Guru

This week’s guru

No level paying field for shorties

The argument as to whether size matters has been reopened by claims that
short workers earn less than their taller counterparts.

It seems more discrimination legislation may be needed after an analysis of
three US studies and one from the UK found the average pay difference for two
workers was £471 for every inch between them.

Apparently, bosses see tall people as more able and that improves
self-confidence, which can lead to greater pay.

When researchers surveyed bosses, they found that managers tended to rate
taller people as more effective and height was even more important than gender
when it came to defining pay levels.

Professor Tim Judge, who led the study, said that the prejudice might even
be rooted in evolution. "When humans evolved, they ascribed leader-like
qualities to tall people because they thought they would be better able to
protect them," he said.

As always, Guru is here to save the day with some sage advice. If you are
vertically challenged and going for a job, Guru recommends you organise your
interview for later on in the afternoon. After all, nobody likes to go onto
shorts too early in the day.

Rocket man went off the rails in big way

As you might have noticed, Personnel Today is championing the cause of the
stressed British worker. Guru said that only longer days and harsher conditions
would restore the stiff upper lip, but was shouted down at the editorial
meeting – journalists are lazy types it seems.

However, stress is not a new thing. It turns out that Robert Stephenson,
builder of Stephenson’s Rocket, was driven to an early grave by executive
stress.

Stephenson died, aged 55, in 1859 after becoming addicted to narcotics
(another editorial meeting suggestion of Guru’s – once again, no go), and
contemporary biographers said that he was under relentless pressure and was
sometimes ‘hipped’ (off his head, in modern parlance).

New tests on his hair are set to confirm this having been given to boffins
at Bradford University for testing.

Guru doesn’t have too much sympathy. The amount of stress suffered by Stephenson
must pale in comparison to the stress British commuters face every day when
they board a train to go to work. If he was still alive he’d certainly get a
rocket…

While we concentrate on the British worker, Guru asks disciples not to
forget those in the animal kingdom, who are also prone to feeling down.

Take the example of a gallic bird called Diomode, the French rugby World Cup
mascot, who has been sent home to France from the team’s training camp in
Brisbane, Australia.

The poor cockerel is suffering from depression.

Guru reckons he just chickened out.

Conference brings out the beast in HR

One of the beautiful things about the CIPD conference in Harrogate is it
brings out the animal lovers among the conference delegates.

Although Guru was sadly unable to attend, he heard that many delegates, both
male and female, visited some kind of exotic sanctuary called ‘Spearmint
Rhino’.

With the current crisis in the rhinoceros population it’s great that
convention-goers lapped up the chance to strip things down to the bare
essentials and get back to nature.

Colleagues at the Personnel Today stand told Guru that disciples were asking
for him. Guru must apologise, but conventions are a busy time for Yours Truly.
A brief moment in the PT stress-relieving chair and it was off to tutor Sven
Goran Eriksson about being a player manager.

Guru does feel that it’s about time someone gave a speech about time-keeping
as delegates seemed to traipse into presentations as and when they felt the
need. Rumours that delegates were tired after hunting the illustrious
mint-flavoured rhino and celebrating their discoveries late into the night are
unsubstantiated. And Guru will not press the point as he already has enough
experience of libel actions.