HR World: 2/15

Footage of Kiwi couple’s office romp goes viral

A couple from New Zealand face disciplinary action after their steamy late-night encounter in an insurance office was caught on camera by bar patrons across the road.

According to a report in Kiwi newspaper The Post, the man and woman, who both work for insurance company Marsh Ltd in Christchurch, got down to some serious after-hours business at their place of work – but made the rookie-rompers mistake of failing to turn off the lights.

Their activities were filmed and photographed by customers at the Carlton Bar and Eatery opposite the building, who posted the images on Facebook and Twitter, where they have attracted thousands of likes and shares

According to Marsh Ltd chief executive Grant Milne, the couple have been identified and an investigation is underway. “We take these matters very seriously,” he said. “It’s not the type of behaviour we condone. It’s disappointing.”

Want to boost workplace productivity? Spread the love

It’s official. Not only do close relationships with co-workers make you feel warm and fuzzy inside but they also make you a better employee.

At least, that’s the conclusion of a new survey of North American workers by Virgin Pulse, in which 66 per cent of respondents said close relationships with colleagues positively impacted on their focus or productivity at work. More than half (55 per cent) of the 1,000 employees polled also said co-worker relationships reduced their stress levels.

Meanwhile nearly 40 per cent identified their colleagues as the top reason they love their company. Only “interesting and challenging work” (53 per cent) and “the company’s mission” (38 per cent) were more beloved.

The relationship between worker and employer was also found to be important – 60 per cent of respondents stated that their relationship with their employer positively impacted their focus and productivity, while 44 per cent said it positively impacted their stress levels.

Japanese hotel is latest battleground of man v machine

What makes an excellent hotel receptionist? Efficient service? A pleasant demeanour? The ability to look you in the eye? Front desk workers at a new hotel near Nagasaki in Japan have all this and more – but one thing they don’t have is the human touch.

That’s because many of the workers at Henn-na Hotel, including reception staff, are not real people but eerily human-like robots, according to a report in The Telegraph. Developed by Osaka University and manufactured by Kokoro (the company behind Hello Kitty), the ‘actroid’ androids are able to greet people, carry luggage, make coffee, smile, use hand gestures and even reciprocate eye movements.

Set to open this summer, the hotel is located in a popular theme park styled to look like a Dutch town. In addition to three receptionists, it will employ four service and porter robots, an industrial robot working as a cloakroom attendant, and several cleaner robots.

As a result of savings on labour costs, as well as the use of power-saving technology and renewable energy, room rates at the hotel will start at just 7,000 yen (around £40), which is less than half that of other hotels at the theme park.

The HR department is not going to be entirely occupied with repairing short circuits and recharging batteries, however. In addition to its robotic workforce, the hotel will also employ 10 living, breathing members of staff.

Horrible boss getting you down? Be horrible right back

For anyone unlucky enough to be saddled with a hostile boss – someone who yells at, ridicules or intimidates staff – the automatic response is often to keep their head down.

But according to new research by The Ohio State University, published online in the journal Personnel Psychology, employees on the receiving end of this kind of abuse might actually be better off giving as good as they get.

Researchers at the university’s Fisher Business College found that employees were less likely to feel like victims if they retaliated against hostile behaviour rather than ignoring it – resulting in less psychological distress, more job satisfaction and greater commitment to their employer.

“The best situation is certainly when there is no hostility,” says the study’s lead author and professor of management and human resources Bennett Tepper. “But if your boss is hostile there appear to be benefits to reciprocating.”

Rather than confrontational, however, the nature of the employees’ retaliation was largely passive-aggressive – for example, ignoring their boss, acting like they didn’t know what they were talking about and not making much of an effort.

The research collated data from two studies. The first involved 169 people, who completed two surveys, seven months apart. The first survey measured how much supervisor hostility they experienced and how much they retaliated, while the second survey measured job satisfaction, commitment, psychological distress and negative feelings.

The results showed that employees who did not retaliate had higher levels of distress and lower levels of job satisfaction and commitment.

The second study of 371 people comprised three online surveys, conducted three weeks apart. The results not only confirmed the results of the first study, but also showed that employees who retaliated against supervisor hostility were less likely to feel like victims.

Furthermore, they did not feel that fighting back had in any way damaged their career.

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.