HR World: July 2014

Getting down to business… on the loo

Workers around the world are taking the concept of multi-tasking to a whole loo (I mean, new) level – by working in the toilet.

According to IKEA’s latest Life at Home study, which looks at the morning routines of more than 8,000 residents across eight world cities, a surprising number of us consider the toilet or bathroom to be as good a place as any to catch up with work.

The study found that 9 per cent of Berliners, Parisians and Mumbaikars have all worked in the toilet. Meanwhile, 10, 12 and 13 per cent of residents in Moscow, London and Shanghai respectively have also done their business in the smallest room, in more ways than one.

But the biggest fans of bathroom-working are the Americans and the Swedes: 16 per cent of New Yorkers and 17 per cent of Stockholmers have toiled in the toilet.

Work? I’m too busy texting

It’s a temptation we can all understand. You might have a to-do list as long as your arm, but it’ll just take a minute to phone your mum/text your partner/send a quick email to your friend. And, yes, you know that project is due by the end of the week… you’ll just quickly book those concert tickets/pay your phone bill/take a quick peek at Facebook, then you’ll be on it.

But those minutes can quickly add up, according to a recent study by CareerBuilder into the biggest productivity killers among US workers. In fact, almost one in four employees questioned (24 per cent) admitted to spending at least one hour a day on personal calls, texts and emails, while 21 per cent estimated that they spent an hour or more surfing the net.

The survey of over 3,000 workers and over 2,000 HR professionals also identified the top 10 biggest workplace distractions. Mobile usage was the number one culprit, highlighted by half of all employers, with gossip (42 per cent), the internet (39 per cent) and social media (38 per cent) close runners-up. Lower down the list were snack or smoking breaks (27 per cent); noisy co-workers (24 per cent); meetings (23 per cent); email (23 per cent); co-workers dropping by (23 per cent) and co-workers putting calls on speaker phone (10 per cent).

Employers also shared examples of some the strangest things employees had been caught doing when they should have been working, including:

• Blowing bubbles in sub-zero weather to see if they’d freeze

• Caring for a pet bird that had been smuggled into work

• Shaving legs in the women’s toilet

• Lying under boxes to scare people

• Having a wrestling match

• Sleeping (but claiming to be praying)

• Warming bare feet under the toilet hand dryer

While it would be hard to guard against any of the activities above, some employers have taken steps to minimise more commonplace distractions, said the study. Measures include blocking certain internet sites; prohibiting personal calls or use of mobiles; monitoring emails and internet usage; and enforcing set lunch and break times.

Tesco Ireland forced to pay drug dealer more than €11k for unfair dismissal

The Irish branch of Tesco has been ordered to pay a drug dealer €11,500 in damages, after he was sacked by the supermarket giant following a criminal conviction.

According to the Irish Independent, the worker – who had a blemish-free, 15-year employment record with the retailer – was fired in September 2011, two months after pleading guilty to possessing drugs with intent to supply.

After receiving an eight-month suspended jail sentence, he informed his employer of the conviction, and was dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct. Although a personnel manager provided him with a character reference for his court case, Tesco justified the sacking on the grounds it “could easily bring the company into disrepute.”

However, the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) found the dismissal to be unfair. The ruling stated: “The company’s procedures, particularly in relation to the appeal, were insufficient in considering sanctions other than dismissal in light of the claimant’s previous good record and his efforts to keep the company appraised of the situation.”

All you need is love (and a job applicant with the right skillset)

What do a tradesman, an engineer, an accountant and a driver all have in common? Simply this: they know what it’s like to feel needed.

According to ManpowerGroup’s worldwide 2014 Talent Shortage Survey, these are among the top 10 hardest jobs to fill – which is good news for well-qualified applicants in those professions, but not so good for hiring managers.

The survey found that 36 per cent of global companies are struggling to find candidates with the necessary experience and skills to fill their vacancies. Of these, 54 per cent said this had a medium or high impact on their ability to meet client needs.

The top 10 positions employers have difficulty filling are for skilled trade workers, engineers, technicians, sales representatives, accounting and finance staff, management/executives, sales managers, IT staff, office support staff and drivers.

The country where employers have the greatest trouble finding talent is Japan (81 per cent), while more than 60 per cent of companies in Peru, India, Argentina, Brazil and Turkey also reported struggling to fill jobs.

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.