Binmen sent on 'happiness' course ["...airy fairy, out-of-date and discredited management speak..."]

Daily Telegraph ^ | Jan 20, 2011 | Caroline Gammell

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The employees – including binmen and street cleaners – are being asked to move pebbles around a table to indicate who they do and don’t get on with at work.

They are also asked to rate their colleagues at West Oxfordshire District Council by writing words on large placards, such as “professional” and “supportive”.

Last November, the prime minister defended plans to measure the nation’s happiness as part of an Office for National Statistics’ survey later this year.

The council course is compulsory for all 316 staff and they must attend the one hour sessions each month and keep a “happiness log” throughout the course.

Entitled “An Even Better Place to Work”, it was first piloted last year and introduced across the board last week.

It has been criticised at a time when the council has been asked to make £755,000 of cuts in this year’s budget.

A council whistleblower, who did not want to be named, said: “It's a complete waste of time and money.

“That is the opinion myself and a number of my colleagues have formed.

“It's all very airy fairy, out-of-date and discredited management speak from the 1990s. It's completely daft - absolutely beyond belief."

The source added: “The main thing is the council has a three-quarters of a million pounds shortfall and they're spending money on rubbish like this.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

“It's a complete waste of time and money.

“That is the opinion myself and a number of my colleagues have formed.

“It's all very airy fairy, out-of-date and discredited management speak from the 1990s. It's completely daft - absolutely beyond belief."

Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

On the list of things I do not miss from the 1990s.

[dennisw]

I love it when the English say “that’s rubbish” to say it is nonsense

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Too many government managers looking for something to do.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I work in the private sector. Same old stuff.

[dennisw]

AKA parasites
AKA useless eaters

[DH]

This brings back warm fuzzy memories of the first race relations classes (later changed the name to a more politically correct “human relations” title) we were forced to attend while working in civil service for the Air Force back in 74.

I can surely tell you that there was no “happiness” in those classes back then. We “whitey crackers” were mercilessly attacked for the sins of our great grandfathers for a period of one week.