How often do you pay your colleagues a compliment? We all like to receive positive comments about how we look, but how you do it is important. To avoid any possibility that you are making someone feel uncomfortable, men should only compliment men, and women should stick to complimenting other women.
An article on the
BBC website today lists 50 examples of "management speak" phrases. One reader wrote: "My favourite which I hear from the managers at the bank I work for is
let's touch base about that offline. I think it means have a private chat but I am still not sure."
June 17th 2008 |
Business culture
If you're motivated, reliable, and prepared to work flexible hours, then you have a good chance of getting a job in the UK. Government studies show that employers prefer the work ethic of Eastern Europeans to British workers.
The British government plans to extend flexible working rights to all parents with children under the age of 16. At the moment, parents with children under six (roughly 6 million workers) can ask for flexible working hours.
May 27th 2008 |
Business culture
What are the best places in the world to start a business? A
2008 study by the World Bank rated different countries on the speed of starting a business, the procedures that need to be followed, and the cost of starting a business.
When businesses are facing skills gaps and finding it difficult to recruit qualified staff, one solution is to attract the over-55s.
April 21st 2008 |
Business culture
The British government has asked companies to pay for English lessons for staff and to give them study time. The Home Secretary said that people need to be able to speak English to become a "full member" of British society.
February 26th 2008 |
Business culture
The TUC (Trades Union Congress) in Britain released a
report today revealing that single women in their 30s doe more unpaid overtime than anyone else.
February 22nd 2008 |
Business culture
Are you snowed under at work? Too many projects, and too many deadlines? Sometimes work can be overwhelming, especially if your boss seems unaware of how busy you are. A recent
article stresses the importance in letting your boss know that you are overworked. Here are some useful phrases for asking for help in prioritising and resetting deadlines.
Over the last year, more than 900,000 people have called the Learndirect careers helpline to help them change jobs. The typical call is from an office worker or IT consultant enquiring about becoming electricians or plumbers. The job with the most enquiries is a "domestic energy assessor"; the person who checks houses for their energy efficiency. This information is included in Home Information Packs, which are compulsory in the UK when people want to sell their houses.
January 29th 2008 |
Business culture
