The silly season is upon us, as Donald Trump’s repeated pleas of ‘not guilty’ remind us. Many of us have gone on holiday, but those of us who are left are wondering where to go for a break, whether we can take any extra time off, and which is the best day to head into the office and enjoy a drink with colleagues. Luckily, Personnel Today has been sent tips this week to help us cope with all three quandaries…
It’s the time of year when if you’re not on holiday and still haven’t got anything planned you may well be feeling a bit of Fomo. The sense of longing for far-off, exotic climes is heightened by the cloud and rain afflicting much of the UK and the fact that every email you send boomerangs back with an out-of-office message; someone else enjoying themselves on a tropical island, no doubt.
I’m sure that a trip to the vast landscapes of Mongolia would be inspirational”
But then there is the stress about where to go. The word “hotspot” is particularly apt for Mediterranean destinations this year and then there is the weakness of the pound to consider. Luckily, Personnel Today has been sent a list of “20 Countries Where Your Pounds Will Go Further in 2023” by MoneyTransfers.com. Excellent!
Top of the list are those well-known UK holidaymaker destinations Mongolia, Indonesia, Guinea and Paraguay.
Out of these countries, the pound has strengthened the most against the Mongolian Tugrik, appreciating 18.60% since 2022, our informant gleefully tells us. Now, I’m sure that a trip to the vast landscapes of Mongolia would be inspirational, perhaps life-changing, but it’s not quite what we were hoping for in terms of ease of travel – well, there are no direct flights from the UK for one thing. The Isle of Wight it is then – foreign currency exchange not necessary.
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Still, it was nice of MoneyTransfers.com to share the knowledge, as it was of “the largest UK-based online printer” Instantprint to let us know what employees really want from their time off.
In the company’s own words: “Whether it’s dealing with family issues or facing medical emergencies, there are instances when we need to take unplanned time off work. It’s natural for most employers to be understanding and allow employees to take a discretionary day off for significant or emergency situations.”
Well, yes, so what is it exactly we want time off for, apart from, you know, holidays, home stuff, kids’ stuff, summer colds etc? Instantprint continues the big build-up: “To gain deeper insights into the experiences of employees taking time off work that isn’t for holiday or sickness, we quizzed over 1,000 UK office workers with the aim of uncovering their opinions on what they deem suitable reasons for having a day off work.”
And the answer? “One In Seven UK Office Workers Believe They Should Have The Day Off To Go To The Post Office.” This is definitely worthy of initial caps, unlike the next revelation: “42% of office workers shared that they think employees should be able to request whatever time off they deem suitable.”
Beverage report
Meanwhile, Virgin Media O2 reveals the most popular day of the week to commute “using unique data from its second Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index.”
Let’s make this fun. Before you read on … have a guess!
I’m guessing … Wednesday!
And the answer is: Wednesday! Kind of predictable wasn’t it? But, says Virgin Media O2, this is because Wednesday starts with a W – and so does the word “Wine.” We’ve apparently shifted away from Thirsty Thursday, and moved on to Wine Wednesday. Does that mean Thirsty Thursday is now Teetotal Thursday or Totally Trashed Thursday?
We’re not sure, but the idea of naming the days of the week after the amount of alcohol one can drink with colleagues after 5pm isn’t perhaps the most sustainable strategy for getting people back to the office.
Having said that, it’s nearly 5pm on Five-Pint Friday. We’re off!
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