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Workers ‘too excited’ by Christmas to concentrate on the job, research shows to


Well over half of employed Brits (61%) admit


being distracted to new research at work


by Christmas as early as November, according


by HR


analytics company Peakon. A survey of more than 2000 people reveals that, for those of us who can hold our attention until December, we can’t wait much longer - with almost one in five (18%) saying they start to get distracted by festivities on the 1st of the month.


As Christmas creeps ever closer,


employees admit to a whole raft of distractions from their everyday work duties. Two in five people (42%) confess to doing Christmas shopping online, a third (35%) say they’re planning Christmas day and almost one in three (30%) are


planning their Christmas


break instead. One in six (16%) confess to indulging in the odd Christmas tipple on the job - with men twice as likely to take advantage of a festive drink than women (22% and 11% respectively). 17% of those surveyed leave work earlier than usual, and one in 10 (12%) take longer lunches. A small percentage


(4%)


confess to calling in sick. When asked why they’d slacked off, one in five (21%) respondents said they were simply ‘too excited’ to focus. A third (32%) said they had too much to plan ahead of Christmas day, 21% admitted to feeling ‘burnt-out’ and a fifth (19%) said workplace festivities such as Secret Santa or the office party were to blame. One in three (32%) said it was simply the case that business has slowed down and there’s less work to do at this time


of year. To gauge when the disruption businesses would become


to palpable,


Peakon conducted a follow-up study of 3,000 UK workers* and found that more than half (57%) admitted to their productivity noticeably declining ahead of the final week before Christmas (Monday 18th).


Dan Rogers, co-founder of Peakon, which helps businesses to measure employee engagement and retention, says: “I think it’s fair to say that the great Christmas ‘click-off’ is well and truly a thing, with a silent agreement in most workplaces that productivity takes a hit at this time of year. As a business, the worst thing you can do is bury your head in the sand; it pays to try to understand what is going on.”


Some employers are tackling this head on. Online marketing agency Distilled has offered employees Christmas shopping hours, whereby workers can take Friday afternoon off if they make up the time during the week. Distilled’s CEO, Will Critchlow, says: “A bit of distraction is inevitable at this time of year. We’re all human. So at Distilled, we don’t try to fight it too much - with flexibility for shopping, the odd long lunch, and generally trusting the team to plan their time. We might take a bit of a hit at this time of the year, but we trust our team and we know it balances out over time.” For more


detailed results, the-great-christmas-click-off-2017/ Vivaldi By Candlelight data


visualisations and top tips for employers visit


https://peakon.com/blog/post/


Christmas dinner advice for dogs and cats to ensure trouble-free festive fun


From a succulent roast dinner with all the trimmings to fruit-laden puddings, cakes and chocolates - not to mention nuts, mince pies and smoked salmon - Christmas Day is all about eating. And it’s not just as we like to indulge, but our much-loved four-legged family members too. It’s hard to resist slipping them scraps or even their own Christmas dinner from our leftovers, however, we need to be mindful that not everything on the Christmas menu should be shared. With this in mind, and to give pet owners a helping hand this festive season, insurer MORE


TH>N’s


qualified vet Andrew Moore has devised the ultimate Christmas dinner guides for cats and dogs, ensuring all the family can join in safely on the fun and the food this year. Andrew Moore, MORE


TH>N’S


veterinary consultant, explains: ‘We all overindulge at Christmas, but festive food in human-sized quantities is more no no no than ho ho ho for our pets. Most festive food is fatty, rich and can sometimes even be downright poisonous to cats and dogs. However it’s not all Bah Humbug, there are certain foods that are fine to feed your pet for one festive meal. When it comes to our pets and food, it’s all about moderation - so the one occasion you should act like Scrooge is to keep the festive treats small and then your pet can enjoy their very own Christmas meal this year, without any nasty repurr-cusions.’


Sweeney Entertainments presents Vivaldi by Candlelight performed by Britain’s best-loved classical touring ensemble, the Locrian Ensemble. Presenting a musical tribute to the great Venetian composer, Antonio Vivaldi, the Locrian Ensemble performs in front of a stunning classical set, attired in lavish period


costume.


musicians perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a composition which depicts


These charismatic 17th


century Italian rural life in a wonderfully inventive manner. Other works include the virtuoso Concerto for Two Violins, the Rustic Symphony, and classics such as Pachelbel’s Canon and Handel’s Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Vivaldi by Candlelight is at Swansea Grand Theatre on Tuesday 23rd January 7.30pm. Ticket Prices: £15.50 - £20.50. To book or for more information call the Box Office on 01792 475715.


18 - Friday 8th December 2017 – Cardiff & South Wales Advertiser


Christmas Dinner Guide For Dogs Starter FISH: Whilst salmon is a favourite amongst us, humans, it’s also a great starter for your dog as it is high in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids, which help support a dog’s immune system and also add shine to a dog’s coat. Choose plain salmon in spring water over smoked salmon though. Prawns - as long as they are well cooked and shelled - will also go down very well. Main MEAT: Treat your pooch to some turkey this Christmas. Choose small amounts of boneless and skinless breast meat, which can be added to your dog’s meal in moderation. VEGETABLES: To bring a bit of variety to their Christmas bowl, add some sprouts, swede mash, potatoes, green beans and parsnip, ideally served plain – before any butter or oil is added. Dessert Pudding is just as important as the main in our opinion and there’s no need to leave your dog out once the


dinner is over. Low in lactose desserts like yoghurt and ricotta cheese in moderation are a great option, as they are excellent sources of calcium and protein. You could also swap grapes and raisin-based desserts for blueberries and dried cranberries, which are both safe for dogs. TOP TIP: Don’t forget to remove a little bit of their normal food to even things out!


Christmas Dinner Guide For Cats Starter FISH: Cats too can tuck into a fishy starter with small amounts of canned tuna, which is a great source of protein in moderation Main MEAT: Small amounts of lean meats like skinless turkey breast can add some variety to their moggy menu VEGETABLES: Sprouts, swede, carrot and parsnip mash add some colour to their festive feast, but just make sure they don’t contain butter, seasoning or anything toxic such as onions or garlic. Dessert Sugar, spice and everything nice hold no interest for a cat, so don’t feel guilty when tucking in to your fourth dessert of the day – cats would much prefer to be eating savoury foods TOP TIP: Don’t forget to remove a little bit of their normal food to even things out! John Ellenger, Head of Pet Insurance MORE TH>N, added: “Eating the Christmas dinner has to be one of the most exciting parts of the festive period, so we wanted to make sure the whole family, including those with four legs, could come together and join in this year. We are, however, aware that there are also a lot of don’ts when it comes to feeding pets over the merry season, so we have also developed guides online with information on what our pets should avoid to ensure trips to the vet are kept to a minimum!’ We can’t forget that there’s a number of festive no-no’s that need to be avoided on dogs and cats festive menus this Christmas - the main foods being grapes, raisins, nuts, onions and chocolate. For guides on what not to feed your pet cat and dog this Christmas, please visit our advice pages on the MORE TH>N website. MORE TH>N also gives its customers access to the VetFone service, which gives you 24/7 emergency vet access even when you think the surgery will be closed over Christmas. Anytime, day or night, VetFone allows you to speak to a professional in order to get the best care for your dog.


www.cardiffandsouthwalesadvertiser.com


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