultimate shopping experience.
Ali Hall, Editor of Look, says: “The Look Show has become an established part of London Fashion Week and readers absolutely love it. This season’s event at Westfield Stratford City has been bigger and better than ever and its really great that Sarah Harding chose the show to make her debut catwalk appearance.”