Latest news with #CianMcCormack
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
How coffee badging became a new workplace trend
Analysis: it joins 'quiet quitting' as another pinch point between employers and employees over the future of the workplace This article is now available above as a Brainstorm podcast. You can subscribe to the Brainstorm podcast through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. The Covid pandemic led to many important changes in the workplace, most notably a shift from office work to remote work in many industries. As the pandemic subsided, businesses are starting to push employees to return to the office. This is, in part, because of a mistaken belief that remote workers are less productive than workers who return to the office. Organisations have used a mix of incentives (better opportunities for raises and promotions to employees who return to the office) and sanctions (warnings for failing to return to the office, dismissal) to persuade or force employees to return to the office. While employers often claim that returning to the office is critical for productivity or for maintaining the culture of their organisation, there are reasons to believe that employers have mixed motives for pushing their employees to return to the office, including their discomfort with managing remote workers and their growing realisation that remote work changes the power balance between executives and employees. Whatever their motivations, a growing number of executives are working hard to bring as many of their employees back to the office as possible. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland in Jan 2022, Cian Mc Cormack reports that 88% of workers are not keen on full return to office Employees naturally see things differently. They are likely to be more satisfied with remote work than with working in the office, and they experience a range of benefits such as reduction in time and costs associated with commuting, fewer meetings, more control over their working hours, lower levels of workplace harassment etc when working remotely. On the other hand, there are relatively few incentives to return to the office. So what are employees supposed to do if their managers insist that they return to the office? One possibility is to bamboozle your bosses by "coffee badging". This involves showing up at the office bright and early, making sure that management notices that you have come to the office, then grabbing a cup of coffee and making a beeline for the nearest exit. Once your manager sees that you have made it to the office, you can beat a hasty retreat and go back to where you are likely to be more productive – at home. From RTÉ Radio 1's This Week, Linda Hynes from law firm Lewis Silkin on hybrid working It is a cynical and wasteful strategy. You still have to get dressed in your office gear and trudge to your workplace and back, all to make it look like you have obeyed the command to come back to work. But it is no more cynical than forcing you to come back to the office so your executives will feel better about returning to a routine they are used to. If bosses are dead set on forcing you to show up at the office, even at the cost of lower employee satisfaction and lower productivity, give them what they want. Show up at the office, but when it is time to get real work done, look for an opportunity to make your Irish goodbye! It is disappointing to see the "return to the office" movement turn into a cynical game, where management is pushing employees to make decisions that are arguably bad for them and bad for the organisation and where employees are searching for strategies to defeat or deflect these mandates. The experience of the Soviet Union provided an object lesson in the corrosive effects workplace cynicism run amok. The old Soviet saying "they pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work" exemplifies the rot that can set in when organisations and employees no longer trust or value one another. Bosses who want their employees to return to the office need to give careful thought to two key questions. First, why is it important to get them to return? If the answer is productivity, returning to the office is unlikely to lead to higher productivity, and will often reduce the productivity of the workforce. From RTÉ Brainstorm, how coffee badging became a new workplace trend If the answer is "culture", you are probably engaging in self-deception. Organisations exist where strong cultures contribute to their success, but they are few and far between. If you cannot come up with a convincing answer to the "why?" question, you should not push employees to return to the office. Second, instead of pushing, why don't you think about what you can do to attract employees back to the office? You are asking many employees to make real sacrifices to return to the office. If you are not willing to give them any good reason to come back, you are likely to be left with a sullen and resentful workforce who are eagerly searching for the quickest way out. If you are lucky, these employees will stop at "coffee badging". If you are unlucky, you will lose your best and most valuable employees to competitors who are willing to take a more considered and more considerate approach to attracting employees back to the office.
Irish Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
‘Burn them all out': The prejudice bubbling under Ireland's thin veneer of normality
On Tuesday, by way of marking the death of the legendary American musician Sly Stone , John Kelly plays a selection of tunes by the late funk-rock visionary on Mystery Train (Lyric FM, Sunday-Thursday), starting with the yodelling psychedelic soul track Spaced Cowboy. 'Probably not the obvious choice to begin,' the presenter remarks with a wry chuckle, 'but that's from the album There's a Riot Goin' On'. Kelly may not say it, but an album with such an insurrectionary title is, unfortunately, an obvious choice in a week when Irish and American streets are convulsed by scenes of unrest. At least Sly's revolutionary impulses were musical, as Kelly's well-chosen set testifies to stirring effect. (With the death of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys on Wednesday, Kelly has a busy week paying tribute to departed greats, this time playing the Pet Sounds album in its entirety.) On the other hand, the rioters setting fire to houses and cars of immigrant families in Ballymena are malignantly destructive in intent, as the presenter Cian McCormack learns on News at One (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays). READ MORE Following the second night of racist rampages in the Co Antrim town, sparked by two teenage boys from migrant backgrounds being charged with sexually assaulting a girl, McCormack talks to the local Alliance MLA Sian Mullholland, who shares harrowing tales of migrant families hiding in attics and bedrooms as marauding thugs ransacked their homes downstairs. The RTÉ reporter Conor Macauley captures a disturbing snapshot of the virulent intolerance driving the disorder when interviewing a local Ukrainian woman about her fears. Amid the conversation a voice can be heard bellowing in the background; Macauley tells McCormack that it belongs to a man in a passing car, who is shouting 'Burn them all out' while driving by. It's a grim illustration of the prejudices bubbling under what Macauley calls the 'very thin veneer of normality'. Further evidence of this ominous atmosphere comes on The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk, weekdays) when its host, Kieran Cuddihy, talks to the reporter Josh Crosbie about the 'eerie, tense feeling' in the town, with Union Jacks proudly fluttering in some neighbourhoods, burnt-out homes pockmarking others. Crosbie canvasses the view of local residents, which range from shame and fear to support for the rioters. 'It's not racism, it's protecting our own people,' one woman says. Another is more tactful in her sympathies, claiming that there has long been harassment of women by groups of men, presumably from immigrant backgrounds: 'I don't know how to say this without sounding racist,' she says before hastily adding that violence ruined initially peaceful protests in the town. Either way, it's a tacit admission of the racist impulses underpinning the trouble. And, as Crosbie glumly notes, there's ample fuel for the rioting to continue: 'We're coming into marching season, so tensions are already high.' Good vibrations are also in short supply in California, as Cuddihy hears about Donald Trump's crackdown on protests against large-scale deportation raids against illegal immigrants in Los Angeles. The BBC reporter Peter Bowes said the unrest has been sporadic in intensity, hardly enough to justify the American president's decision to call in the US marines. And Bowes emphasises that the disorder has been so far confined to a small area of the city: 'The image that all of LA is in chaos is completely incorrect.' In a divided United States, such facts would seem to count for little, particularly with the Maga base. Not that people here can be afford to be complacent about such inflammatory situations. Appearing on Cuddihy's weekly Bookshelf slot, the former People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith picks To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, as her favourite book, citing it as a powerful portrait of systemic racism. (The host gently posits that it also works as a fine piece of fiction.) Perhaps inevitably, conversation turns to the growth of anti-immigrant sentiment in Ireland. Cuddihy plays the tentative optimist, suggesting that children mixing at school might make them more colour blind. Smith isn't so sure, worrying about the influence of online disinformation; she points to a pro-Palestinian demonstration by families in Dublin being disrupted by young children hurling insults and shouting, 'What about the Irish?' But despite such depressing anecdotes, it's an engrossing segment, as guest and host thoughtfully discuss the joys of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy. Cuddihy can't help stirring things up a bit, however. 'Will I really worry you now?' he asks before delightedly noting that Mantel's trilogy was also chosen by Smith's ideological opposite, the former Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell. To her credit, Smith sounds only slightly thrown by discovering this common ground: 'Bedfellows,' she says with a sighs. A little tolerance goes a long way. Not always an oasis of reflection, The Ray D'Arcy Show (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) proves a font of wisdom – from unlikely sources, to boot. 'We're having a series of 1990s frontmen this week,' the host jokes as he introduces Paul Linehan, leader of the veteran Cork indie band The Frank and Walters. Linehan recounts the origin story of his biggest hit, After All: he wrote it for his then girlfriend, Katie, with whom he would break up when moving back to Ireland from London. It's a simple story – Linehan is back in contact with her after many years – but his unassuming manner imbues it with an oddly affecting and even contemplative quality. 'It's about realising what you have, and celebrating it,' the singer says. There are further life lessons on offer when D'Arcy speaks to the second of his 1990s frontmen, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp . The host sounds genuinely delighted to be speaking to the Sheffield singer – 'What a wonderful surprise' – while Cocker, always an articulate interviewee, is at his droll best. Amid rueful explanations for long gaps between albums – 'I'm just a very slow worker' – Cocker seems in authentically upbeat form, seeking out the positive as the years advance. 'To me growing up is learning more about life, learning more about yourself,' he says. 'Growing old is more like giving up.' No surrender indeed. Moment of the week Always looking for a story with bite, Seán Moncrieff (Newstalk, weekdays) sounds suitably enthusiastic about a new podcast about cinematic sharks, notably the Steven Spielberg classic Jaws, from 1975. But as he starts his introductory spiel for the podcast's host, Jon Harvey – 'Fifty years ago, a film was released...' – the presenter abruptly halts his flow. 'Well, I could tell you about it, but apparently your man isn't on the phone,' he says, slightly peevishly. A couple of awkward minutes pass by, with Moncrieff filling the time by reading various texts; then, finally, his guest appears on the line. Just in time: for a moment it sounds as if Moncrieff had bitten off more than he could chew.
Irish Times
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
The Schemozzle: Dominance of Dublin and Limerick may be over, but GAA anxious about lack of contenders
Professor David Hassan, chair of the GAA's Amateur Status Review Committee, was interviewed on RTÉ radio's This Week show on Sunday. Prof Hassan explained his role and that of the committee. 'The association that is the GAA has been concerned for some time regarding, I suppose, symptoms of activity that would indicate some pressure being exercised upon its amateur status,' he said. Responding to a question from host Cian McCormack about how money, or the lack of it, could afford some counties an unfair advantage, he agreed. 'I suppose that would be a concern also for the association, in so far as the competitive balance between counties has been itself under some scrutiny in recent years. Put simply, the concern is that a smaller number of counties are now realistic contenders for the All-Ireland senior football and hurling titles.' READ MORE It's interesting that, even though Limerick's hurlers and Dublin's footballers have come back to the pack , the GAA are still hopeful their flagship championships will become more open. In football, there have been four separate winners in as many years, which points to a competitive championship. In hurling, seven different counties have played in the All-Ireland senior final in as many years, which compares quite favourably with previous eras. Even the 'revolution years' of the 1990s, famous for the novel final pairings produced, only saw eight different finalists in a decade. Baptism of fire for talented goalkeeper The sideshow around the Galway hurlers' goalkeeping situation took another twist on Sunday. The Tribesmen had submitted their official team sheet for the Leinster SHC final against Kilkenny , which was distributed by the GAA on Friday. Regular number one Darach Fahy was listed between the sticks despite being suspended. In the end, Éanna Murphy lined out in goals but he picked up an injury when he tangled with Mossy Keoghan as the latter hit the net just before half-time. Enter Darragh Walsh, a talented young goalkeeper from Turloughmore. 'Darragh was goalkeeper with the 20s last year,' said Joe Canning on the Sunday Game Live. 'Darragh is a brother of Conor. Seán Walsh of Galway Bay FM, everybody probably knows him, he's his son. 'Darragh is a good goalie but still, you're going down to your third-choice goalie so it's a big occasion for him.' Co-commentator Michael Duignan chipped in. 'I think it's bigger than they're saying in the studio,' he said. 'It's huge for a young fella to come on and play his first championship game in the Leinster final.' Unfortunately for the debutant, he spilled a tricky late ball which led to Kilkenny's third goal in a 3-22 to 1-20 win for the Cats. Wexford's Jack Higgins fists a pass despite the attention of Antrim's Eoghan McCabe and Joseph Finnegan during the Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final at Wexford Park on Sunday. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Life gets harder after Tailteann Cup success The curse of the Tailteann Cup continues. The first winners, in 2022, were Westmeath, who failed to win any of their next nine championship matches until, back in the Tailteann, they beat Antrim this year. Meath won it in 2023. Within just over a year, they had parted company with their manager, Colm O'Rourke, after winning three of 11 matches in 2024. Last year's champions were Down, who were subsequently relegated to Division Three. In fact, the form of last year's renewal looks generally suspect now. Runners-up were Laois, who finished in sixth place in Division Three and exited the Tailteann Cup with a heavy reversal against Westmeath on Saturday. Antrim also made the semis last year. A very disappointing 2025 for them, which included relegation to Division Four, was wrapped up on Sunday when they lost by 11 points to Wexford in the preliminary quarter-final. Camogie's gulf in class needs to be tackled Going by the weekend's results, camogie has a problem which won't be as easily remedied as the skorts controversy. The one-sided nature of too many matches is a real issue. In the senior championship on Saturday, Tipperary beat Wexford by 32 points (7-18 to 0-7), which wasn't even in the top two most lopsided matches. Elsewhere, Waterford defeated Derry by 43 points (5-30 to 0-2) while in the premier junior championship, Armagh were 58-point winners over Louth. Armagh led at half-time by 6-22 to 0-0 and added another 1-15 unanswered after the break for a 7-37 to 0-0 victory. These results weren't outliers, either. Derry lost by 4-25 to 0-5 against Galway in the previous round, while Cork beat Limerick by 38 points (6-25 to 0-5) on the same weekend. Quote 'Even at this early stage of the second half, it seems like it's game over.' – Darragh Maloney loses track of time as Kilkenny hurler TJ Reid hits the net in the 57th minute of the Leinster final against Galway. Number: 1-12 Dylan Hyland's scoring return for Offaly in their Tailteann Cup win over New York.
