Industry | 2010.01.15
Unthinkable? Continuing the cold snap at work
The snow melting from the streets means fewer embarrassing falls and shorter commutes (for now, at least – there are warnings of more iciness to come ). Amen to that. But amid all the polar-cap-sized hassle of the last few weeks there has been an unexpected blessing: the sheer delight of not having to clock in and out at the office as normal. The ability to drift in late, slope off early or – as the post-industrial euphemism has it – "work from home"; and all with no further justification to one\'s superiors than a brief nod at the window, and the Arctic wastes beyond. Conscientious souls may have found it a pain at first; others, however, surely welcomed the ability to fit their work around their lives, rather than the other way round. For many, the bad weather did not (as is usual) stop play – rather, it allowed a little more play into the daily routine. The passing of the cold snap should not mean the end of this delightful state of affairs. Instead, companies should bring in a regular tradition of cold-snap days: an armful of days each year where employees amble in and out as they please (on full pay, naturally). Some companies have such an enlightened approach to work – many more should, and the cold snap is a good prompt. Some factories may not be able to bring this in, and employees would need to co-ordinate their cold-snap days. British industry did not grind to a halt this month, even though workers were able to extend Christmas into a semi-holiday. Long live cold-snap days; long live white-collar flaneurism .
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/[...]e-continuing-cold-snap-at-work
