HR World: June 2014

Stress management? You’re having a laugh!

Companies in Hong Kong are taking creative measures to help employees cope with worries about job security and stressful working environments – by literally laughing it off.

According to the South China Morning Post, an increasing number of Hong Kong employers are hiring ‘laughter yoga’ instructors to help boost employees’ happiness levels. The sessions, which can last anything from 45 minutes to two hours, combine simulated laughter and chants such as “Ha, ha, ho, ho, let go,” with stretching exercises and yogic breathing techniques.

“It’s a little weird for people, laughing for no reason,” said Veena Dansinghani, a partner with motivational consultants and laughter yoga specialists Inspire2Aspire, whose client list includes Bloomberg, the British Council, advertising and PR agency Ogilvy, HSBC, Citibank, the MTR Corporation, the Hospital Authority and the Hong Kong police. “But laughter is contagious – after a while everyone starts laughing.”

Laughter yoga was started in India in 1995 by cardiologist Dr Madan Kataria, who discovered his patients’ immune systems were boosted by laughing, regardless of whether or not the laughter was real. Since then it has caught on worldwide, with more than 6,000 laughter clubs in more than 65 countries, according to Laughter Yoga International.

Employers take hard line over social media misuse

More than two-thirds of companies have taken disciplinary action against employees for misusing social media – twice as many as in 2012.

According to the third Social Media in the Workplace Around the World survey conducted by global law firm Proskauer, 88 per cent of companies now use social media for business purposes – up from 75 per cent in 2012 – while 69 per cent continue to allow some or all of their employees to use social media for personal activities.

However, such widespread usage goes hand in hand with increasing misuse, as the proportion of companies taking disciplinary action against workers in this area has soared from 35 per cent in 2012 to 70 per cent in this year’s survey.

In line with this, an increasing number of businesses are implementing social media policies and other measures to address the risks associated with social media misuse – 79 per cent now have policies in place, up 10 per cent since 2012.

Specific risks that employers are taking precautions against include the misuse of confidential information; misrepresenting the views of the business; inappropriate business use; disparaging remarks against the business or employees; and harassment.

“The near ubiquitous use of social media for business has led to a maturing appreciation of workplace risks arising out of its misuse,” says Erika Collins, New York-based co-head of Proskauer’s International Labor & Employment Law Group. “The more that people use social media for business purposes, the greater the chances that the line between personal use and business use will continue to blur.”

Panasonic employees receive ‘pollution pay’

We’ve all heard of ‘danger pay’, but the Japanese electronics giant Panasonic is giving the concept a new spin in China, by paying expatriate employees a wage premium for breathing polluted air.

The move was part of a wider deal reached during Japan’s annual labour talks, according to Agence France Press. While it is not unusual for employees of foreign companies in China to receive ‘hardship pay’, Panasonic is thought to be the first international firm to compensate workers for living with air pollution.

Chinese cities are often covered in smog, with many inhabitants wearing masks as they go about their business. Chinese premier Li Keqiang “declared war” on pollution in the country last year, but according to Wu Xiaoqing, a Chinese vice minister of environment protection, only three out of 74 cities monitored by the government met a new air quality standard.

According to a count by the US embassy in Beijing, levels of airborne PM 2.5 – small particles that penetrate the lungs and have been linked to early death – have repeatedly exceeded 400 micrograms per cubic metre. That’s more than 16 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) safety guideline of 25 micrograms.

About the author

Rhianon Howells

The former editor of a leading trade magazine, Rhianon Howells has extensive experience of writing for both business and consumer titles, including The Guardian. In addition to writing about HR, she specialises in health, fitness, leisure and hospitality.