Branson's brand: 'Sexy' culture
"Virgin was sold to us as a good-times employer and a sexy place to work - it's part of the culture."
- unnamed Virgin Blue employee, dismissed along with more than 25 others from the Australian airline for watching pornography at work.
Several of the workers plan to challenge their dismissal in court, claiming Virgin managers condoned the practice, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. According to the newspaper, the unnamed employee says sex is entrenched in the work environment, from founder Richard Branson's marketing tactics to staff recruitment. Sure, sex sells. But pornography in the workplace? Maybe it's time for Virgin to exercise a little modesty.
Office epidemic: Soccer sickness
Wonder why all your employees have suddenly come down with food poisoning? More likely, they're infected with World Cup fever. As many as 12 per cent of British men say they'd use food poisoning as an excuse to stay home and watch soccer, HR Magazine reports. Seven per cent say they'd blame their absenteeism on a doctor, dentist, or physiotherapy appointment. But since certain hangover symptoms can resemble the effects of a stomach bug, beer-swilling World Cup fans may be forgiven for confusing the two. The average British person goes to work hung over three times a month, according to the magazine, which warns that rate is likely to soar during the international soccer event. Forget H1N1. World Cup fever may turn out to be the real productivity killer.
Coffee break: End of an era
The coffee break, one of the most savoured workplace traditions, is becoming obsolete now that office workers suck back their java at their desks instead of taking time to share it with their co-workers, according to The Copenhagen Post. The newspaper cites a survey by food and beverage company Nestlé that shows a growing number of Danes who drink coffee at work consume it alone. These days, 53 per cent of employees take coffee breaks with their colleagues, down from 58 per cent two years ago, indicating a trend that may lead to the gradual disappearance of coffee breaks altogether. Thanks for that news, Nestlé. Way to ruin a caffeine buzz.
Vacation give-away: Unused holidays
2.17
Average number of unused vacation days that Canadians give back to their employers, according to a new survey by Harris/Decima.
$6.02-billion
Total value of unused vacation returned to employers.
The survey of more than 2,000 Canadians, conducted for Expedia.ca, found that one-quarter do not take all of their vacation time. The most cited reasonsinclude not scheduling far enough in advance to use up all the allotted number of vacation days, being too busy at work and having a significant other who's unable to get away.