WITH Andy Murray's triumphs at Wimbledon and sunshine caressing large parts of the country, it's no wonder that Scottish workers are among the happiest in the UK.
A survey of staff at small and medium-sized businesses found 35 per cent admitted th
at their enjoyment of work was increasing.
Enjoying work? Whatever next?
The survey, carried out by Clydesdale Bank, also revealed that nearly a quarter of workers take more than 30 days off a year – way above the UK average of 9 per cent.
Not only are the Scots taking more time off, but we are also good at leaving the office behind: just 60 per cent admitted keeping in touch with the office while on holiday, compared to the UK average of 77 per cent.
Workers in the north-west of England and in the west Midlands were among the most miserable, with staff saying their enjoyment of work was declining.
Scott McKerracher, head of Clydesdale Bank's financial solutions centres in Scotland, said: "Business owners should try to ensure that their staff take full advantage of their annual leave entitlement.
"This could lead to a happier, more productive workforce."
FACT OF THE DAY
£8bnHIGHER inflation expectations and falling share markets pushed the UK's pension funds into the red last month, according to figures from Watson Wyatt.
The pension consultancy firm said the aggregate strength of FTSE 100 pension funds fell from a surplus of £23 billion at the end of May to a deficit of £8bn. The FTSE All Share Index, in which most pension funds invest, lost nearly 10 per cent during June.
KILLER QUOTE"THERE is no doubt that in both of our countries and throughout the world, we're feeling the burden of high oil prices and high food prices… There don't seem to be any obvious short-term solutions."
Henry Paulson, US treasury secretary, said stopping the rise in the price of oil would be tough but added a Doha deal would lower food prices.
GOOD DAY
iomartSCOTTISH website hosting company iomart has won a contract to host Aroxo, a new rival to eBay. Aroxo's online marketplace is undergoing private beta testing following three years of development work. It is due to launch "shortly".
BAD DAY
John Shevlin A FORMER Body Shop IT worker was yesterday fined £85,000 by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for market abuse. Shevlin obtained advance warning of the retailer's performance during the 2005 Christmas trading season and then bet on a fall in the group's share price.
The full article contains 433 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
