Focus Group

‘THE good news is that the IT team are back at their desks in Anorak Towers this morning.

‘And this is what the posties look like in Spain’

We still don’t know the reason for yesterday’s no-show – they muttered something about all catching the MyDoom virus and then started laughing uncontrollably among themselves.

But we suspect their reappearance has something to do with the new incentives Old Mr Anorak has introduced to encourage us to work even harder for his enrichment.

Generously, he has announced that employees who don’t miss a day’s work between now and next Christmas will be in line for a series of rewards.

Unfortunately, these rewards are not as generous as those on offer from Royal Mail, which is offering a similar scheme to try to cut absenteeism.

The Times reports that at any one time 10,000 postal workers are unfit for work – almost 6% of its total workforce of 170,000.

On average, Royal Mail workers are off sick for 12 days a year, compared with the national average of seven – costing the company an estimated £300m a year.

And in a bid to cut this figure, the company will enter the names of any employee who manages to clock up a clean attendance record for six months in a prize draw.

Thirty-four winners will drive away in a Ford Focus, while 68 runners-up will win holiday vouchers worth £2,000.

The carrot approach favoured by Royal Mail is, says the paper, is sharp contrast to other companies.

Tesco, for instance, has said it will no longer automatically pay staff for the first three days of any illness.

And it is a lot more generous than the scheme on offer here at Anorak Towers, where the rewards include not getting the sack and, er, not getting the sack.’

Posted: 5th, August 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink