Whistle Ink ‘Office Supplies’ Blog

The latest Badenoch & Clark Employment Study has today revealed a growing stress problem in the UK workplace. A worryingly high number of employees (91%) are stressed at work, with around seven in ten (71%) workers unable to raise their concerns with management.

With the economy still suffering from the global financial crisis, employees’ stress levels are being affected predominately by increased workloads, credit crunch worries and reduced headcount in their company.

Some stark differences between how men and women are reacting to the situation were also revealed. Just under a third of men (31%) are worried that they will lose their job, compared to around one quarter of women (26%). Men are also more stressed about the general economic outlook – 36% compared with 28%

Of those professionals that brought stress levels up with their managers, 7% said they were ignored and only 6% said it led to concrete measures being taken to help them mange the situation.

Neil Wilson, managing director of Badenoch & Clark, comments: “Stress currently costs British business billions of pounds a year. While some stress is a normal part of work, excessive stress reduces productivity and general wellbeing. Most employers would agree that it makes business sense to avoid excessive stress levels building up in the workplace.

“Our Employment Study shows very clearly too few organisations are attacking stress effectively. Many employees are shouldering the stress emanating from a number of sources without the help of their managers. Interestingly, men are feeling the strain more than women as they worry about their jobs and career prospects.

“By refusing to deal with such a crucial employee engagement issue, businesses are risking not only the health of their workers, but the quality of the work they deliver and the overall morale of their organisation. Businesses need to address the problem and provide a platform to discuss these issues openly.

“Being on the look out for signs of stress amongst staff is a good starting point. It’s then important to take time to talk to staff on a one to one basis and identify the main sources of stress. Helping your staff create a balanced schedule by breaking large projects into small steps can be another way of making work more manageable.“

Source:onrec.com

I came across this interesting case of a lady who is suing the police force because she didn’t get a job training dogs.

The lady is diagnosed with dysphonia which is the impaired ability to make voice sounds. The condition would have made it virtually impossible for her to command police dogs as they need stern and clear orders, an employment tribunal was told.

This makes sense doesn’t it?

But Alison Gordon, representing Ms Gilbert at an employment tribunal in Ashford, said Kent Police took “no account” of her disability when considering her for the job.

She finally walked out of her £35,000 a year job in 2005 after a “terrible row” about pay. Until last year she remained on full or half salary.

Anyway things have moved on in some parts and Ms Gilbert, has had botox jabs to improve her voice and is now an Old Bailey stenographer.

Read the full story here

I will have graduated with a PHD in bus catching in that case because I’m so good at it.

The BBC have reported that participants in Bury Council’s BRAG get the “using public transport” award as part of a programme to encourage self-reliance.

A father is shocked although I think the students will have considered it a doss course and be relatively happy from the time out!

The scheme is good and many of the kids have enjoyed themselves but this certificate is ridiculous - it seems to have been done so targets can be met

But believe it or not there is more to catching a bus according to the council:

It’s not just about sitting on a bus, it’s about reading timetables properly and planning the best route, which is behind the whole idea of encouraging self-reliance.

I can actually see the value of a course like this buy you shouldn’t have to make it into a certificate, surely it’s a basic skill that you should have? I like the idea of school pupils being taught how to live properly and be taught the skills necessary to survive and excel in their environment and life – but a certificate is too far.

One module relevant to buses should be behaviour!

What do you think?

Read the rest of the article here:

We do in our house and so do 70% of the population recycle their Argos catalogues. Amazingly just 5 years ago only 33% used to recycle the catalogues.

For a fair amount of paper the catalogues are green as most are nowadays. Argos catalogues are 100 per cent recyclable and used a mixture of PEFC, FSC and recycled content paper.
But do you really need an Argos catalogue?

I think catalogues like these are a waste of money, especially when you have the internet nowadays and they have they have the catalogues to view in store when you go to collect your purchase.
With 36 million Argos catalogues being in circulation each year, that’s a lot of catalogues and how many of them are actually used?

Maybe it’s worth trialling a small charge for the catalogues refundable on purchase of an item? Perhaps this might make people think twice about taking one or saying no when being offered one.

What do you think about catalogues? Do you recycle them? Do you receive too many.

You can read the rest of the article here

Yes you are still reading it right.

The Pilot Pen Company has created a pen whose casing looks like a water bottle complete with centred label and it’s all part of their new venture into recycled writing instruments.

It’s called B2P as in Bottle to Pen and is 89% recycled. Can you guess what this Pilot Pen is made out of? Yes! Recycled Plastic Bottles and it shows rather creatively what the previous life of the product was.

Innovative design and environmental excellence are just part of the story as it’s designed to give superb writing performance in three vivid gel ink colours - black, blue or red - and two tip sizes, fine and extra fine.

The Pilot Pen Company hasn’t just impressed us with the green and creative credentials of the B2P Bottle 2 Pen writing instrument, they have already been one of the leaders in the field with eth BegreeN range which they say has established them as the writing industry’s leading range of recycled writing instruments.

The BegreeN range of pens, from what we could see contain no less than 70% recycled material which is amazing.

View the full range of BegreeN pens today at Whistle Ink. We provide full product information which means we also list how much recycled content the Pilot pen is made up of.

And listing prices from five leading supplies stores means that you can buy at the lowest price possible.

Buy Green and Save a Packet!

Ok so have you tried any pens with a recycled content? If so what was the feel and quality like? Would you recommend them? Write in and let office supplies shoppers in the UK know!

This has to be one of the crazier stories I have come across where after seeing post it notes displayed on windows of a company, a company on the opposite side were inspired into getting into contact with them with post it notes.

So they raided their stationery cupboard and responded with ‘hello’
Just to be able to write that backwards is a skill but in post-it notes? That’s just pure genius (and a sign the boss is away!)

Anyway in the end they managed to arrange a drink down the local!

You can read the full story here

Or so Stefan Aschan writes in his blog titled ’5 Excercises you can do anywhere’. Just make sure you have raided your office supplies cupboard before hand for rubber bands.

Stefan writes

Rubber bands are light to carry, provide you with different resistances and are cheap to buy. You can workout at the beach, by the pool or at your home. It really is the on-the-go workout gym.

Right…..

As I do Bicep Curls in a proper gym I was interested in his first tip.

Biceps curls: Stand on the rubber band with your right foot. Take both ends and pull your hands to the shoulder and release slowly.

There are five tips in total and I’m not too sure too sure I have any rubber bands that would stretch that much. I may even injure myself as they snap easily.

To read the rest of the workout click here

If you want to try these exercise out using rubber bands please write in and tell us how you get on or maybe even send a picture!

If you are looking to stock up on rubberbands we have a budget stretching (get it?) range of rubber bands so check out our site.

According to recent surveys as many as 46% of office workers have had an office romance. Hardly surprising given that we see our colleagues more than we see anyone else. This is not good news though for partners left at home while their other halves make whoopee in the stationary cupboard!

Heres a sickly sweet Youtube video of a couple that ignite an office romance using Post-it notes.

Its quite funny and cleverly made. The music that companies this mini silent movie is reminiscent of childrens fair ground rides and adds to the films cheese factor!

Be warned though, post-it romance is on the increase and an admirer near you could be sending some post-it art romance your way very soon!
Either that or youll be the one sending the post-its.

Another great way to let your hearts desire know you admire them is to simply pop your telephone number on a post-it or if you have none of these use some blue tack and a piece of office paper and affix it to their pc monitor. They wont miss it there thats for sure.
0D
Alternatively you could just approach them and invite them for lunch.
Far more civilized but much less fun.

Meanwhile why do office workers always retreat to the stationary cupboard for secret love making sessions? Is it the irresistible allure of the ..

Clean white sheets paper sheets that is

Or the

Stacks of large brown envelopes?

I doubt it. Its more likely due the fact its dark, its discreet and its that or the cleaning cupboard.

If you know of any other ways to romance colleagues in the office using office supplies let us know!

HHmmm strange one this

The first sentence in the article in the Times reads ‘A group of office staff have discovered they work better together when they are NAKED.’

I can see how this might be true after all if you were naked at work you wouldn’t want to get up out your chair so work would get done.

A psychologist was brought in to boost team spirit at ‘onebestway’ and suggested going naked.

Personally I would have suggested a booze fuelled weekend on the company credit card after which colleagues would either love or hate each other. If they hate each other, then another booze up would be needed. : P

The front of house manager says:

It was brilliant. Now that we’ve seen each other naked, there are no barriers.

One comment writes ‘If you have to strip off to talk to each other “much more honestly” than you’ve got real problems to boot (and not just communication ones)’

Which is spot on really.

Would you get your kit off to better connect to your colleagues or would you not be able to talk to them at all after?

Heres the rest of the article and some pictures.

I came across this review of pens that Times (www.thetimes.co.za) asked an actress to review.

They asked Cherie van der Merwe to try some ballpoint pens and see which would be ‘good for writing the plot of her novel and which would be good for ’signing her publishing contract’!

Writing about the Pilot pen, Cherie says ‘it fits comfortably into her hand and has an added rubber triangular grip to stabilise the writing position. The pen uses oil-based ink which flows smoothly from the ballpoint tip.’

Van der Merwe thinks ‘the trusty, no-frills Bic pen, made of plastic with a plain black cap, now comes in a gel ballpoint with dark ink’ is better for drawing than for writing.

“It writes like a fine liner and the ink is very dark,” she says.

‘The Papermate pen has a retractable spring nib that can be clicked out with the thumb.’ The rubbery feel is appealing to her.

I’m not so keep on rubbery bits on pens maybe because these pens are big – they just don’t feel right if you know what I mean.

“It has good grip,” she says, “but it feels too thin in my hand. It writes well and produces a medium-dark script.”

Lastly, she tries the metal Parker pen, which she rates the highest of all.

“This pen is far more solid than any of the others. It has a very nice weight and is comfortable to hold.”

“This is the kind of pen you’d take care of. It is the one you wouldn’t want to lose.”

This is so true but I haven’t had a Parker pen for years, in fact many many years since high school I think then I gave up. I only really see them as a gift item for some reason. In this day and age would we really get be overjoyed writing in a cartridge pen?

What pens do you like? Do you like pens with a grip? Do you own a Parker Pen? In fact does anyone still write with a cartridge pen of any kind? Do let us know.

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