Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Health and safetyLatest NewsWellbeing

Swattergate hits the headlines

by Michael Millar 30 Jun 2005
by Michael Millar 30 Jun 2005

Personnel Today has caused a media frenzy after it broke ‘Swattergate’ – a series of e-mails from KPMG in which staff debated how to get rid of a fly in the office.

The Times, Telegraph, London Standard, Metro, Scotsman and even the Gulf Times in Qatar all ran stories detailing the fly-on-the-wall account of how KPMG’s service desk warned staff not use aerosols for safety’s sake and said it would contact their contract cleaning company to come up and deal with the lone menace.

Sources at KPMG say managers are hastily convening meetings with the press department at the corporate services giant to discuss the story.

Daniel Thomas, news editor at Personnel Today told the Standard: “It’s hard to believe such a minor issue has troubled the brains of one of the most successful firms in the world.”

The full transcript of the exchanges is as follows:

From: Victoria
Sent: 01 June 2005 11:32
To: UK-FM Facilities Servicedesk
Subject: None

We have a fly in our department (5th floor South) and it has been here since Thursday (last week). I was wondering if you have anything that can get rid of him

From: UK-FM Facilities Servicedesk
Sent: 01 June 2005 14:14
To: Victoria
Subject: RE:

Victoria

Due to Health & Safety regulations aerosol fly killers are no longer permitted.  If you wish to take this further I can log a call with the cleaning company for someone to come and try to swat the fly, but as I understand it a fly’s lifespan is less than a week, so a natural death may soon occur.

Susan

From: Victoria
Sent: 01 June 2005 15:15
To: UK-FM Facilities Servicedesk
Subject: RE:

I have passed on your comments to my colleague and he has asked if you could supply with some fly swats by the end of the day

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

From: UK-FM Facilities Servicedesk
Sent: 01 June 2005 15:43
To: Victoria
Subject: RE:

 I’ve logged this with ISS for you; it’s Request 15534

Michael Millar

previous post
PeopleSoft merger boosts Oracle quarterly profits
next post
Little let-up on pensions deficit

You may also like

Sandie Peggie launches fresh legal action against NHS...

3 Sep 2025

How to stop flying blind with workforce planning

3 Sep 2025

Specsavers director suspended over wrongful expense claims of...

3 Sep 2025

Salesforce cuts 4,000 customer service roles as AI...

3 Sep 2025

Third of employees ‘anxious’ about lack of workplace...

3 Sep 2025

New ‘failure to prevent fraud’ law a ‘game-changer’

2 Sep 2025

PCs removed from firearms unit after Tallia Storm...

2 Sep 2025

Top 10 HR questions August 2025: Conduct outside...

2 Sep 2025

Nestlé sacks CEO over ‘undisclosed’ romantic affair

2 Sep 2025

Revolut employees to receive share sale payout

2 Sep 2025

  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise