Hate Your Job? Do These NOW.

There is nothing more miserable than working in a job you hate.  You can't deal with it, though, by ignoring how unhappy you are.  We get one life.  Time to take ACTION.

1.  Ask yourself - Should I stay or should I go now?

Many of us can't afford to leave a job on a whim and it takes time to research job opportunities and to assess whether your current skills need honing or even if you need to retrain.  But one things for certain, you need a strategy to cope with the misery of working in a job you hate - one that might just possibly turn everything around.  You need to take action NOW.

2. Whoops, is my attitude showing?

If you're miserable in your job, it's highly likely that everyone's noticed - including your boss.  Time to grit your teeth and plaster a smile back on your face.  If you want to leave, leave on your terms not theirs and moping around like a sad sack is a quick route to the door.

3.  Do the job

I know you hate it but spending hours playing Solitaire and messaging your mates on Facebook isn't going to make you star employee of the month.  And you do know that lots of firms have software now that tracks the websites you're using?  You wouldn't be daft enough to spend hours bidding on Ebay or doing your online grocery shop, would you?

4. Improve the way you do the job

Go back to basics and try to do the job the way you did when you were a fresh, frisky and relatively unjaded employee.  That means dressing professionally, minding your manners, being friendly to your colleagues and respectful to the management.  It means focusing on the task at hand and doing it the way you'd expect it to be done if YOU were the boss.

5.  Ask for training

If you struggle with a particular area (e.g. spreadsheets) ask if you can have some training.  It's a double whammy because not only will you learn skills you can take to your next job, you'll look peachy keen to the Management.

6.  Don't join the office pity party

There is usually a gaggle of employees who band together at coffee breaks (or when the boss isn't looking) to discuss how the firm is about to go to the wall, how it is a terrible place to work, how bad (or non-existent) the perks are.  You can be sure that these employees will have a hit list of staff they hate (starting with their manager and working down).  They are such fabulous employees they should be paid more, have more holidays, longer lunch hours - you get the picture.  And should the management actually give the staff a treat (e.g. a bottle of wine at Christmas), these are the people who will pretend to be deeply insulted.  "Oh, they think a bottle of wine will make up for all the rubbish we have to put up with".

Don't join them.  Management will be well aware who they are and there will inevitably be one of their number who, in an attempt to pull rank and feather their own nest, will be reporting the juicy bits back to management.

7.  But do join in

You're not that lonely soul who never makes tea or coffee for anyone else and insists on their own special mug (which they clean themselves) are you?  Are you the one who never goes for a drink after work or at lunchtime?  Heck, if you really don't want to be popular why not take the tested route of never covering your food in the microwave and leaving others to clean up the mess?

Recite after me "I AM a team player".

8.  Update your CV

And while you're at it do a little research (at HOME) to see what the current popular styles of CV are. What is it that you can bring to a job.  If I were to employ YOU as a consultant, what could you do for me?  Get someone else to proof read your CV for spelling mistakes.  Make sure there are no gaps in your employment history - and if there are be ready to explain why in an interview.

9.  Work out what your transferable skills are

In the past, people had one job which they expected to do till retirement. Today it is entirely likely that you'll have many jobs, possibly even multiple careers.  A helpful way to think is that you are not an employee but a consultant.  Work out what skills you have that could be used in other jobs and write them down to add to your CV.  Great at organising?  A whizz with spreadsheets?  Great team motivator?  Write it down but with concrete examples to back it up.  Otherwise, it's just hot air.

10.  Register with online job sites and upload your revamped CV (at HOME)

There are loads of sites like totaljobs.com or www.jobsite.co.uk where you can post your CV and apply for jobs in your area.  You might also want to consider registering with a couple of recruitment agencies to see what jobs might be available.  Recruitment agencies are a great place to get some free career counselling and advice on your CV.

11.  Leave an email / paper trail

This is especially important if you feel you are being treated unfairly (or worse, bullied).  Document everything.  Create an email folder and keep all email correspondence safe. Remember to send these to your personal email and then print them out. Note down important conversations.  Never go to an HR meeting without a note pad and write down what is said.  Add dates and times and file it away at home.

12.  Learn your employment rights

Your employer has a duty of care towards you.  It's not just a one way thing where you do whatever they say and get paid once a month.  Your local Citizens' Advice Bureau will be able to advise you. (www.citizensadvice.org.uk), and if things are really bad, you may want to consider finding an employment lawyer.  Some law firms will let you have free initial legal advice which means they'll at the least be able to tell you where you stand and if you have a case.

13.  Impress the hell out of clients

If you go out to meetings, make sure they remember you by being punctual, prepared and polished. Always remember clients may be potential future employers.  And you wouldn't be daft enough to run your current employer down to them, would you?  You never know who is friends with whom. That client who seems sniffy with your boss?  They drink together in the pub on Fridays.

14.  Take a break

Working in a job you hate is really miserable.  We've all been there.  But you won't change anything by ignoring how you feel and just solidiering on.  Make sure you are taking any breaks you are entitled to and keep a track of your holiday entitlements and how much you've used.  Put in a request for holiday in good time and plan something relaxing. The flip-side of this is not to take the mickey by adding an extra ten minutes here or there.  It will be noticed and endless 'duvet days' due to a strange virus is not going to make you seem like an employee your boss will want to keep.

If you adopt some of these ideas, trust me, you will feel a bit better.   And when you feel better, you'll make better decisions and your work performance will improve.  You never know, on the happy day you hand your notice in, management may be begging you to stay!

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Small Business Owner? Will Your Kids See You This Christmas Day?

472,000 small business owners will be working every day over the Christmas holidays without a single day off, according to a survey commissioned by business for sale marketplace, mybizdaq.com.

With the rising costs of hiring staff, small business owners are sacrificing more of their own holiday time to keep their business running and spending less time with their families and kids.

A total of 2.8 million small business owners will be working in some capacity over the Christmas period. 34% of these say they are planning to work as they can't afford to take the time off. A further 17% of owners say they are unable to take time off as they do not have enough staff to cover this period.

The survey found that the cost of employing staff is a growing issue, with 2.3 million small business owners not hiring additional staff due to rising costs of employment.

This makes grim reading for parents whose kids are just setting out in the the UK workplace and for mothers looking to return to work.

Apprenticeships aren't considered an option either. Only 14% of small businesses are planning to take on an apprentice in 2017, despite the incentives available for businesses hiring one.

Additionally the National Minimum Wage and the Living Wage was cited as a growing reason for not being able to hire employees.

Christmas isn’t the only time that small business owners are having trouble taking time off though, as over a third of small business owners (34%) have only taken 10 or fewer days of holiday in 2016.

The average amount of holiday days taken was 17, which is still over two weeks below the entitlement for an average full-time UK worker.

With over 60% of small business owners foregoing their Christmas break and with 43% citing high taxes as a reason contributing towards having to work such long hours, it's clear the Government has much do to in order to improve the working climate and to reduce the UK unemployment figure.

More information on the report can be found at www.mybizdaq.com.

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Mums Forced Out Of Work Due To Lack Of Flexible Jobs

In my time in the corporate world, it quickly became clear that all jobs were not created equal. Time after time I would see women in relatively senior positions return from maternity leave only to find out that their role had mysteriously been redefined.  Or, if they did request a more flexible working arrangement, this would be frowned upon and deemed as unfair to the rest of the staff (often predominantly women).

Many of the firms I worked for considered themselves above the constraints of employment law - or at least they knew very well how to circumvent them.

As usual, mums and those without kids were pitted against each other.  Occasionally there might be a half-hearted attempt at a 'job share' but, in general, the working lives of women returners were often made so untenable that they left.

So it was no surprise to read that Workingmums.co.uk is calling for improved education on employment rights and toughening up of legislation

Nearly one in five (18%) working mums have been forced to leave their jobs because a flexible working request has been turned down, according to Workingmums.co.uk's annual survey published on 18th October this year.

The survey of over 2,000 women in Workingmums.co.uk's 10th anniversary year shows that over a quarter (26%) of mums in work have had a flexible working request turned down. Some 12 per cent said their employer did not even seem to consider their request at all and over a quarter (27%) said the reason given for turning down the request was not one which is allowable under flexible working legislation.

For women currently on maternity leave the figures were higher: 35% of those who had had a flexible working request turned down had had it rejected on grounds other than reasons which are allowable under flexible working legislation. Some 68% said they did not feel the rejection was justified. However, 79% did not appeal. This was not surprising given only 5% appealed successfully. Some 41% of those on maternity leave said refusal of flexible working would mean they might not return to their job, yet 50% said they had not discussed flexible working before going on maternity leave.

The survey shows that availability of flexible working is the key career development issue for working mums, with some element of homeworking the most valued, particularly for those wanting to work full time. Other barriers included childcare costs - half of women currently on maternity leave said childcare costs could prevent them returning to work.

Flexible working legislation was extended to all employees in 2014, but some provisions of the original legislation, such as the statutory right of appeal, were watered down.

The survey shows a divide between those women who have extremely flexible jobs (10%) and those who have no flexibility at all (9%) or whose jobs are not very flexible (26%).

It also reveals that many employers are failing to retain the skills of working mums after maternity leave. Some 60% of women said they changed jobs after maternity leave and 58% say they are interested in starting their own business or becoming a franchisee, with 40% of these actively pursuing ideas and plans. Research has shown that the ability to be more in control of their hours - not necessarily to work fewer hours - is a key driver for those women who want to start businesses after having children.

Some 64% are interested in retraining. A previous Workingmums.co.uk's survey showed a need for more flexible working and a desire to do something they considered more meaningful were behind many mums' interest in retraining.

The survey also showed: - job shares are still not used by many employers. Only 4% of women said they were in a job share, despite 55% wanting to work part time - 57% of working mums struggle with holiday and after school childcare - 46% use grandparents to reduce childcare costs - 38% pay no childcare costs as they use family/friends to cover pick-ups or work school-friendly hours.

Under flexible working legislation employers have a duty to deal with requests in a ‘reasonable manner’. Workingmums.co.uk also has concerns about the weakness of the legislation around the right of appeal and clearly the survey bears out those concerns since most who had their request rejected while on maternity leave did not appeal, even though 68% felt the reasons given for the rejection was not justified.

Workingmums.co.uk would like to see more efforts made both to promote the case for flexible working more widely and to educate women about their rights with regard to the legislation. They would also like policymakers to look at the case for reinstating a statutory right of appeal if a request is turned down as this would send an important message to employers that they must give serious consideration to requests and not just dismiss them out of hand.

It's really not good enough in 2016 is it.  And might I suggest that in this Anti Bullying Week, some employers dogged determination to discriminate against those with kids (including dads, many of whom face similar issues), is nothing less than bullying.

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How To Stay Healthy In The Office

Much has been written these days about the dangers of spending too long sitting down.  You may even have heard it said that "sitting is the new smoking".

Sitting for too long is said to cause the following:-

*obesity
*increased blood pressure
*high blood sugar
*excess body fat around the waist
*abnormal cholesterol levels

You get the general picture.  I'm sure you've seen pictures of state-of-the-art standing desks where you literally stand in front of your desktop to work, or even desks where you can walk and exercise at the same time.

But how many businesses can afford to supply these to their staff?  And what can you do when your job involves sitting down all day at a computer?  Perhaps you work in a call centre or have an office role.

Not only does sitting for too long come with all the long-term risks mentioned above, sitting in a chair which does not properly support your back can give you problems and then there's the general fatigue and lack of mental alertness which a lack of fresh air brings.

Add in tired, gritty eyes and possible dehydration if there's no fresh water to hand or you don't get time for a cuppa and it's a recipe for poor health.

So what can you do to not only curb the effects of sitting all day, but stay healthy when you work in an office?

Here are some simple tips to try.

Have a healthy breakfast

Start the day with a healthy breakfast with some slow release carbs (e.g. porridge) or some protein (poached egg on toast).  Sugary cereal will do nothing to keep you feeling full for very long.

Snack wisely

Try to avoid the usual sugary sweets, biscuits and cakes.  On the other hand, don't be a total misery and always refuse the doughnuts and cupcakes the birthday boys and girls might offer.  You don't have to eat all of it (no, I've never managed that either) and don't forget to return the favour.  You don't have to buy one for yourself (once again, I've never managed that either).

You could bring some fruit, cubed cheese or some almonds to snack on which should keep you going till lunch.

Drink plenty of water

I appreciate this is incredibly basic advice but how many of us actually do it?  Mainlining on constant caffeine will leave you twitchy, hungry and dehydrated.

Take a break from the screen

Protect your eyes by taking regular screen breaks roughly every 20 minutes of so. This can be something simple like gazing out of the window for a few minutes.  If you're questioned you can say you're just refining your mastery strategy for business domination.

Get up and walk around

My physio says that sitting in one position for longer than 45 minutes is asking for trouble - and he should know because he's a football referee as well.

Do back exercises at home

You don't need a fully equipped gym - just a well padded exercise mat and about 15 minutes.  You can find some very simple, but effective back exercises on the NHS's website. Bear in mind that you need to do these consistently, even (and this is key) if your back feels OK.

Invest in some back support

You can get back support cushions, wrist and foot rests.  If you have problems talk to your HR department to see if there is anything they can supply.

Clean Your Desk

Yes I know.  It's not your job but since your keyboard, mouse and phone harbor germs, viruses and bacteria, frankly, I was quite happy to give my desk a weekly once-over with disinfecting wipes - particularly the phone!

There's something immensely satisfying about it too because you can go through your filing trays and sort out that 'wodge' of post you've been avoiding at the same time.

Wash Your Hands

It never fails to astound me how many people seem to have no clue what a toilet flush does.  I'm assuming these people just have a hole in the ground at home or a bucket.  Washing your hands is vital - and slathering your hands in hand-sanitizer is a good idea too.

Wash your own cup

I've worked in offices where mugs were just dumped in bowl of lukewarm soapy water and left to 'soak' overnight.  Your first morning cuppa would have the unmistakeable 'tang' of industrial washing up liquid and probably a colleague's lipstick.  Washing your own cup (even taking it home!) is a good idea.

And let's not even think about the microwave.  The same people who are toilet flush-averse seem to struggle with the idea that covering food means no baked bean or pasta sauce explosion.  Yeuch.

Ask about Health & Safety Training

Lots of businesses these days train staff in-house to take on vital roles such as first-aiders and fire wardens. There is also a growing need for workplace health & safety experts, ideally located in-house as part of the management team, so that the working conditions of the staff can be consistently monitored and adapted as the business grows.

Whilst workplace health and safety is often outsourced, it is possible to study for a NEBOSH Health & Safety Qualification online. (NEBOSH = National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health) and you may find that your company is willing to help you take your career down this route. You could suggest a provider such as Sheilds NEBOSH Training UK

It is up to your employer to ensure that you work in as safe an environment as possible.  Your employer has a duty of care towards you.  An employment contract is a two-way agreement.

But sometimes, life being what it is, it is just sensible to make sure that we are looking after ourselves properly and speaking up when we see things that aren't right or are likely to endanger our colleagues.

You spend most of your waking hours at work.  Make sure this time isn't negatively affecting your health.

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New Mothers Need More Than Just Employment Protection

Women don’t just need employment protection whilst on maternity leave, they also need support to transition back into work, according to diversity consultancy, The Clear Company.

Time to return to work?

In light of recent reports from The Women and Equalities Committee and calls from MPs to address the discrimination pregnant women and new mothers face at work, The Clear Company has urged businesses to consider long term support for these individuals.

The diversity consultancy has outlined that while ensuring women can return to work after maternity leave is vital, providing them with the training and support they need to transition back into work is crucial to prevent them from feeling alienated from the rest of the workplace upon their return.

Kate Headley, Development Director at The Clear Consultancy, explains:

“While the numerous initiatives to encourage more women back to work after maternity leave are positive moves to address the issue, there are additional supplements that employers must consider in order to retain these individuals long term. Yes more females need protection at work in terms of being able to return to their job, but they also need support in making this transition.

Business owners need to remember that these individuals have gone through a time of incredible change and have been away from work for a lengthy period. Not only are they likely to consider the impact of working hours on their home life, but there’s also the potential that they will hit a few bumps in the road when they start back as they learn to juggle their new personal and professional lives.

“By providing greater support for women once they are back in employment, companies will really benefit from an engaged employee who feels valued and respected and is subsequently likely to have better productivity levels and be more loyal to the brand.

That’s not to say that huge amounts of money need to be invested in schemes – simple moves such as linking them up with other mothers or new parents in the business will give them a support group to turn to for advice.

If you still need convincing of the benefits of encouraging more women into work, a recent report from The Anita Borg Institute (The case for investing in women) found that Fortune 500 companies with at least three female directors saw an increase in return on invested capital by at least 66%, return on sales by 42%, and return on equity by at least 53%.”

I left work in 2007 to have Caitlin and have since worked from home but I can understand how daunting it is to return to full time employment, even more so after a lengthier gap than statutory maternity leave. Not only would you have to renew working relationships and make new contacts, but all your previous skills (particularly IT) will need to be refreshed.

Many returners suffer a huge crisis of confidence at returning, coupled with the guilt and sadness of leaving their children, even if it is for a few hours a day. And well-paid part time jobs, particularly in my previous sector, Legal Services, are few and far between, which is a huge consideration when thinking about childcare costs.

I know of many women whose salary is almost entirely swallowed up by childcare costs but they continue working for the social aspect and because they need to contribute and maintain their professional qualifications.

I think a lot more could be done to ease a new mum's -or a stay-at-home parent's - return to work but, in my view, childcare is the biggest issue which needs to be addressed before we even think about continuing our careers.

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Redundancy: An Employer's Weapon Against Pregnant Women And New Mothers?

Having spent over 15 years working for several law firms, it comes as no great surprise to read, according to a press release from Stockport and Manchester solicitors, Gorvin's, that "drastic action is needed to give new and expectant mothers more protection at work after another “shocking” and "damning" report reveals a huge increase in pregnancy discrimination over the last 10 years.

I have heard enough anecdotal evidence to know that this form of discrimination occurs more frequently than you might realise - and the Legal Sector itself is not exempt.

MP’s are calling for more “urgent action” after the latest Women and Equalities Committee report shows the true level of discrimination against women in the workplace.

The report, announced on the 31 August 2016, sheds light on further issues for women in the workplace following on from the gender pay gap issues already witnessed over the past few weeks.

Gorvin's employment lawyer Danielle Ayres, who specialises in pregnancy and maternity discrimination cases, suggests that “We need a German style system putting into place in the UK, which makes it harder to make women redundant during and after pregnancy.”

Currently in the UK, although it is wholly illegal to dismiss a woman for reasons relating to having children, a company can still choose and find other reasons to make her redundant.

In 2015 a further report highlighted that more than 54,000 new and expectant mothers had been forced to leave their jobs as a result of discrimination by their employers.

Danielle who regularly holds free employment law clinics for women experiencing issues at work says “over the past 6 months I have taken on cases from women who have returned to work to find their job is no more, or who have not been properly consulted throughout a redundancy process.

Probably more shocking is the number of women who receive notification of redundancy just before their return to work with no warning or explanation".

Further findings in the report also call for more protection for new and expectant mothers who are casual, agency or zero hours workers.

Although the right to statutory maternity leave and pay only applies to employees, the ERA 1996 does afford protection to a wider class of new and expectant mothers including these contracted workers and self-employed contractors.

Danielle who works closely with Joeli Brierley, owner and founder of pioneering group Pregnant then Screwed, has been campaigning with leading charities, maternity groups and the equality and human rights commission to afford a change to the current issues affecting this group of women.

Angela Rainer, shadow minister for women and equalities, said the report shows thousands of pregnant women are being “priced out of justice” because of tribunal fees introduced by government.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said it was a “confusing landscape” that meant “some bad bosses” were “getting away with treating their employees unfairly.”

“At such a crucial time in their lives when these women want to be enjoying time with their new baby, the last thing they need is to be affording a legal battle with their employer; something has to change and I believe this report is one step further in highlighting the abhorrent truth which still occurs in today’s modern society.”

Have you experienced this kind of discrimination?  Don't be afraid to take legal advice or talk to someone at your local citizens' advice bureau.

You can also search for a local law firm in your area and see if they offer free legal advice or employment clinics on Yell.com.

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How to save costs while running your business

Sometimes all businesses need to review their working practices with an accent on cutting expenditure. All companies are given to doing things the same way as they have been done before and this means that bad habits can be fallen into too easily.

When looking to increase your competitiveness and profitability, it is always advisable to look at your cost base before considering sales price rises.

The following useful tips are great for any SME owner, but are equally suited to larger organisations.

Don't Cut Budgets Equally

When you need to save a nominal figure from your outgoings, it can be tempting to make a corresponding cut from every budget you have in the business.

Let's say you identify the need to cut 10 per cent from all company expenditure. You may therefore lower your marketing budget by a tenth, your component expenditure by the same amount, your staffing costs by a further 10 per cent and so on.

This is not strategic cutting and can lead to problems with supplying customers down the line. Instead, look at the overall expenditure of each department under their nominal coding and work out where you can afford to make the cuts and where you cannot.

For example if your business has over 100 employees, Advance Systems Inc would advise looking at ways to maximise your workforce management using software.  Before you decide on your budget look to see if there are any other cost-effective solutions you could try, rather than making wholesale cuts.

Increase Your Warehouse Space Without Extra Overheads

When a company is expanding there seems to be a never ending demand on your cheque book. If you need to expand to meet demand, one of the most costly decisions you can make is to acquire – or rent – additional space.

Whether it is for storage, production lines or for additional administrative space, the additions of a mezzanine floor into a business unit can all but double the available space.

Different companies offer this service, you can find mezzanine floors in Leeds by WSSL. With little initial outlay they provide room for expansion, but do so without extra heating, lighting and rental costs.

Do Deals With Neighbours

In your business' vicinity there will be like-minded entrepreneurs who are also looking to cut costs.

Even if they operate in a completely different sector to you, such business may have outlay on things like marketing that can be shared.

For example, if you advertise in the local press or do the occasional leaflet distribution, why not produce adverts and flyers together so that the costs of them can be shared?

If you have a neighbour working in a similar way to you, then look into sharing equipment costs as a way of lowering expenditure.

Reduce License Costs

Software is essential for most businesses these days. However, the costs of buying it and having sufficient licenses for all of your team can be prohibitive, especially when you need to keep renewing it.

Many software suites have freeware that is just as good, so keep an eye out for versions of what you currently use that is free to download.

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Work Entitlements Around The Globe - How Are YOU Doing?

This week I have officially re-entered the working world by becoming officially self-employed and I have to say I am enjoying being my own boss enormously.

I am reminded by this handy infographic from Citrix how much variation there is in working terms and conditions across Europe and the World in general.

Courtesy of: Citrix Interactions Blog

You have to wonder what may happen to UK employment conditions and even employment law in the face of a possible BREXIT (leaving the European Union).

The country will hold an in-out referendum on its EU membership on June 23.

I have to be honest here and say I really don't know which side of the fence I am on.

On the one hand I think we will suffer if we leave Europe in terms of our business relationships with our European neighbours and the UK may find we are a great deal less attractive to inward investment.

Already European companies who have headquarters here in London are muttering about upping sticks if we leave the European Union.

On the other hand, I think we really need to sort out our policies for immigration which seems to be the main factor skewing popular opinion in favour of leaving the European Union. What will happen? It's a race as uncertain as the current US Presidential Elections.

One thing's for certain, here in the UK we certainly do a LOT better than our American cousins in terms of holiday allowance!

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4 Types of Social Media Kiss You Should Probably Stop Giving xxx

I found myself the other day adding a kiss to a tweet to a company with whom I was trying to develop a professional relationship.

Pucker up - but not on your timeline

Actually, it would be truer to say I was unable to stop myself from doing it.

We use them everywhere don't we?  Those little xxx appear like chicken pox spots and once they start appearing, it's very difficult to curb the rash.

It seems to be women who are the main culprits.  Men don't seem to feel the urge to express their undying love for someone who is about to sell them double-glazing or fix their tyres.

And why do we do it?

I think there are 4 types of social media 'kiss'

1.  The "Look-At-Me" Kiss
2.  The "Please-Like-Me" Kiss
3.  The "I Have No Clue How To End This Message" Kiss
4.  The Passive Aggressive Kiss

The "Look At Me" Kiss

There are those who style themselves as the most popular people on the internet and have to adorn every message with a row of x-kisses - using an exciting blend of upper and lower caps just for effect.

These are the social media fans who will generally include more emoticons than words in their message so that if, like me, most emoticons are a bit of a mystery (apart from the poo one), you really haven't a clue how they are feeling.

Your general impression is that they are crying their eyes out next to a glass of wine and a poo whilst the weather in their area is quite sunny.

 The "Please Like Me" Kiss

These people use x-kisses as subtext for " I am really a very nice person and you should follow me / like me / stumble my post on Ancient Peruvian knitting techniques".

X-kisses pepper their conversation in the most odd ways and are usually spotted in random Facebook status updates and tweets.

"I am now going to send my gas meter reading to the gas board.  How about you?  xxx"

These people also post lots of pictures of puppies and kittens.

The "I Have No Clue How To End This Message" Kiss

This one is particularly dangerous because if you are not paying attention it can appear in your professional emails.

"I feel I am eminently qualified for this position as I have designed a unique gadget to recycle solar energy in greensheds" xxx

In fact, I suspect I sometimes type it automatically.

"Please can I reschedule my dental appointment on Tuesday because the kids have locked me in our spare room?" x

The thing is, it looks a bit, well, lame outside of the touchy-feeling, multi-photo-posting world of your family and friends on Facebook.

But "yours sincerely" and "yours faithfully" don't seem to fit either.

The Passive Aggressive Kiss

Ah, the one you really need to look out for.  Do you ever find that, even though you could be seething at someone, you still have to add a 'x' at the end of your message just in case.

Just in case of what is the question?  Just in case you upset them?  Just in case you are unjustified in being annoyed?

You can normally spot these passive-aggressive little kiss-bombs a mile off - for example

"I just thought I ought to let you know that you have used a semi colon incorrectly in line 5 of your blog post"  xxxxx

"That looks a very nice lipstick shade but I think a neutral would make you look much younger" XxXxX

There's little doubt that recruiters and employers are seeking employees with a good command of their native language - written, rather than texted.

The unfortunate leakage of "LOL" or the completely unhilarious "ROFL" and acronyms such as IUSWIM (if you see what I mean) or AIBU (am I being unreasonable) really don't belong in professional correspondence either.

It looks even weirder if you are no longer a teenager.

And, even though we social media addicts feel compelled to "share the love" with our little keyboard kisses, there's a time and a place.

You can't imagine Ariana Huffington or Anna Wintour ending a message with kisses, can you?

XxXxXxX

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I'm A Useless Feminist

On a day when we celebrate women and their achievements, I find myself silently berating myself for my less than glowing feminist credentials.

By that I mean that whilst I know with every fiber of my being that women are equal to men and that no woman should come second because of her gender, I still struggle with the concept.

I grew up in the 70's and 80's at a time when there was a definite sea change towards a kind of social and economic freedom our mothers never knew.

But the backdrop to this was still a world in which to truly succeed it seemed as if conformity was the quickest and easiest route.

And many of us who wanted to strike out and defend a woman's right to be everything she wanted to be with no limits, found our mothers had a completely different idea.

Two examples often heard from women during my upbringing - women were worse drivers than men and that unemployment levels would be immediately reduced if women would only stay home and look after their children, thus freeing up jobs for men.

In the Legal Profession in which I found myself quite accidentally, women were still less likely to be made partners.

I hope that this is no longer the case but I seriously doubt it.  

My friends and I used to joke (although it really isn't funny) that women would make manager and assistant manager positions but directorships and partnerships would usually go to the men.

And less talented men at that.

So I learned that conformity was the thing.  Keep your head down, don't make waves, don't disagree. I was a single girl and I needed to keep my job.

This is not the image of the ballsy, go-getting feminist who wouldn't be talked down to in meetings and would never accept the task of making the tea.

I would watch from the sidelines as the male employees would get invited to sporting hospitality events, dinner with the partners, an afternoon of golf.

Men seem to have an easier way of relating to one another.  They argue, swear and cuss at each other and then move on.

With women, it is often an endless war of attrition where sweetness and concern cloaks a fierce and ruthless ambition.

It seemed that women could not compete 'openly' with one another but had to resort to a set of tactics which would make Machiavelli look like a novice.

Apart from one, I can't think of any female boss I enjoyed working for.  

They were, by and large, power-dressing, mint crunching, bobbed hair types who, when they were not 'delegating'  (the responsibility, mind you, never any authority) nebulous projects, were just as likely to be found doing their weekly grocery shop online.

Do I sound bitter?  Damn right I am.

This was not how it was supposed to be.

I read frequently of sisters who support one another. Female managers and co-workers who build each other up, look out for each other and celebrate each others' triumphs.

As I get older I wonder if this is some sort of feminist myth and whether, for example, in the hot-housed enclaves of the partitioned office environment so popular in Wales this ever actually happens.

I really hope, for the sake of young women today, that it does.

I find myself wondering what to tell my own daughter when she enters the world of work.  If the current economic climate does not improve, getting and keeping a job may well be more important than challenging any barriers.

Does that make me a hypocrite or a realist?

I'm afraid it probably makes me a useless feminist.

In the end, it's all about the easiest route to self-preservation, the quickest way to secure the pay rise, the least threatening way to fit in.

Looks are still currency.  This seems to be the main belief of our selfie generation, encouraged by the Kardashian clan in their endless pursuit of reverence.

There are thousands of young women working hard to gain qualifications and skills in fields such as medicine and science.

Yet, Kim Kardashian takes her clothes off, posts it on the internet and makes millions.

And there's the central problem.

I can't bring myself to agree that this is the definition of empowerment, but in the face of her vast wealth, I really struggle to call it anything else.

As I said.  Hypocrite or realist?

Certainly a useless feminist.

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Review: Kiss The Cartridge Goodbye! - The Epson ET-2500 Ecotank Printer

For many years, it could be argued that investing in a printer was a luxury.  Times have changed of course and now many home offices boast a printer of varying levels of sophistication.

The Husband has a home office where he works when not travelling the globe and his work requires the production of complex, technological documentation for clients and for sales presentation materials such as hand-outs and printed slides.

The Epson ET-2500 Ecotank Printer

My printing needs are simpler - the odd e-book (I still love to read hard copy!), maps, e-tickets, order confirmation slips and invoices.

Our existing printer, a small Samsung black and white laser printer, has worked well, if temperamentally for over 5 years.

You can bet that it will have a paper jam when you really need to print out something urgently - an e-ticket or map, for example - or that it will announce it needs a cartridge change on a Sunday at 4 pm.

According to Epson, we're not alone - with 56% of us having had 'printer panic'.  I don't know about you but I have quite enough to worry about as it is!

We were recently given the opportunity to review the Epson ET-2500, one of Epson's new EcoTank printers which can save you up to 70% of your printing costs due to its integrated high capacity ink tanks.

The Epson ET-2500 is a 3-in-1 inkjet printer with print, copy and scan features.  It's the first time we have had a photocopying facility at home, having previously had to trudge over to our local library with a pocket full of 5p pieces and a prayer that the machine was actually working.

Finally, a photocopier at home!

This printer also comes supplied with 2 years of ink having four colour 70ml Epson genuine ink bottles in the box, which make it easy, clean and quick to fill the ink tanks.

The printer comes with four bottles of ink to add to the tank

Best of all you can say goodbye to ink cartridges.

The ink supplied is sufficient to print up to 4,000 pages in black and 6,500 pages in colour at just a fraction of a penny per page.

Because the ink tanks are high volume and refillable, the ink should last you far longer than the traditional ink cartridges.

The printer also has mobile printing.  It is equipped with Wi-Fi, so that you can use the Epson Connect features.

These allow you to print quickly and easily over Wi-Fi from a smartphone using the free Epson iPrint app, print remotely or email the ET-2500 a print job from anywhere.

The ET-2500 uses Epson's own Micro Piezo technology for excellent-quality print-outs.

Mono prints are delivered at a rate of 9.2 pages per minute while it can issue 4.5 colour pages per minute.

The Epson ET-2500 retails at £229.99.

So we gave the Epson ET-2500 a thorough road test over the period of one week to see how it compared with our old printer.

What we loved

• Compact
• Easy to maintain
• Pulls in paper without a hitch  (unlike our old printer)
• Good quality printing in both mono and colour
• 3 year extended warranty
• Lots of ink compared to other printers and cartridge designs - will last a long time 
• Refill costs currently look well priced making this a cost effective printer 
• Connects over Wifi - no need to use cables
• Reasonable speed for an ink-jet
• Multi-function printer - In built scanner and copier facility

What we loved less

• Slower than a laser
• Does not automatically wake up once the printer has gone into sleep mode (Wifi) 
• Needs manual intervention to print duplex 
• Slow print time for detailed graphics
• Long set-up time - 20 mins to charge the ink.
• Needs Epson driver

This is a great multi-functional printer which would suit a home office where bulk printing is an occasional, rather than a constant event.  If you need to print out a set of hand-outs and produce a high-spec technical document, it is ideal.  Having the photocopying and scanning functions included is an added bonus.

I think that if you are constantly churning out multi-page documents then you may be better off considering a laser printer - and possibly asking your boss for an office!

There is an Epson Easy Photo Print tool which allows you to correct and position your photos, plus add frames but I was unable to print out a photo of suitable quality using normal copying paper (not surprisingly).  Ultra glossy paper is recommended so this function was not fully tested.

The price of the Epson ET-2500 is very reasonable, in our view (£229.99), especially when you factor in the savings you'll make from not having to buy and replace ink cartridges.

It's a great, economical and environmentally friendly home office printer, best suited for daily correspondence, small scale bulk printing and family printing.

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Why Blogging About Your Job Is Not Your Best Career Move

Just lately, there have been several instances on Facebook where bloggers have questioned whether it is wise to blog about your job.

My answer to this is a categorical NO.

I have also come across instances where an employer has caught a blogger writing sponsored posts for a competitor and demanded that the posts be removed.

Cue much "how very dare they" in tones which imply the Human Rights Act should be referred to immediately.

An Employment Contract Is Legally Binding

I am beginning to wonder whether people understand that an employment contract is, well a contract - and a legally binding one at that.

When you agree to work for a company, you agree to abide by a set of rules (theirs) in exchange for pay and benefits.

The company has a duty of care towards its employees to treat them fairly and equitably.  But, you know what?  It's a two way street.

I've read posts which seem to imply that the blogger / employee is actually doing the employer a favour just by turning up.

You cannot justify criticizing your employer on your blog because you hate the job, they don't pay you enough or you haven't been promoted.

That will get you out of the door quicker than you'd like.

Nobody Is Irreplaceable

And if you feel that you're irreplaceable - well, have you seen the UK unemployment figures lately?

I don't mean to be harsh.

I think if you work with your employer, blogging can be an extremely valuable addition to the marketing mix.

But I think we need a reality check here.

Employers DO Check You Out On Social Media

Employers and recruitment agencies will check you out on social media.  Yes they will - whether or not they are supposed to.

If you let it be known that you write a blog in your spare time, it is just human nature for your co-workers to want to check it out.

If you have written anything negative, it is also, sadly, human nature for some 'helpful' co-worker to bring it to the attention of the management.

And if you are being negative, therefore, future employers might take a dim view - particularly if you are staying in the same industry.

In Law, where I worked for 13 years, most of the partners had worked in numerous other law firms and all knew each other.

Until you reach a certain age, you don't always have the political 'smarts' either.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

Let's say there's a particular manager you just can't get on with.  They seem to have it in for you.  You get the crappiest assignments.  Your suggestions are routinely ignored in meetings.

It would be very easy to vent your spleen in a blog post and think that you were fully justified in doing so - heck, you could even convince yourself that you are being a noble "whistleblower" and bringing the manager to book.

You Never Know Who Is Friends With Whom

What you probably don't realise is that, even if that manager seems to be deeply unpopular,  they may be best buddies with the rest of the managers, or even the CEO.

I remember a couple of senior partners in one of the law firms I worked for who, on the face of it, hated each other.

It later transpired that not only did they regularly dine together, they even went on holiday together.

The same thing with college lecturers.  You never know what goes on in the staff room, or what is said and I think there is a tendency for senior staff to stick together to protect each other's positions.

So,  after another downbeat, unmotivating, dreary day, it would be so easy to come home and blog about it, wouldn't it?

Anything you write is on the internet for ever.  Things you say now could bite you years later.

I'm assuming you've worked long and hard to get where you are.

You've probably fought off lots of competition to get your foot in the door.

But you signed a contract.

The honorable thing to do if you hate it, is find another job.

Yes it's difficult - but that's rather my point.

The RIGHT Way To Blog About Your Job

If you want to blog about your job, why not undertake some technical research or write a paper about a particular aspect of your role.  Let your manager see it and then publish with their blessing.

That way, bloggers, promotion lies.

If you want to run your employer down on your blog, so that senior management, co-workers, competitors and, even worse, clients see it, then you may find you are blogging full time quicker than you think.

Life isn't fair.  Speech may be free,  but sometimes there's a rather hefty price to pay all the same.

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Is Your Boss A Scrooge? Here's 12 Gifts Employees Would Appreciate.

When I was working in the law firm, the festive period was heralded by the appearance on reception of a tin of Quality Street (other chocolates are available) from the bosses.

Ah, Christmas.  Absolutely no effect on the workload whatsoever.

If we had been good employees, we would also receive a bottle of something non-vintage and possibly some chocolates to take home.

Reactions would be mixed.  Happy employees would be grateful and secrete the gifts straight into their bags to take home to share with the family.

Disgruntled employees would spend hours (possibly days) moaning about how a box of chocolates was never going to make up for being asked to work late in June nor the terrible state of the office microwave.

Which rather begs the question, what Christmas gift would make employees happy - apart from a pay rise and an increase in their holiday allowance of course.

These days I'm responsible for ensuring my own working environment is safe and efficient, but when I was a practice director, I well remember what a fraught time Christmas could be in an office where morale was not at its highest.

Commercial furniture specialists, Sketch Studios have been inspired by the song "On The 12 Days Of Christmas" and come up with 12 suggested presents they think would generate more good will from the work force than a Quality Street jumbo purple sweet.

Here are their suggestions.

Day 1 - better tea/coffee/refreshments

Fundamental to the well-being of every worker, isn’t this what gets us through the day? Adopt the same cafe-style culture as those on the high street and invest in some decent beans/tea and equipment. It’ll make staff feel valued and will draw them back to the workplace for their refuelling.

Day 2 – plants

As well as great health benefits - they generate oxygen and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, aiding concentration and lifting spirits - plants are a calming influence and great to look at. 

Day 3 - a height-adjustable desk

One size will not fit all – it creates poor posture, a major cause of back pain, stress and repetitive strain injury.

Day 4 - a decent ergonomic chair

Humans are not designed to sit all day, so invest in chairs that aid posture. It may be tempting to invest in trendy tub chairs or modular seats to spruce up the office/reception, but they will not help those who are desk-based.

Day 5 - more flexible space

Today’s workers are expected to multi-task so create environments that help them do this. Tasks may include undertaking focused work, reading, attending meetings and collaborating with colleagues. Then there’s a need to squeeze in a break away from work and have some social interaction.Those with a variety of spaces to choose from will be more productive (who wants to sit behind a desk all day?).

Day 6 – headphones

Noise can be a major irritation. It prevents concentration and adds to stress levels. If you’re unable to provide appropriate spaces for the task in hand, such as a quiet room for reading/individual focused-work, these may do the trick.

Day 7 - better temperature control

If it’s fine for men but too cold for women (as the recent gender debate suggested), set the temperature between the two and adjust to the daily outside temperature as opposed to what it should be for the season. Otherwise winter woollies will have to suffice.

Day 8 - improved lighting

Access to natural light is a must, particularly during the sun-starved winter season. Shift furniture to make windows more accessible and where natural light is limited, invest in office lamps to prevent eye strain.

Day 9 – a computer upgrade

With more people using mobile technology it’s easy to overlook the fixed desktop equipment, yet for those who are office-based it’s their professional lifeline. A revamp will make staff more productive as they’ll spend less time waiting for their machine to perform tasks. 

Day 10 - more storage space

Staff who bring in their own equipment need somewhere to put it. The same applies to those who exercise; set aside a storage area for kit, it’s more secure and keeps the place tidy.

Day 11 – an office clean-up

Initiate a tidy campaign and give staff 30 minutes or so to clear up their working areas. Office-based workers can un-clutter desks, file away paperwork, clean-out draws, move items from the top of filing cabinets, smarten up those wilting plants and remove out-of-date food from the fridge. Flexible staff may want to check the leads/chargers they borrowed for their laptop, tablet or mobile are back where they should be.

Day 12 – pimp the small room

Spruce up the toilets/washroom for Xmas; give them a lick of paint or re-tile, pipe in Christmas music, add a plant or two and some decent accessories. If there are high-level water tanks, turn them into mini-aquariums or encourage employees to contribute to their mural. 

I'm not sure an office clean-up would find much favour unless there was an incentive involved (mulled wine and mince pies?) but these are sensible suggestions to make the time spent in an office environment more enjoyable.

But why should these be kept for Christmas?  A better 'present' would be the inclusion of a sensible amount for ongoing office maintenance in the annual budget, together with decent investment in staff training and HR support.

Then the office moaners might be a little happier with their Chateau-Collapse-A-Rhino and the bosses might even get offered a Quality Street.

Like what you've read?  Why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram.

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The Apprentice 2015 - The Egos Have Landed

I have to say I have high hopes for this series, particularly since Nick Hewer's eyebrow raise has been replaced by Claude Littner's scathing brand of management training.

But, year upon year, the candidates seem to be more media-savvy and more desperate for a job in TV whilst demonstrating an ego which would make Kanye West look shy and retiring.

That ego is usually combined with the worst the British Education System has to offer, that is zero general knowledge, a complete absence of people skills and absolutely no street smarts.

The fact that they are actually there to sell their business plans seems to be forgotten.

Courtesy of BBC.co.uk

This, of course, is the joy of the programme.  We love to sit in our armchairs, tutting and muttering.

We criticize their lack of business acumen.

We practically combust with laughter at their arrogance.

We, of course, can spot a basic business error from 20 paces and become expert negotiators even if we would struggle to take a pair of socks back to Marks & Spencer.

And those quotes.  Oh, those quotes.

Here's a quick trip down memory lane - can you remember any of these judged by www.myvouchercodes.co.uk to be the top ten best / worst quotes from The Apprentice?

This list certainly contains some cringe-worthy reminders of old favourites such as Luisa Zissman and Katie Hopkins.

I'd also include this classic from the late Stuart Baggs (who sadly recently passed away) - "everything I touch turns to sold" and this, from this year's David Stevenson - "you've got age and beauty and those two go hand in hand all the time.  Sugar's got the age and I certainly am beautiful".

Currently there appears to be an unladylike spat going on between candidates Selina Waterman-Smith and Charleine Wain  which has, it is rumored, culminated in a 'scuffle' outside the boardroom.

This may be a little bit of PR to oil the wheels of a series which, so far, has been a little 'same old, same old' but, if true, shows just how desperate some candidates are to secure their 15 minutes of fame.

The sad truth, of course, as anyone who has worked in a corporate environment will tell you, is that personalities like these do indeed often rise to the top, by dint of ruthless ambition rather than concrete talent.

There are many David Brents in waiting it seems.

But, the prize here is to be Sir Alan's business partner and, one suspects, no amount of hot air, waffle and posturing will pull the wool over his eyes.

I can't wait for the legendary "interview" episode and I wonder who will replace Claude in the interviewing panel.

Whoever it is, I'll bet they won't be a soft touch and will bring the candidates back to earth - with a bump.

I'm also enjoying Jack Dee on the sister show "The Apprentice - You've Been Fired", although I think he could be a little more of the sardonic Jack we're all used to.

Roll on Wednesday at 9 pm!

See you all on Twitter!

Thanks for reading Mother Distracted.  I really appreciate your support and I'd love it if you could share this post across social media. If you’re new to Mother Distracted, why not join me on the Mother Distracted Facebook page, tweet me on @lindahobbis or follow me on Instagram. 

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Do You Have What It Takes To Become A Landlord?

So, you’re thinking of becoming a landlord. It isn’t easy. You might think that all you need to do is get a buy to let mortgage and you can start seeing that extra income in your account each month, but that isn’t the case. If you want to become a landlord, a lot more thought needs to go into it. Here are some tips you can use and valuable advice:

Choose a Reliable Company to Help You

A reliable company will always make your experience as a landlord that much easier. It’s up to you whether you want to do this or not; you might not think it’s necessary when you only have one property to handle. While this is true, you need to bear in mind that it’ll be up to you to handle emergency calls in the dead of the night. If you find a reliable company to help you, they’ll sort any issues out as fast as possible and all you need to do is pay. They can help you with lots of different things, so it’s a case of discussing your needs and setting something up that suits your budget.

Don’t Assume Your Property Will Always Be Occupied

So, you think the money is just going to keep rolling in every month? That’s highly unlikely. There will be times your property is not occupied, whether that’s for a few weeks or a few months. You should have money in reserve in preparation for this, so you don’t end up left in the lurch. It all depends on how long it takes to get somebody living there again - a company could help you with that too.

Ensure Your Property Meets the Standards Expected and is Safe

You can’t just rent out any old property. If you’re going to do this legally, you need to make sure your property meets the standards expected and that it’s safe for the occupants. If not, you could get in big trouble. You’ll need to arrange for it to be checked over as often as required and make the repairs necessary. You may need to arrange something small like communal dish installation, or something more complicated like an appliance replacement. Whatever it is, you need to make sure it gets done in a timely fashion.  

author

Go Out of Your Way to Be a Good Landlord

Not only do you need to be a good landlord by following the rules and making sure everything is legit; you need to make sure you’re a good landlord to your tenants. Keep them informed on things they need to know about, wish them a merry christmas. Buy them some wine when they move in. When they like you, they’ll be more likely to respect your property and give you lots of notice if they decide to move out. You should get your rent on time too!

So, do you still think you have what it takes to become a landlord? It can be a lucrative opportunity but only if you do it right!

*PR collaboration

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It's Beauty Awards Time - Here's How We Can Really Decide The Winners

It's that time of year when magazines a plenty are coercing us into voting for brands we've never heard of, on websites we've never seen, for prizes we're unlikely to get our mitts on. 

Vote for us and our green eco-forward sack cloth range cry the Eco Gnomes of Zurich. 

Vote for us and our nano-oxy-toxy-poxy anti-ageing serum shrieks a European company nobody has heard of (although obviously the Daily Mail will have run a full page article about it (i.e. it's actually advertorial written by a marginally less wrinkly journalist).

If Beyonce wears it, will you vote for it? 

Is it me or are the voting mechanisms for these awards rather, well, biased? 

Anyone can vote and select items from ranges they've never used in the hope of winning the odd £50 of products. 

How is this fair? 

Let's be honest. 

There's a very, very simple way of judging the top products in most sectors, not least in the Beauty Industry. 

Release details of your annual sales. 

Let's see what percentage of the market you hold and whether it's gone up this year.

Let's see how many patents you hold. 

Let's see some accredited medical /scientific research that proves your products work - based on samples of MORE than 25 women (yes I know the arguments for the benefits of sampling and Qualitative Market Research and I'm not convinced) done over a reasonable time span (i.e. years rather than after using three sachets and filling in a questionnaire).

The Beauty Industry, like many others, is very clever at swathing fact with layers of multi-coloured (or is that multi-tonal) fiction. 

An industry that relies heavily on airbrushing to sell its products is never likely to be particularly forthcoming with the unsexy nuts and bolts of marketing performance, is it? 

In fact the current trend seems to be to promote the packaging rather than the products (Benefit, Urban Decay, No 7, No 17). 

After all, how many red lipsticks can you manufacture and how different can they be?

I love beauty products; always have, always will and I find the older I get, the more brand loyal I get.

I'm unlikely to be swayed by freebies, twee boxes, samples or this season's palette. 

Because, you know what (and whisper this carefully), lots of the products out there aren't actually very good. 

The same handful of names tend to win these awards because they ARE consistently good (e.g. Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish, Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream, Yves St Laurent's Touche Eclat) and their sales figures have elevated them to a practically untouchable status in terms of branding.

So, in the meantime, let's at least acknowledge that 'awards' are, at best an good way of raising brand awareness and at worst, cheap and ineffective PR. 

It's more, one suspects, about securing advertising revenue for the next sales quarter (particularly at Christmas which is absolutely critical in terms of sales for many businesses), than it is about discovering which of the many millions of red lippies available I may or may not shell out for.

And you can be sure that, as a woman of 50 with many years' experience of using make-up under my belt, when I find a cosmetic 'superstar', I'll be reviewing it on this blog.

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Advertising Won't Help Your Hotel If Your Service is Fawlty

It baffles me sometimes that hotel chains will spend vast amounts on TV advertising campaigns without management ensuring that the hotels they hope will benefit are ready to receive visitors. 

As a case in point, this morning I visited a local South Wales hotel in a chain currently running such a campaign for a meeting.

Advertising Won't Help If Your Service Is Fawlty.

The hotel, three star, rather large and not unattractive, architecturally speaking, was a deserted wasteland of several reception areas. 

There was little signage to welcome visitors, no marketing literature and, even more irritatingly, hardly any staff.

One of the toilets in the ladies was already out of order. 

There were no menus to be had and it was not clear whether non-residents could order food. 

There were a couple of menus marked "Room Service" on the tables. 

There was no information about WIFI, even though there was a free, open network to be connected to. 

I eventually tracked down a menu behind reception where I was asked to return it because it was the only one they had.

My companion and I ordered coffee, produced with maximum froth and minimum coffee from a machine. 

The diet coke was clearly made up from a diluted syrup. 

The tuna sandwich I ordered was, however, tasty and nicely presented, but I could only pay cash at the bar. 

Had I wanted to use a card, I would have had to go to reception.

Around midday the place became packed but there was no increase in staffing. 

The one lone lad behind the bar kept vanishing so visitors were milling around unsure what to do. 

What a wasted sales opportunity!

My point is, had I been considering actually staying at this particular hotel, I would have rapidly changed my mind. 

The frustrating thing is that the whole experience could have been so much better with just a little thought. 

We had chosen this particular hotel as it seemed to be the only one suitable in that area for a relaxed meeting and some coffee. 

The irony is that the hotel advertises 7 meeting rooms and conference facilities.

In my previous, pre-marketing career, I did my fair share of pub work and retail jobs. 

I am well aware that working with the public is not always particularly enjoyable, but surely getting the right systems in place will help the staff to do their jobs and make their work-life more enjoyable? 

This is not a matter of cost, but it is a matter of involving the staff and using customer feedback.

I also think (heresy though it might be to say it) that many of these places would benefit from maturer staff at management level who have had more experience of life's challenges and can relate a little better to older guests and customers.

I am sure there are many in the 50+ age group who would be only too willing to step up to the plate.

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