Conference call at work becomes a siren’s song to shop the Internet
Think your colleagues on the other end of that morning conference call were mesmerized by your latest report, financial data or revenue projections? Chances are they were more entranced by the newest massage chair at , loafers at or the guidediPodtouch tour on .
A recent survey found that more than 12 million Americans admitted to shopping online while on work-related conference calls at least once in the past year. And most of them were men, according to the survey by Ipsos Insight and Bill Me Later.
Reactions varied among those who were caught, from red-faced embarrassment to boldly asking for a second opinion on the item they were searching.
On a bender for education
Seven local high school students have their “Black Kat” all over town this month. It’s not a feline, but a new Spoonbender flavor on the menu at 45 Good Times locations.
The students were part of the 2007 Junior Achievement Business Week program at Johnson & Wales this summer. Their assignment? Compete with nine other student teams to develop a Halloween-inspired ice cream treat for Golden-based Good Times while adhering to business development parameters, such as budget, product standards, marketing, and mix of ingredients, according to the Colorado branch of Junior Achievement.
So what’s in a Black Kat? Kit Kat bars, of course, along with vanilla frozen custard, cappuccino syrup and hot fudge.
Throwing employees a new bone
Many workplaces offer child care as part of their overall benefits packages. But how about a company-sponsored baby sitter for Fido? Some employers are beginning to offer professional pet-sitting and dog-walking services to their animal-loving employees in an effort to cut down on absenteeism and boost productivity.
“Pets have become like kids,” said Paul Mann, founder and chief executive of Fetch! Pet Care, a franchise that provides pet care benefits to businesses.
Such services free employees to work late or leave town for last-minute business trips, as well as cut down on workers having to arrange for pet care during business hours, Mann said.
Professional pet sitting also prevents employees from missing work if their regular, less reliable dog walker doesn’t show up, he said.
Services include in-home visits, overnight sitting, boarding, private and group dog outings, and for the kitty on the run, even pet taxis.
Just make sure the sitter doesn’t let Fluffy stay up past her bedtime.
Merit pay as foreign concept
Want a raise for all your good work? You might have to move.
Merit pay increases are on the rise for workers in Asia-Pacific countries and Latin America, topping those of U.S. and European employees, according to a new survey.
While the amount of merit pay workers can expect to receive will remain steady, employees in quickly developing regions will enjoy higher percentage raises, according to the survey by consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide and WorldatWork, an association of human resource professionals.
Merit-based pay is expected to increase 5 percent next year in the Asia-Pacific region and 4.5 percent in Latin America, compared to 3.6 percent in the U.S. and 3 percent in Europe.
However, companies are focusing more on rewarding high performers with bonuses, the survey found. At the same time, more workers are becoming eligible to receive incentives, but goals are becoming harder to reach.
The worldwide survey included nearly 950 companies with at least 250 employees across various industries.
Denver Post staff and wire reports
