Santa must have some deep pockets if he’s compensating his North Pole staff at wages they’d find in the U.S. labor market.
Online hourly employment site SnagAJob.com recently released its “Elf Wage Index,” an assessment of what Santa’s helpers earn based on wages for the equivalent categories as calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“This year’s Elf-Wage Index underscores just how much Santa and the entire holiday season rely on the hourly worker to make the yuletide special,” said Shawn Boyer, founder and chief executive of SnagAJob.com.
So who’s earning the most dough at the North Pole? That would be the folks in charge of getting Santa’s sleigh safely off the ground. “Sleigh-traffic controllers” earn $50.88 per hour based on the equivalent wage for air-traffic controllers.
They’re followed by Santa’s list keepers, who could be earning $30.41 per hour as database administrators.
Candymakers are the lowest-paid elves in the workshop, earning $10.82 per hour based on their skills in the sugar- and confectionery-product manufacturing industry. Toymakers earn between $14.37 and $15.41 per hour, depending on whether they’re doing basic fabrication or highly skilled work.
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Inverness Hotel offers lunch-break massages
Harried Tech Center workers rejoice: The Inverness Hotel is offering new 25-minute lunchtime spa deals that cater to busy area office workers.
Express treatment options range from a mini-manicure for $25 to a “focus” massage for $55. Box lunches are available for an extra fee.
“It’s definitely a different approach to coming to a spa, but it can still be a really relaxing experience,” said spa director Katie Pederson.
The Englewood hotel opened the new 4,500-square-foot spa last week as part of a $9 million renovation of the property.
Gamblers win deal with poker machine
When it comes to gambling in Las Vegas, nothing is guaranteed. Except for this: A new video-poker machine ensures a certain amount of playing time, no matter how bad your luck.
The video poker slot machine is called “Guaranteed Play.” It was conceived not in the back room of a casino or at a slot machine laboratory, but at inventor Jay Walker’s office in Stamford, Conn.
The device, which is expected to be offered in Las Vegas casinos within six months, allows players to buy a certain number of video poker hands up front for a set price. The gambler should assume that he will lose his money – but that he will have enjoyed playing a guaranteed number of games in the meantime.
“At the movies you know you’re getting about an hour and a half plus some popcorn,” Walker said. “We can assure customers that even before they leave their house, they know they’re going to be on a game for a while.”
Middle managers seen as unfit to promote
One-third of companies reported that their middle managers were unqualified for promotions for high-level positions, according to a recent survey from ClearRock. Two-thirds rated their middle managers as qualified, while only 6 percent said they were very qualified.
“At best, most companies rate their middle managers as being in the middle of the pack and sorely in need of the strategic thinking and leadership skills that will help raise them to the next level,” said Greg Gostanian, a ClearRock managing partner.
Strategic thinking and leadership skills ranked as the top one and two skills companies believe that middle managers need to develop. Communication, developing direct reports and motivating people followed.
However, only one-quarter of companies are providing more coaching and management development than two years ago, while another quarter are giving less management preparation.
Instead, companies are spending more time developing employees who are in the early stages of their careers.
ClearRock, an executive coaching and outplacement firm, polled 100 organizations.
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
This story has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporting error, it stated that box lunches were included in services at The Inverness Hotel’s Express Spa. Box lunches are available for an additional fee.
