The EA to Auckland’s mayor Len Brown has pleaded guilty in court after she drove over a pedestrian in a shared zone championed by her boss. Courtney Riesterer appeared in court earlier this week following the April incident, in which she ran over a pedestrian in the city centre in a zone that has been […]

The infographic from Online Course Repost gives some helpful suggestions for both managers and employees for increasing workplace productivity.   Let Workers Determine their Workspace Never overlook the importance of the physical work environment. Whether your office is open space, cubicled, or a hybrid, what ultimately matters most is worker empowerment.   Worker-Empowered Offices Promote Personalized: Work spaces […]

Having unnecessary rules came top of a list of reasons for poor productivity in a study released today by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). CIPD’s latest Employee Outlook report, prepared in partnership with Halogen Software, points the finger at a lack of adequate resources to do the job (28%) and petty office […]

We recently met up with Lydia Bacon, a PA at Mazars LLP, to learn about her role and how she handles booking taxis for her company’s clients and executives. Who do you work for and what is your role? “I work for Mazars, an international accountancy firm. I’m PA to the UK Head of Tax, […]

Following the wedding of actress Jennifer Aniston and actor/director Justin Theroux on the island of Bora Bora in August, 28-year-old PA Carmel Musgrove drowned. Her family has now hired a top investigator to re-open an enquiry into her death, which was originally ruled an accident, according to Inside Edition. Musgrove was the PA to film […]

Burnout is now a recognised medical diagnosis in several countries. However, it’s a broad term and the reasons for it vary from person to person. Researchers at the University of Zaragoza in Spain recently discovered thee distinct causes of burnout and some ways to avoid them. DetachmentThe researchers found that overload burnout is commonly experienced […]

If you have an iPhone (which let’s face it, most of us do) then you need apps – apps specially designed to make your work easier. PC Mag has compiled the 100 best iPhone Apps of 2015 and PA Life has cherry-picked the most useful for you – to help with organisation and productivity. 1. Any.do Free; Premium […]

Almost two thirds of UK finance directors believe that there are more opportunities for women to move up the ranks in finance and accounting roles than 10 years ago.   This news also comes soon after the Government’s recent announcement regarding requirements for UK businesses to report gender pay gap data. Keyfindings include: ·         Increased opportunities […]

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has won a legal battle against a man who once posed as her former personal assistant to get a job and various valuable gifts. A federal court judge granted Winfrey and her TV network an injunction against notorious con artist Justin Jackson. Jackson, who once posed as Madonna’s manager to steal […]

Job-listing and recruitment site Glassdoor recently released a list of 20 of the best jobs for a healthy work-life balance based on employee feedback. The title of “personal assistant” came in at number 11 with a better-than-average rating. The ratings are based on a five-point scale, with one being “very dissatisfied”, three being “okay” and […]

Researchers at Arizona State University in the US have found substantial evidence of the workplace double standard against women. A recent study shows that women who express anger are punished, while men are rewarded with support. The study asked students to participate in a mock jury simulation in which two groups of six were given […]

More than 24 million Americans work from home at least some of the time. The ability to set your own office hours and take calls from your comfy sofa make working from home? Yes please!  But as more professionals seek the arrangement and more employers agree to it — there has been a 103% increase since […]

On Tuesday 27 October, live on air, the Outnumbered panel debated new research from Stanford and Harvard on whether worplace stress is shortening your life.   Every day stress isn’t good for your health but extra worry at work may add a couple of years off your life. A new study shows that men and women are at […]

Despite living in a world of constant connection through mobile phones, tablets, laptops and an ever-improving internet service, employers are still wary of telecommuting. However, a new study shows remote working actually has positive effects on employee performance. A study by Ravi S Gajendran, a professor of business administration at the University of Illinois, says […]

UK train commuters admit to missing their stop on their journey to work because they were up late checking their phones, according to new research commissioned by Vodafone. The study found that one in three commuters have slept through their stop because of tiredness, with 28% admitting they frequently wake up during the night to […]

Regular workdays can be scary enough but throuw Halloween into the mix and it is a virtual land mine of potential horrors. Rowdy pranks. Questionable costumes… Don’t get sucked into these tales of terror. Here’s how to enjoy Halloween in the workplace, without your antics haunting you… Make scares more festive than freaky. Last year, the […]

A 2012 study of HR staff found that those who had done an eight-week mindfulness meditation course were less likely to switch between tasks and showed improved memory, while a recent inquiry of public sector workers showed that mindfulness may reduce levels of absenteeism and alleviate stress. With this in mind, every Monday morning at […]

Nearly a third of employers have reported an increase in people coming to work while they are ill, according to the annual CIPD/Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey. The survey of nearly 600 employers finds that 31% of employers have seen an increase in so-called presenteeism in the last 12 months. It also shows that presenteeism is […]