Reply to: It's getting cold here

[thunderlizard]

I saw one office that had stopped ordering those sticky yellow notes, and had a basket full of ripped up waste paper for people to use instead. That lasted about 3 weeks because the draughts from the doors and windows kept making everybody's notes float all over the place.

[MPwannadecentincome]

Hmm... I spot a plan B. Anyone know where I can make USB heaters?

Try china - their factories are dying for business!

[PRC1964]

ClientCo have turned the heating down by 2 degrees in an attempt to save money.

Of course, they won't be cutting back on mindless bureaucracy, the top heavy management or the bulltulip motivation posters budget.

Any other tales of mad attempts to save money?

Hmm... I spot a plan B. Anyone know where I can make USB heaters?

[minestrone]

I have seen the bog roll budget go down at one place.

From quilted one day to the rough unabsorbent stuff you end up chasing the crap round your arse for 5 minutes the next day.

[Board Game Geek]

Platypus took the name of the Biscuit God in vain and spoke : When I ran a company 20 years ago, I stopped the purchase of biscuits from petty cash.

HERETIC !

You would have been defenstrated if you pulled a stunt like that at a Doctor's Surgery.

I kid you not, in my line of work I visit surgeries, and without failure, every one has "The Big Biscuit Tin" in the Staff Room.

The NHS runs off tea and biscuits !

[Platypus]

When I ran a company 20 years ago, I stopped the purchase of biscuits from petty cash.

Since then I've realised that it's the small things that incentivise the staff (free biscuits, a bottle of wine at Christmas).

I still embarrassed at how naive I was then.

[Sysman]

Actually doing a monthly print-run of 30,000 payslips would be quite costly.

I know because I implemented an online payslip system for a big co to save money and it has saved several million pounds over the next few years.

I can believe that; what was so absurd was that HR were claiming such a small amount saved.

[Board Game Geek]

Aye, I've seen the staff rota for cleaning trick as well.

It wasn't hugely popular, particularly when the secretaries had to deal with, ahem, "blockages" in the men's traps.

Lasted about 2 weeks before the staff rebelled en masse.

The other one I saw was no more free coffee or tea.

The vending machine went, and was replaced by a kettle, and staff had to bring in their own tea, coffee and milk.

I know of one place where the staff car park was sold to a private company, who then erected pay machines (the office is slap bang in the middle of a high steet shopping area).

So now the staff have to pay to park, and try to fight with the general public who also use the same car park.

2 staff were wheel clamped the other week.

[bobsyouruncle]

In one permie job they got rid of the cleaners...and produced a rota for us all to clean the office

[MPwannadecentincome]

One from 2003. The permies at that place were told to print their own payslips. Savings of 70,000 euro a year were claimed.

Permie headcount? 30,000.

that's the opposite of what happened when our company was bought up a few years ago, no more payslips in the internal mail - they started paying to post them to our home addresses!

[DimPrawn]

One from 2003. The permies at that place were told to print their own payslips. Savings of 70,000 euro a year were claimed.

Permie headcount? 30,000.

Actually doing a monthly print-run of 30,000 payslips would be quite costly.

I know because I implemented an online payslip system for a big co to save money and it has saved several million pounds over the next few years.

[Sysman]

I suppose they printed them at work.

That was the idea, yes. The only folks who could print them from home needed clientco issued laptops to get onto the network.

But don't expect HR to have thought of that, they were getting stuff off their budget.

[minestrone]

In 2002 I worked in a place that was so cold I used to wear a North Face fleece and woolly hat at my desk.

[foritisme]

The canteen here have removed the serviettes from the general dispenser and are now behind the till. You get 1 per meal !


I always like to keep a few spare on my desk for coffee spillages etc

[swamp]

One from 2003. The permies at that place were told to print their own payslips. Savings of 70,000 euro a year were claimed.

Permie headcount? 30,000.

I suppose they printed them at work.