Playing the drums is an effective way of decreasing stress and lowering staff turnover, according to a new survey from the US.
When staff at a Pennsylvania nursing home took part in six weekly drumming sessions, it was said to improve their mood by almost 50 per cent. Dr Barry Bittman, author of the report, found the therapy resulted in 49 fewer employees resigning over the 12 months following the investigation. Apparently, the drumming created “a connectiveness and energy within the group”.
When Guru played drums in a band, he found much the same thing – except back then the positive result could be summed up as ‘groupies’.
Staff star search burns up on entry
BSkyB has launched a ‘search for a star’ contest to find new TV talent among its 10,400 workforce, while “enhancing staff morale and sense of belonging”.
Under the scheme, contestants have to submit a brief write-up on why they want to become a TV presenter.
However, a problem seems to have arisen among staff over the choice of tagline for the competition to ‘be the next Rob McCaffrey’. While McCaffrey is the presenter of various weekend football programmes on Sky Sports, he’s perhaps not the inspirational figurehead the company had hoped for.
An insider said no-one in his office had been particularly motivated by the contest, with company notices and e-mails landing in their respective waste bins: “Nobody wants to be Rob McCaffrey,” he said. “It’s not most kids’ dream is it?”
Enforcing parking rules is easy as ABC
A letter from an HR manager in Wales – where parking is their greatest asset:
“I have tried for three years to stop employees parking in visitors’ car spaces or on double yellow lines and they have so far totally ignored my efforts. So, I decided to buy wheel clamps.
“We have now run an office sweepstake; 26 people paid a £1, and each drew a letter of the alphabet. The winner will be the letter that matches the initial of the surname of the first person to be clamped. Not a classic morale raiser but it did raise a laugh.”
Guru’s dragon-hearted friend has inspired him to further push the boundaries of HR. Check out his new invention…
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Longer lunches? Extended breaks for cigarettes? Not any more. Guru’s patented Staff Clampª fastens employees to their desks to make sure they work the hours they are paid to. It is easily attached and only removable when the eight-hour timer runs out at the end of the day.
The Staff Clampª will be available from all good retailers, pending the outcome of several cases facing Guru in the European Court of Human Rights.
