Change your world @ work & change your life!
Sky News Report – Federation of Small Business lodges complaint against Benylin
For those of you who saw Sky News yesterday you may have seen or heard the discussion on Benylin. Amidst the Middle East Crisis was the complaint from the Federation of Small Businesses that the commercial for Benylin causes people who have cold symptoms to take a "Benylin Day" in bed - rather than struggling through a day at the office.
Message to the Federation of Small Businesses: Absenteeism rises when people are disgruntled with work and it is as you say a very serious problem. BUT; if you believe a television commercial is at the heart of the problem then you could sadly have lost credibility with a great many professionals currently working toward assisting businesses in helping their people get-gruntled and address absenteeism!
There is so much to be said about this reaction but firstly I’d like to find the creative team who came up with the ad that allegedly has influenced so many people to take the day off from work and learn how to ‘call in sick’ from the Benylin web site. Clearly they have done an outstanding job of achieving not only top-of-mind awareness at a time of difficulty in the ad industry (Perhaps they’ve been watching Ad Men? Is that what the new show is called?) but also they’ve managed to apparently break through all the clutter and noise and influence the general workforce to take a day off work, or at least that is what the Small Business Association feels.
Certainly if they had not achieved that prior to the complaint they may well have now. Given the press coverage caused by the complaint there has been more use of the brand name than it could have dreamed of. So my first reaction is ‘Well done to the ad team for proving that a TV ad can still create buzz, particularly a cold a flu remedy!
Next point: Dear Small Business Association. If you are unhappy with people not attending work because they are genuinely sick you have a problem. The ad you refer to and the woman you refer to clearly depicts a woman suffering from a very bad cold. Are you saying you would rather her suffer at work and continue to serve customers in retail stores, restaurants and other small businesses to ensure that her cold bug well and truly spreads through the general population probably causing further absenteeism? If people are forced to work during a severe cold it’s little wonder you are concerned with absenteeism but perhaps you need to look at your own practices prior to complaining about a television commercial that when you apply common sense to is really supporting the reduction of the spread of disease by people inappropriately reporting to work.
Next point: Dear Small Business Owner. If you have read any reports on employee engagement, absenteeism is at epidemic levels the world over and the winter weather that brings illness with it can substantially increase absenteeism but the root cause is far from the effects of a Benylin TV commercial. Without going into the detail here of the many other areas you should look to for the reasons your employees are calling in sick, I would suggest you start to look at your business practices, your employee engagement approaches, your retention activities or to remove all that corporate speak – are you treating people with the respect they deserve through the way you manage that keeps people wanting to come to work? If you are not, it just takes a cold to hit and the ability to get out of bed and go to that miserable job or boss who insists on having sick people show up for work – just flew out the door. And Benylin has nothing to do with that.
If you really want to address absenteeism, get serious about it and stop looking for excuses. Benylin is injecting a little common sense and looking for a solution to the problem by giving some simple advice – take a cold and flu remedy, rest and maybe the bug will depart a little quicker, you’ll reduce the risk of spreading it to your work mates and you might just be back at the top of your game delivering great service to your customers like you usually do – despite that miserable boss or business you work for!
There is nothing like a little controversy and an alternative view, my apologies to the Federation of Small Businesses for this differing view – I believe you to be a good body for the small business community, i’m just not with you on this complaint.
getGruntled - change your world at work - change your life!
Message to the Federation of Small Businesses: Absenteeism rises when people are disgruntled with work and it is as you say a very serious problem. BUT; if you believe a television commercial is at the heart of the problem then you could sadly have lost credibility with a great many professionals currently working toward assisting businesses in helping their people get-gruntled and address absenteeism!
There is so much to be said about this reaction but firstly I’d like to find the creative team who came up with the ad that allegedly has influenced so many people to take the day off from work and learn how to ‘call in sick’ from the Benylin web site. Clearly they have done an outstanding job of achieving not only top-of-mind awareness at a time of difficulty in the ad industry (Perhaps they’ve been watching Ad Men? Is that what the new show is called?) but also they’ve managed to apparently break through all the clutter and noise and influence the general workforce to take a day off work, or at least that is what the Small Business Association feels.
Certainly if they had not achieved that prior to the complaint they may well have now. Given the press coverage caused by the complaint there has been more use of the brand name than it could have dreamed of. So my first reaction is ‘Well done to the ad team for proving that a TV ad can still create buzz, particularly a cold a flu remedy!
Next point: Dear Small Business Association. If you are unhappy with people not attending work because they are genuinely sick you have a problem. The ad you refer to and the woman you refer to clearly depicts a woman suffering from a very bad cold. Are you saying you would rather her suffer at work and continue to serve customers in retail stores, restaurants and other small businesses to ensure that her cold bug well and truly spreads through the general population probably causing further absenteeism? If people are forced to work during a severe cold it’s little wonder you are concerned with absenteeism but perhaps you need to look at your own practices prior to complaining about a television commercial that when you apply common sense to is really supporting the reduction of the spread of disease by people inappropriately reporting to work.
Next point: Dear Small Business Owner. If you have read any reports on employee engagement, absenteeism is at epidemic levels the world over and the winter weather that brings illness with it can substantially increase absenteeism but the root cause is far from the effects of a Benylin TV commercial. Without going into the detail here of the many other areas you should look to for the reasons your employees are calling in sick, I would suggest you start to look at your business practices, your employee engagement approaches, your retention activities or to remove all that corporate speak – are you treating people with the respect they deserve through the way you manage that keeps people wanting to come to work? If you are not, it just takes a cold to hit and the ability to get out of bed and go to that miserable job or boss who insists on having sick people show up for work – just flew out the door. And Benylin has nothing to do with that.
If you really want to address absenteeism, get serious about it and stop looking for excuses. Benylin is injecting a little common sense and looking for a solution to the problem by giving some simple advice – take a cold and flu remedy, rest and maybe the bug will depart a little quicker, you’ll reduce the risk of spreading it to your work mates and you might just be back at the top of your game delivering great service to your customers like you usually do – despite that miserable boss or business you work for!
There is nothing like a little controversy and an alternative view, my apologies to the Federation of Small Businesses for this differing view – I believe you to be a good body for the small business community, i’m just not with you on this complaint.
getGruntled - change your world at work - change your life!
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TOP REASONS PEOPLE ARE DISGRUNTLED AT WORK - what are yours? Start a blog on how to fix this
1. I have different expectations than another generation.
2. I hear too much corporate speak and bable in the workplace.
3. I don't get credit for work done, ideas, or a good job.
4. I feel unappreciated or under appreciated.
5. My opinion doesn't count.
6. I don't feel I am being developed or learning something new.
7. I feel a negative vibe at work.
8. I dont feel I have the right tools or processes to do a good job.
9. i dont feel rewarded for the effort i put in.
10. I don't feel my health and welfare is put first.
2. I hear too much corporate speak and bable in the workplace.
3. I don't get credit for work done, ideas, or a good job.
4. I feel unappreciated or under appreciated.
5. My opinion doesn't count.
6. I don't feel I am being developed or learning something new.
7. I feel a negative vibe at work.
8. I dont feel I have the right tools or processes to do a good job.
9. i dont feel rewarded for the effort i put in.
10. I don't feel my health and welfare is put first.
Top GetGruntled Ideas for individuals
1.Stop your own grunting
a.Identify the Grunt factors in your work life
b.Find ways to eliminate your grunt factorsc. Start looking for things that are right.
2. Identify what you do that causes others to grunt and stop doing it!
3.Look at what others do that causes grunt factors
a.Management styles – how does the boss interact with their people?
b.Look for Babel at work and get rid of it
4.Create GetGruntled moments, things that can change your world at work.
a.Identify the Grunt factors in your work life
b.Find ways to eliminate your grunt factorsc. Start looking for things that are right.
2. Identify what you do that causes others to grunt and stop doing it!
3.Look at what others do that causes grunt factors
a.Management styles – how does the boss interact with their people?
b.Look for Babel at work and get rid of it
4.Create GetGruntled moments, things that can change your world at work.
GetGruntled Ideas for Companies
Look for ways to create getgruntled moments:
- get people involved at work to feel truly appreciated and have a vote at work
- address workplace stress and health issues
- help managers to create getgruntled moments in their peoples days
- show people how they can get into work to get more out of it!
- get people involved at work to feel truly appreciated and have a vote at work
- address workplace stress and health issues
- help managers to create getgruntled moments in their peoples days
- show people how they can get into work to get more out of it!
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