Ole June 2014 a-stat

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

JUNE 2014 ALSO INSIDE : Make lunchtime work for you | It’s time to start the picnicking

BOOK THE PERFECT VENUE A guide to the best event spaces available for your office experiences

CONTENTS

J U N E 2 014 We’re flying headlong into the summer party season and all of the fun and fretting that can offer in equal measure. While the rest of the office looks forward to cucumber sandwiches and Pimms, it’s up to you to ensure both are there in abundance, in a setting that everybody enjoys. With that in mind, we’ve got some fantastic venue ideas for a host of office events.

If all of that party organisation has got you hot and bothered, you can also find out how to supercharge your day with a healthier, more active lunchtime.

Also, Sir Alan Sugar’s right-hand man Nick Hewer takes 60 seconds out of his busy schedule to talk about his latest charity venture. Elsewhere we’ve got some great ideas for a white wardrobe this summer and the best picnic accessories to make your al fresco lunches go off with a bang.

Have a great June…

Tel: 01902 746077 Fax: 01902 743893 www.astat.co.uk designer

publisher

designer/production

senior account manager

circulations

account executive

krystle.davis@intelligentmedia.co.uk

ON THE JOB JOB NEWS The latest career news of choice VENUE HIRE Find the perfect space for your office excursion MAXIMISE YOUR LUNCHTIME Make the most of a healthy and active lunch hour 60 SECONDS WITH Apprentice stalwart and philanthropist Nick Hewer

OFFICE CATWALK It’s a fashion whitewash AND ONE MORE THING… Taking the pain out of the morning commute

editor

matthew.moore@intelligentmedia.co.uk

SAY WHAT?!

Too much information

BREAKTIME Catch up with the latest reviews and recipes Editor George Carey

vicki.baloch@intelligentmedia.co.uk

UPDATE In-flight irritations and bears falling from the sky

LUNCH BREAK

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

george.carey@intelligentmedia.co.uk

NOTICE BOARD

sarah.chivers@intelligentmedia.co.uk

peter.hope-parry@intelligentmedia.co.uk

natalia.johnston@intelligentmedia.co.uk

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WORST IN-FLIGHT IRRITATIONS Children kicking or banging seats and late departures or arrivals head the nation’s list of ‘plane annoying’ behaviour, according to new research from Gocompare.com travel insurance.

Other irritating in-flight behaviour making it into the top 10 include crying or unruly infants, drunk fellow passengers and rude cabin crew.

More than 1,350 UK adults who had flown abroad in the last five years were asked to pick their top aeroplane annoyances. While many passengers had gripes about the service provided by the airlines, inconsiderate behaviour by fellow passengers was the cause of most malcontent.

Caroline Lloyd of Gocompare.com commented: “Anyone who has ever boarded a plane will, no doubt, recognise some, if not all, of the gripes making our top 10. There’s a fair chance that most airline passengers have been on the receiving end of a seat banger – be it a small child or a six-foot plus passenger trying to squeeze into a seat or an overly chatty stranger sitting in the adjoining seat.

“As our survey suggests, in the confined space of an aeroplane, flying at 30,000 feet there is little room for inconsiderate behaviour. So, as we approach the peak summer holiday season, a little in-flight etiquette will go a long way.”

MOBILE USERS STILL PAYING FOR OLD HANDSETS

More than nine million mobile phone owners could be forking out money each month for handsets that have already been paid off in full, according to new research by uSwitch.com.

Almost a third (31%) of mobile users say they are on pay-monthly contracts that are up for renewal, and haven’t yet switched to new deals.

Almost three quarters (71%) of Brits on paymonthly contracts opt for deals that come with ‘free’ mobile handsets – where the handset is not paid for up front but absorbed into the customer’s monthly bill. This means that when the contract ends they continue to pay their bills, they are effectively paying for a handset that has already been paid off. If these mobile users switched to SIM-only contracts or new pay-monthly deals, they could save a staggering £1bn collectively – or £104.40 each –over a 12-month period.

There’s more reason than ever to find a new deal as almost a quarter (23%) of UK mobile users regularly exceed their data allowances, paying £7.60 per month in out-of-tariff data charges. This means that, annually, Brits are wasting more than £885m simply by not being on a contract that best suits their data usage.

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IN BRIEF YOUNGER GENERATION STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH In contrast to the popular belief that older people are more likely to feel isolated and lonely, research from Aviva’s new Health Check UK Report reveals that 18-24 year-olds in the UK are suffering significantly more from feelings of loneliness than any other generation.

Despite being continually connected through social networks, or perhaps because of this, just under half (48%) of 18-24 year-olds said they often feel lonely, compared to a quarter (25%) of people aged over 65 and a UK average across all ages of 34%.

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year focuses on anxiety, data from the survey of 2,000 UK adults also shows that anxiety is highest amongst the younger generation.

More than a quarter (27%) of 18-24 year-olds say they have suffered from anxiety in the last year, compared with 23% of 35-44 year-olds and 11% of people aged over 65.

The so-called ‘Generation Y’ has often been criticised for being a ‘me, me, me’ generation filled with expectation and a sense of entitlement, yet the report shows that a range of mental health problems are common and more prevalent in this age group.

Monkey boy A six-year-old boy has grown a tail, and is now worshipped as a god-like figure in his local village.

Amar Singh’s 12-inch tail has been woven from a large patch of thick black hair growing on the small of his back. Villagers in Nijmapur, in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India, have hailed it as a sign that he is connected to the Hindu god Hanuman, a monkeylike deity.

UnBEARable A large black bear had a less than gentle landing after it was shot out of a tree using a tranquilliser gun. Animal welfare officials were waiting at the bottom of the tree in Panama City, Florida, with a large sheet of tarpaulin to catch the animal. But the 113kg beast ripped straight through it as it fell from the tree, hitting the ground. Luckily for the animal, it was unhurt.

We give you our pick of the top comedy viral videos this month. Click on the text below and enjoy. Tweet us your top videos @olemagazine

GONE VIRAL

Champagne doesn’t always look cool

You’ll need more than sunscreen

Reactions to Game of Thrones

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T A H W S AY

?

PA C K A G I N G PAY

S PA C E I N VA D E R

I am due a pay review later this month and am dreading asking for more, knowing full well that I am lucky to be in a good job and get what I already receive. Should I ask for a rise and risk my penny-conscious boss getting his knickers in a twist?

Tom, Plymouth.

My colleague is always knocking on my office door with everything that comes to her mind. I work closely with her and value her thoughts, but it can sometimes be a bit of a distraction.

How do I tell her to bother me less often without hurting her feelings?

Sarah, Ilford

Yes, we are only just recovering from a recession, but it has also become a fantastic excuse for more affluent companies to take advantage of job-hungry employees, happy to make mere pennies. You know your worth, and you probably have some idea of the profitability of your boss and company. Take a look at comparable jobs in the listings and focus on your achievements and why you deserve a payrise, rather than the inadequacy of your current pay.

At least you have an office door. One solution is putting a note on said door that says you’re busy, but this can make you seem aloof and may not be welcome by the rest of the office. Another idea is to block time out in your Outlook diary as meetings when you’re trying to get work done. Why not set up a weekly meeting with her at an official venue for her thought-sharing? Next time she knocks, you could gently suggest she saves it for your meeting.

caption competition

“

This month’s picture

Last month’s winner: Sasha, Torquay

Despite all of his skills, Dave was just too nuts to handle the job. He always cracked under pressure. ”

Win £50 worth of M&S vouchers! Email your captions to editor@olemagazine.co.uk

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on the job

JOB NEWS e Are performanc ? monitors unfair

nior leaders has Confidence in se t ar low, with almos ye otw a to n lle fa that oyees believing pl em of ird th e on s are agement system an m ce an m or rf pe of rding to a survey co ac ’s at Th ir. fa un ished employees publ 0 50 2, an th e or m e.

Halogen Softwar by the CIPD, with s that almost a The survey reveal n is s feel progressio third of employee g one in five statin unachievable, with n’t communicate their managers do pectations well. objectives and ex ers calling on manag The CIPD is now ees lk to their employ to step up and ta ent or risk losing about developm valuable talent. r , research advise Claire McCartney mented: ”It’s not at the CIPD, com ns are b-seeking intentio surprising that jo their oyees lack faith in still high, as empl agers.” leaders and man

London economy set for rapid growth Forecasts from the Centre for Eco nomics and Business Research (Cebr) for the London economy show the capital growing faster than previously exp ected, as conditions continue to improve.

The London economy is now expect ed to expand in real terms by 4.2% ove r 2014 as a whole and by 3.4% in 201 5.

This is from October forecasts of 3.8 % and 2.9% respectively, thanks to a sharp and sustained increase in both bus iness and consumer confidence in the cap ital, suggesting the economy has recove red strongly. These estimates mean Lon don is expected to restore its status as the fastest growing UK region after the South East held the title in 2012 and 2013.

In fact, Cebr’s forecasts for London and the UK as a whole show that the capital will be accounting for almost a third of all the growth in the UK ove r the next five years to 2019. That is, of the 10.7% UK GDP growth expected in the next five years, 3.5 percentage poi nts are expected to come from London.

This, despite the region accounting for only 13% of total UK employment.

on the job

Workplace optimism on the rise Consumer confidence is at its highest level in almost seven years as economic optimism among British workers increases, figures from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) suggest.

The research shows marked year-on-year improvements in the number of employees receiving pay rises, bonuses and promotions as well as the number of people starting new jobs. Furthermore, the data, taken from YouGov’s Household Economic Activity Tracker, finds that fewer people have seen colleagues laid-off in the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, the YouGov/Cebr Consumer Confidence Index is at its highest level since July 2007, before the financial crisis, and is close to reaching its pre-credit crunch peak.

Stephen Harmston, head of syndicated research at YouGov, commented: ”Over the course of the long recession and slow recovery, consumer confidence has been somewhat fickle. However, the improvement in the labour market suggests that economic optimism is starting to reach workers as well as consumers; it is clear that this recovery has legs. The economy is approaching escape velocity and in the summer consumer confidence will surge past its pre-2008 peak.”

Good news.

Top office data threats revealed The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published a new security report highlighting eight of the most common IT security vulnerabilities that have resulted in organisations failing to keep people’s information secure.

Vulnerabilities covered in the ICO’s report comprise: • a failure to keep software security up to date; • a lack of protection from SQL injection; • the use of unnecessary services; • poor decommissioning of old software and services; • the insecure storage of passwords; • failure to encrypt online communications; • poorly designed networks processing data in inappropriate areas; and • the continued use of default credentials including passwords.

The ICO’s Simon Rice has published a series of blogs explaining the key aspects of the ICO’s latest advice.

S TAT AT TA C K

4.2%

The expected expansion in real terms of the London economy in 2014

on the job

F I N D YO U R

S PA C E Breaking out of the office for an away day can sink or swim among staff. But as Hire Space’s venue expert LAURA RICHARDS says, if you find a fun venue, the rest will follow

G

etting colleagues excited about the prospect of an away day can be one mean feat. If you don’t do your preparation, bonding outside the boardroom may be a thoroughly awkward affair. One thing you definitely need to get right is the venue itself – finding a good space for positive action is key. Luckily, London offers up just the type of fun venues that should have away day attendees looking forward to the next out of office event. So whether you’re the decision-maker or you want to hold some sway on plans for the next away day, here’s a list of workshop, conference and blank canvas spaces that are bound to go down well in the office.

on the job

BRIGHTER THAN THE BOARDROOM - LUMIERE Bright and beautiful, Lumiere will lighten up any company conference or workshop event. The London Bridge studio space is done up in a shabby chic fashion that’s bound to appeal to you and your colleagues, especially if you’re going for creative as opposed to corporate for when you finally break away from the office.

Gather a small group on sofas, or set up larger spaces for a super stylish presentation.

EAST END EVENT - 4TH FLOOR STUDIOS Working in media? Then we’ve got a place for you cool kids that’s just as trendy as its East End postcode might imply. 4th Floor Studios is set just off Brick Lane and has... wait for it... a roof terrace! An East End rooftop is the holy grail, and when coupled with a pool table in its break-out area, there’s plenty to attract staff to this workshop or conference space.

In fact, good luck kicking them out once the event’s all over.

A RAVE REVIEW VENUE - STUDIO SPACES Putting on a high impact away day for the whole of your swarming company? Studio Spaces could be the place for you. The E1 venue in Shadwell used to be a nightclub – a great space for conferences – while Studio Spaces E2 is a former Shoreditch rail station that would suit smaller workshops. If that doesn’t impress away day attendees, how about the fact that the venue’s fully licensed?...

“FINDING A POSITIVE SPACE FOR POSITIVE ACTION IS KEY” A ROOM WITH A VIEW - SKYLOFT Whisk the team up to the top of Millbank Tower for an away day to remember. Much like sister venue Altitude 360, Skyloft serves up 360-degree views of the capital - pretty cool, huh? Kitted out with state-of-theart AV equipment, the interior of this warehouse-style space is just as inspiring as the views it offers across the capital. That’s one way to reward the whole team.

PING PONG POW-WOW - BOUNCE Get them round a different type of table altogether. How about gathering colleagues at Bounce ping pong for an away day with a difference? You can brainstorm around the table tennis table and then switch things up with a game of wiff waff when momentum seems to slow. If you want to boOst your company’s cool credentials, Bounce is exactly the sort of place to book.

THE STAGE IS SET - HACKNEY EMPIRE Bet you didn’t know you could hire out historic Hackney Empire? For a companywide away day, pack them into the upper circle and put on a conference, talk or performance that’s bound to wow.

After all, those on stage will be treading the very same boards as Ben Elton et al.

on the job

OPTIMISE YO U R LUNCH HOUR

Avoid the afternoon slump by giving your lunch break an energy boost. Here are ways you can make your 60 minutes work for you

on the job

I

t’s clear the British public is stuck in a lunchtime rut. According to The British Council, people in the UK eat 2.8 billion sandwiches each year, which are more than likely scoffed over a keyboard as more than half of UK workers, according to Business Environment, take lunch breaks of less than half an hour thanks to job pressures. It’s high time that the lunch break was restored to its rightful importance to offer you respite and regeneration. Why not try revamping your lunch hour?

MIX UP YOUR SANDWICHES On average, workers are spending around £3 on sandwiches every day, with some spending up to £5, which can be a silent killer for your bank account. Nigel Berman, founder of www.nigelsecostore.com, says lunchtimes are making a huge dent in salaries and some people are spending more than £25 a week.

He says: “People are spending a small amount every day, so they don’t think about the cost over the year and it can really add up. The research shows that the average spend is around a staggering £1,000 a year.”

Just over 66% of the workers surveyed by Nigel’s Eco Store said they always make their own sandwiches and women are three times more likely to make their sandwich than men. Of those that don’t make their own, around a quarter said they would be persuaded if they had some good ideas for fillings.

According to health experts, as well as helping to save hundreds of pounds a year, homemade sandwiches can be better for you. Kate Arnold, of Kate Arnold Nutrition, explains: “Bought sandwiches can be pricey, and you have no control as to what goes in them. They are often very high in fat and calories so making your own at home can be so much better for your health and your purse.

“The issue I have with bought sandwiches is they are all bread and no filling. By making them at home you can reduce the carbohydrate, choose your own bread and create a high-protein filling for less than half the price of a shop-bought sandwich.

“Choose a good-quality wholemeal bread, or whatever suits you, and really fill it with protein. Leave the mayonnaise and focus on high-protein foods as a salad sandwich will not fill you up.”

BREAK OUT Going for a walk during your lunch break makes you less tired and more alert at work, according to research by the University of Birmingham and Bristol University, which investigated whether people with sedentary jobs who took little exercise could improve their health, wellbeing and work performance by taking 30 minute walks over the lunchtime three times a week.

Fifty-seven participants completed a 2km pre- and post-walk test after undertaking the lunchtime walks over a period of 16 weeks.

The results showed that participants were able to complete the 2km walk much faster than before, suggesting improvements in fitness, and that they felt less tired and more alert at work for the rest of the day.

Head researcher Dr Elizabeth Loughren explains: “We have all experienced that sluggish feeling after lunch and this can affect productivity. Employers should be aware that by encouraging workers to take a quick walk in the early afternoon they can help maintain energy levels and improve general health levels.”

BOOST ENERGY FROM THE INSIDE OUT Low energy levels at work may lie in poor management of nutrition, according to professional wellbeing expert Dr Dorian Dugmore. “Our diets tend not to be optimised for our working days and this means that many of us are listless and lacking in energy for significant parts of our working lives,” he explains.

“We often put this down to our natural need for an afternoon siesta, but there is more to it than that. Foods and drinks that give slower energy release, for instance, are far better for us and can help us to maintain energy levels and enthusiasm throughout the day.”

Studies have found that healthier foods and drinks can have a significant impact on personal performance in the workplace and because of this juice manufacturer Pomegreat is calling for clearer guidelines for workers on how to manage their nutrition during the day to maximise performance.

CEO Adam Pritchard said: “We’re all familiar with the afternoon slump but our study shows that the problem may be more widespread. Small changes to our diets could make a huge impact on our personal productivity and the success of British business.”

“SMALL CHANGES TO OUR DIETS COULD MAKE A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY AND THE SUCCESS OF BRITISH BUSINESS”

on the job

6 0 S ECONDS WITH…

NICK H E W E R Lord Sugar’s Apprentice aid and

philanthropist tells us about his latest project

It was a chance meeting with Street Child founder Tom Hewitt that alerted Hewer to the plight of West African children.

Learning that there are more than 50,000 street kids in Sierra Leona alone, the former PR impresario decided to lend his expertise to the cause.

What’s the aim of Street Child?

Q1

What Street Child does is identify kids and reunite families, but what they do in order to stop the children from running away again is give them a little ground of just £50. In Sierra Leone this is a lot of money, though for us it’s nothing.

When these kids can stay at home they can go to school. In the rural areas, if there isn’t a school we build one for them. We don’t need much money to build a school - it only costs £12,000 to build a school that would be big enough for 250 children. That isn’t a lot of money, is it? And it only costs £1,000 a year to run and then kids get a decent education. And everything stems from getting a decent education.

What makes Street Child different from other projects?

Q2

Street Child is doing incredible work, making tremendous inroads. And the unusual thing about this project is that it can be done. I’m not in any way being disrespectful of the efforts of Children in Need, but that is so big that it is sometimes hard to see what is being done and what needs to be done. What we are saying here is that we only need enough for 50,000 kids. We could do this in a couple of years. It is not impossible to see an end to this craziness. It is achievable. You could actually finish this one off.

What will you be doing on a personal level to make this happen?

Q3

I am convinced it is a very worthwhile thing to support. And if [my celebrity] is helpful, then why not? It’s all very well saying we have government backing, but we have to raise the money. It’s just £50 to save a family. All you have to do is not take your girlfriend out for dinner on Saturday You can support Street Child in their quest to help thousands of children leave the streets and receive an education. To donate £3, text ‘STREETCHILD £3’ to 70707 or visit www.street-child.co.uk for more details.

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lunch break

BREAKTIME desktop dining WEST END W AT C H

THE BOOK OF MORMON If you like your musicals accompanied by a dirty laugh, then this is the one for you.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, renowned South Park creators, have struck comedy gold with this outrageous and raucous romp through Africa and religious belief. Join the Latter Day Saints missionaries as they attempt to convert a small village and find their way back to the promised land – Salt Lake City. This is Broadway camp of the highest order and you’ll be tapping your feet to the tunes as often as you’ll be laughing at the jokes.

S A L M O N W I T H PA S S I O N F R U I T, O R A N G E A N D T H Y M E S AU C E SERVES TWO Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS 2 x 125g fillets of wild Alaska salmon Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange Sprigs of fresh thyme 400g small new potatoes, scrubbed 20g butter 1 tbsp. olive oil 4 tbsp. Cointreau or dry white wine 1 passion fruit Long-stem broccoli or green beans, to serve Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD Rub orange zest, thyme leaves and black pepper on the salmon. Put the potatoes on and simmer for 15-20 minutes. When they have been cooking for 10 minutes, heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan and add the salmon, searing on all sides. Add the Cointreau and let it bubble, then add orange juice. Squeeze the passion fruit over, then add more thyme. Cook gently for 4-5 minutes.

Cook the broccoli for 4 minutes and serve together.

lunch break

T R E AT Y O U R S E L F WATCH THIS X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director Bryan Singer has assembled a bumper cast for the latest film in the franchise, which unites actors from the original X-Men film trilogy and sees them join forces with their younger selves from X-Men First Class in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future. Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are playing different versions of the characters Professor X and Magneto, and they will be joined by Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage and Ellen Page.

Out now

POWER HOUR Muddy madness People have moved on from triathlons and want something even tougher now. According to muddyrace.co.uk, last year there were 70 of these Ironman-type events across the UK that involved 200,000 entrants running three or six-mile courses, clambering over walls and obstacles along the way. It’s an all-round cardiovascular and strength-building workout.

Train with moves such as pull-ups and pressups, or circuit classes at the gym. The World War Run in West Sussex on Sunday 29 June is a good example – you’ll plough through mud, swamp and water.

LISTEN TO THIS Johnny Cash

‘Out Among The Stars’ is a remarkable new album comprising 12 recently discovered Johnny Cash studio recordings. The tracks were originally recorded in Nashville in 1981 and 1984 and produced by Billy Sherrill. The recordings remained in the vaults during the years Columbia Records released Johnny Cash’s last albums for the label and were subsequently forgotten.

Featuring duets with June Carter Cash and Waylon Jennings, plus songs penned by Cash himself, Out Among The Stars is a great lost Johnny Cash album connecting the revolutionary rockabilly of his Sun Records years to the epochal final albums he made for American Recordings. Thirty years in the making, this is a classic Johnny Cash album, about to be heard for the very first time.

Out now

BOOK THIS BAKE-A-BOO

HHHHH What is it? Take yourself off for an entirely innocent afternoon tea with options of vegan and gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free cakes and treats.

Now a north-west London stalwart, this quirky little place won’t disappoint. The café is packed with fun, quaint chic items including doilies and net curtains, playing host to everyone from yummy mummies to hen dos.

86 Mill Lane Greater London

lunch break

LOVES ‘TIS THE SEASON TO PICNIC As the sun starts to raise its head for summer and Wimbledon gets going, it’s time for some al fresco dining in style

2 1

3 6

5 4

8 7 1. Home Candy, ‘Crystal’ salad bowl, £11.50 2. Home Candy, ‘Crystal’ pitcher, £12.50 3. Sainsbury’s, Check throw, £15 4. Wilko, Family cooler bag, £5 5. Dotcom Gift Shop, La petite rose flask, £12.95 6. Wilko, Melamine plates, £2.00 7. Sainsbury’s, Hot house picnic chair, £8.00 8. Dotcom Gift Shop, Traditional badminton set, £16.95

lunch break

O F F I C E C AT W A L K Make some white noise this season with the latest must-have achromic pieces to ensure you remain icy cool when the temperature rises…

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3

WOMEN

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1 Yumi, The classic lace mix dress, £70 2 Jaeger, Pique classic blazer, £150 3 Littlewoods, South zip neck blouse, £30 4 Steve Madden, Murphey loafer, £55

1

2 3

MEN 1 Asos, skinny white jean, £25 2 Land’s End, straight collar shirt, £29.99 3 Asos, white derby shoe, £70

lunch break

AND ONE MORE THING ...

A NEW APPROACH

Marketing manager ALEX SEAL tells us how to take the pain out of the morning commute

ALEX SEAL Marketing manager

Did you agree with the columnist?

Think you can do better?

Email us with your ‘And one more thing’ of approx. 300 words to editor@olemagazine.co.uk

There can’t be many phrases in the working day lexicon that have as many negative connotations as the morning commute.

It instantly conjures up feelings of frustration, tedium, and in extreme cases, abject despair. An uncomfortable commute can turn even the most level-headed member of society into a raging sociopath, ready to ruin the day of everyone around them, before it’s even really begun.

Having recently moved to London, I am now experiencing just how uncomfortable a nine-to-five commute can be in the capital.

I live near Harrow and work in Camden. My journey takes an hour by foot, overground rail and the brutally congested Northern Line.

As any working Londoner knows, the underground is especially torturous in the morning. The overcrowded carriages are like human sardine tins as people squeeze, push and barge their way into every available space. The entire experience can be so exhaustingly unpleasant that by the time you get to the office you feel that you deserve to take the rest of the day off to recover.

So how can we make this ordeal a little more tolerable? Well, firstly I believe it’s important to be conscious of each other. A little kindness goes a long way and making sure that we’re looking out for each other is the best way to make the start of the day more pleasant. Secondly, I think it’s worth getting up early and making sure you have plenty of time to get to the office. This means that you avoid the transport system before it gets overwhelmingly clogged as last-minute commuters rush to punch in on time. And finally, try and make your time on your commute count. Don’t just stare into space; read a good book or get some work done. In fact, these very words were penned somewhere between Kenton and Euston station.

Does this look familiar?

Lost and broken tapes. Poor quality sound. Backlogs.

Everything you need to make your life easier The Olympus Office Starter Kit Includes the DS-2500 Digital Voice Recorder and AS-2400 Transcription Kit Going digital saves you money with near minimal running costs and no broken tapes. Digital improves the sound quality of your recordings to help transcriptionists type clear and accurate documents.

The Olympus Transcription Kit controls playback and includes a footswitch, headset and software, ready to go.

On top of all that, the Olympus Digital Voice Recorder is a breeze to use as you will find compared to your old tape machine, the controls are reassuringly familiar.

For a demonstration, quote or product brochure please email dictation@olympus.co.uk or visit www.olympus.co.uk/voice

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