Date: 14 August 2007

Source: Personnel Today

Thousands of office workers don’t get on with their colleagues, according to research involving 2,500 people.

Nearly 30 per cent of office staff find it so hard to get on with others at work they have even quit their jobs.

Over 40 per cent of workers don’t get on with at least one colleague, with almost one in ten admitting they dislike the person they sit next to.

More than 23 per cent hated their desk buddy so much they found an excuse to move seats to get away from them.

Escaping colleagues

For some, it is so bad they wish they could work elsewhere with 27 per cent admitting they think about quitting their jobs daily, while another 19 per cent consider it at least once a week.

But some are finding ways of avoiding some of their colleagues – more than 60 per cent admit to pretending to be busier than they are and a third have acted like they haven’t heard when someone has spoken to them.

More than 35 per cent have even picked up the phone to make a pretend call to avoid a conversation.

And the main reason for not liking a colleague is laziness, with 46 per cent saying this is the biggest fault about their co-worker.

Too much talking

Another 40 per cent reckon they talk too much and more than half of people surveyed say they also feel excluded because there are too many cliques in their workplace.

Almost 57 per cent also dislike their colleagues for being friendly sometimes but completely ignoring them another time.

More than two thirds are so desperate to get away from their colleagues they spend the day clockwatching until it’s time to leave.

But bosses ought to be careful as not only are workers counting down the minutes until the end of the day but a quarter believes their productivity suffers because they are unhappy with their colleagues.

With so many people desperate to leave work, it’s not surprising that 59 per cent of the 2,500 people polled refuse to socialise with their colleagues outside of the office.

No social network

More than a third of those aren’t even brave enough to admit they aren’t going to show up to social event and say they will be there, knowing full well they won’t turn up.

Clive Lewis, managing director of Globis said: ”These results confirm what we have known for some time, which is that many relationships at work need to be improved. There is a clear business case for doing so. We spend more of our waking hours at work than we do at home and it can be difficult if you don’t get on with your colleagues.”

The survey also revealed that more than half of respondents see their job purely as a way of making money and 16 per cent are just filling in the gap until something better comes along.

Only 24 per cent say their job is important to them.

Date: 09/08/2007

Source: People Management

UK businesses are being called upon to have formal diversity policies in place, after figures showed an increase in discrimination-related employment tribunals.

According to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), figures show that claims of sexual discrimination rose by 2,524 to 14,250 last year, and racial discrimination cases increased by 786 to 4,103 over the same period.

What’s more, the figures showed that just 86,083 of the 115,039 claims made were disposed of, leaving 28,956 claims unresolved.

In response to this increase in disputes, the CMI has released guidelines to help employers manage a diverse workforce.

The guidelines, called ‘Embracing Diversity’, call on all UK businesses to have formal diversity policies in place.

However, they also highlight the positive effect a diverse workfoce can have on performance and productivity, by giving companies access to a wider talent pool and a more varied skills base.

“Clearly, discrimination on the basis of difference is unacceptable at any level,” said Jo Causon, director of marketing and corporate affairs, Chartered Management Institute.

“But in many cases, resistance to change is due to a lack of understanding of the benefits it can bring.

“Organisations should ensure that diversity policies are clear and well communicated to their staff, or risk losing out on the performance gains it can generate.”

The CMI recommends ensuring top level support within the organisation, idenitifying areas where change and support is needed and compiling a diversity action plan which is monitored and reviewed regularly.

The guidelines also recognise the potential barriers to diversity in the workplace and offers ways of tackling internal resistance, such as integrating diversity into training and development programmes and creating forums where issues can be discussed by employees.