Tag: workplace

  • Dear male colleagues, Sherry Rehman has a message for you

    Dear male colleagues, Sherry Rehman has a message for you

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President and Parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman has highlighted a very common and a misogynistic issue women face in the workplace.

    In her latest post on X (formerly Twitter), Rehman alluded to male professionals in Pakistan who discriminate in their manner of addressing female colleagues.

    “I am sorry but I cannot allow myself to be called only “Sherry” if the colleagues next to me are called so and so sahibs along with their full names as a mark of respect.

    I have no problem if you call me Sherry if you are calling my other male colleagues by their first names too”, she pointed out.

    While men in workplaces are commonly referred to as ‘Sir,’ ‘Sahab,’ or by their full name out of respect for their professional status or simply their gender, women, on the other hand, are mostly called by their first name or derogatorily as ‘larki’ or ‘bibi,’ etc.

    While professionally, calling someone by their first name is not inherently wrong, using more socially respectful language for men compared to women makes the practice sexist.

    This lack of courtesy traditionally stems from the patriarchal idea of deeming women as intellectually and professionally inferior.

  • Four skills that are in super high demand in future workplaces

    Researchers have identified the four abilities that are most in demand in evolving workplaces by analysing hundreds of millions of recent job listings in the US.
    The report How Skills are Disrupting Work was developed in collaboration with the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), education publisher Wiley, and the Burning Glass Institute.

    • Artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)
    • Cloud computing.
    • Product management.
    • Social media.

    One of these skill sets was included as a necessity in one out of every eight job listings, according to the researchers.
    The report states that, “AI/ML, Cloud Computing, Product Management, and Social Media together exemplify skills disruption and serve as a laboratory for understanding the broader trend. The five-year growth rate for these four skill sets was 122% in 2021, compared with a 10% growth rate for the average skill over the same period.”

  • Bosses to face fine if they contact their staff after work hours, Portugal passes law

    Bosses to face fine if they contact their staff after work hours, Portugal passes law

    The Portuguese parliament passed a law on Friday and banned bosses from text messaging and e-mailing employees after working hours in order to improve work-life balance, reports BBC.

    Companies with more than 10 staff members can face fine if they contact their employees outside their contracted hours.

    The new law “right to rest” was introduced in response to an expansion of working from home in the country.

    Under this, companies will allow staff with children to work remotely, the companies also may have to contribute to higher household bills.

    Portugal’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, hoped that the enhanced labour protections would attract more foreigners to the country.

    Portugal already has a temporary resident visa scheme to attract entrepreneurs and freelancers.

    In parliament, there were some elements in the bill, for instance, the “right to disconnect”, which allows staff to turn off all work devices out of hours. However, it didn’t get approved.

  • Ellen DeGeneres is ending her talk show in 2022

    Ellen DeGeneres is ending her talk show in 2022

    Ellen DeGeneres, a staple of daytime American talk show culture, has said that she is ending her show after 19 seasons following allegations of toxic workplace, which DeGeneres says “destroyed” her. However, she insisted her decision to bring the curtain down on the daytime show named after her has nothing to do with allegations in the past year of a toxic workplace environment there, including bullying, racial discrimination and sexual harassment.

    “When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged. And as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter.

    Earlier, in 2020 when complaints from staffers working on the show came out, DeGeneres acknowledged there were problems and pledged to do better.

    “It almost impacted the show,” Ellen said. “It was very hurtful to me. I mean, very. But if I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn’t have come back this season.”

    Read more – Ellen DeGeneres sparks outrage for joking quarantine ‘feels like jail’

    DeGeneres is believed to have been considering ending the show for several years. In a 2018 New York Times profile, Ellen had revealed that her actress wife, Portia de Rossi, had been encouraging her to move on from the 180-shows-a-year gig, while her comedian brother, along with executives at Warner Bros., had urged her to continue. In the end, DeGeneres signed on for three more seasons but had decided that this contract — which would take her well beyond 3,000 shows, and a stunning 2,400 celebrity interviews — would be her last.

    She is scheduled for a television interview with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday to talk about ending the program.

    The final episode is scheduled for the spring of 2022.

    The 63-year-old host, writer, producer, actress and comedian won dozens of Emmy awards for the show and has been a pioneer of the LGBTQ community in America since she came out as gay in 1997. That revelation shocked America and nearly doomed her career.

  • Meesha Shafi shuts down fake reports of being sentenced to three years jail

    Meesha Shafi has trashed and shut down fake news reports which stated that she is being “sentenced to 3 years in jail for falsely accusing Ali Zafar of sexual harassment”.

    “Another day, another campaign spreading false information,” wrote the singer on Twitter. “Speaking up is way more exhausting than being groped.”

    Meesha further said: “This is why we end up suffering in silence. Sending lots of love and solidarity to all who speak up. It’s hard!”

    Meesha’s lawyer Asad Jamal also trashed the reports saying that “no such verdict has been passed by [the] trial court in the frivolous criminal defamation case instituted by Ali Zafar.”

    According to a report published in Samaa News, the entire matter started when fake news claiming that Shafi has been given a three-year sentence in a defamation case filed by Zafar started flashing on different Indian media outlets.

    On March 12, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ)published an article titled ‘Pakistani Singer Faces Prosecution for Accusing Pop Star of Groping Her‘. The report explained how Meesha “set off the country’s most high-profile #MeToo debate when she accused a fellow pop star of groping her. And now she was being prosecuted on a criminal defamation charge and is facing possible prison time.”

    UK-based tabloid Daily Mail misinterpreted the article in WSJ and wrote a misleading and false headline, which the Indian media picked and ran without verification. It is pertinent to add here that Zafar is a well-known name in India as he has worked in several successful Bollywood films.

    Later, Meesha also shared how she deals with “propaganda, abuse and false information”, detailing an hour-by-hour account of her day.

    Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan approved Shafi’s harassment case against Ali Zafar for hearing, which meant that the SC granted permission to hear the appeal based on its legal points and will deliberate whether Shafi’s accusations of sexual harassment come under the workplace harassment law.

    Background of the case

    In 2018, Meesha first came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Ali Zafar. She later filed a complaint with the provincial ombudsperson. After her appeal was rejected, she approached Governor Punjab, who upheld the ombudsperson’s decision. Meesha then challenged the Governor’s decision in Lahore High Court which again dismissed Meesha’s case for hearing on grounds that she did not have an employer-employee relationship with the accused.

  • Five science-oriented tips to deal with work stress

    Five science-oriented tips to deal with work stress

    We all have those days where almost everything is stressful and it becomes difficult to cope with even the little things happening around. It is normal to go through stress at work but it can affect your mood and performance if you don’t learn to cope up with it. Here are some extremely helpful, science-oriented tips that will help you deal with work-related stress. 

    Work out

    Exercise is proven to be one of the best stress relievers. Many people claim that exercising helps them get rid of all negative energies, resulting in a better mood. It pumps up your endorphins, the chemicals produced by your body to relieve stress and pain. Not everyone likes hitting the gym every day, so it’s better to find a physical activity you can enjoy and then try sticking to it. Working out can help you improve your overall physical and mental health.

    Write it down 

    Writing down your feelings and problems is another best way to deal with the stress coming from it. When you write, you let it out. So, instead of bottling your work-related frustrations, it is best to write it out. Journaling is considered to be an effective practice to deal with the stress at your workplace. This can also help you monitor the things that cause you stress. 

    Drink tea/coffee

    Since winter is around the corner, this doesn’t seem to be a bad idea. Caffeine is what always helps you stay focused even when there are chances for you to get distracted by things going around. Consumption of your favorite cup of tea and coffee will keep you motivated and improve your performance at work. You can even set up a tea/coffee station at your workplace so all your team members can also reduce their workplace stress. 

    Take a step back

    You don’t have to force yourself when you clearly need a break. Take a break from your work, turn away from your desk, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Remember you are a human, not a machine, you need a break to function properly. If you need a little more, step out, go for a walk, and breathe in fresh air.  

    Play music

    Music is also a great stress-buster. Pop in some headphones and listen to your favorite songs – especially the ones which make you feel light, positive, and motivated. It somehow distracts you from the present situation and takes you to another dimension where you feel relaxed. 

    Apply these five scientifically-proven tips to deal with work-related stress to pull yourself together and breathe easily. Last but not the least, it is highly recommended to leave work at work and unwind yourself at home.