11 January 2013

Gazza weeps for PS workplaces

| johnboy
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Liberal Senator Gary Humphries is deeply concerned at cuts to the pot plants in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship:

For example, answers to Questions on Notice received from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship reveal that in just over four months DIAC has removed over two thirds of the plants that formerly adorned their offices.

“Despite having reneged on their promise to deliver a budget surplus, Labor’s cuts are still having a very real and very visible impact on the APS”, ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries said today.

“Labor continue to promise no job cuts or reduction in workplace conditions – clearly that is complete rubbish.

“Labor may want to call cuts to the APS an efficiency dividend, or in this case an ‘accommodation realignment exercise’, but public servants aren’t falling for it – they know these are just code words for cuts”.

A range of studies has shown that having plants in the workplace increases morale and productivity with one study showing productivity in an office increased 12% and employees’ blood pressure and stress levels were lowered.

Good to see he’s sticking to the big issues.

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Pulling this back from the depths to notice that the CT has finally reported the story… nothing like reporting news an entire week later than everyone else

poetix said :

justin heywood said :

schmeah said :

Matt_Watts said :

Girt_Hindrance said :

If anyone is concerned about removal of office plants, just bring in your own.
A list of good office plants for oxygenation etc are listed here on page 7.
Interestingly it’s a Workcover booklet.
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/health_and_safety_in_the_office_guide_1319.pdf

People should check with management first; a lot of agencies ban private plants because they’re not necessarily maintained by anyone, which means the potential for fruit flies or other pests on the floor.

Matt Watts comes out singing the management line .. big surprise. Frankly, the only fruit flies bothering me at my work come from the organic waste bins, and there aren’t even that many so if say, 1 in 20 workers brings in a cactus is it really going to create a plague of flies?

Er,, Matt isn’t exactly ‘singing the party line’ there scmeah. Perhaps you should read it again..

In fact, I think that the person on this site who most reliably (and tediously) sings their party’s line, would be you.

schmeah taught me about cucumbers in gin and tonic, and is thus beyond criticism. Cucumbers are a plant, so this is relevant.

Cucumbers are cool! I only recently noticed the association with gin – like, last few years. I encourage readers’ research into this topic.

miz said :

Interestingly, removing pot plants not only makes APS workplaces less pleasant to work in (therefore less productive), but also hurts the ACT businesses who provide and maintain them.
.

They should start a real damn business then, a company that provides and maintains potted plants sounds like the kinda crappy get-rich-quick scheme I’d come-up after a bit too much Mary-Jane. I mean really, it’s not like they’re providing an essential service or anything, if they’re really hurting that bad after they lose the APS contract then they can start a personalised food-bowl for pets company, or something equally useful.

justin heywood said :

schmeah said :

Matt_Watts said :

Girt_Hindrance said :

If anyone is concerned about removal of office plants, just bring in your own.
A list of good office plants for oxygenation etc are listed here on page 7.
Interestingly it’s a Workcover booklet.
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/health_and_safety_in_the_office_guide_1319.pdf

People should check with management first; a lot of agencies ban private plants because they’re not necessarily maintained by anyone, which means the potential for fruit flies or other pests on the floor.

Matt Watts comes out singing the management line .. big surprise. Frankly, the only fruit flies bothering me at my work come from the organic waste bins, and there aren’t even that many so if say, 1 in 20 workers brings in a cactus is it really going to create a plague of flies?

Er,, Matt isn’t exactly ‘singing the party line’ there scmeah. Perhaps you should read it again..

In fact, I think that the person on this site who most reliably (and tediously) sings their party’s line, would be you.

schmeah taught me about cucumbers in gin and tonic, and is thus beyond criticism. Cucumbers are a plant, so this is relevant.

justin heywood9:03 pm 12 Jan 13

schmeah said :

Matt_Watts said :

Girt_Hindrance said :

If anyone is concerned about removal of office plants, just bring in your own.
A list of good office plants for oxygenation etc are listed here on page 7.
Interestingly it’s a Workcover booklet.
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/health_and_safety_in_the_office_guide_1319.pdf

People should check with management first; a lot of agencies ban private plants because they’re not necessarily maintained by anyone, which means the potential for fruit flies or other pests on the floor.

Matt Watts comes out singing the management line .. big surprise. Frankly, the only fruit flies bothering me at my work come from the organic waste bins, and there aren’t even that many so if say, 1 in 20 workers brings in a cactus is it really going to create a plague of flies?

Er,, Matt isn’t exactly ‘singing the party line’ there scmeah. Perhaps you should read it again..

In fact, I think that the person on this site who most reliably (and tediously) sings their party’s line, would be you.

Interestingly, removing pot plants not only makes APS workplaces less pleasant to work in (therefore less productive), but also hurts the ACT businesses who provide and maintain them.

I probably should also point Mr Humphries to my comment on the post-it-note thread, where I noted that our Department does not appear to bother with Xmas cards (real or electronic) anymore. Our area relies on good contacts in the States and Territories so things like Xmas cards actually make a difference. Of course, the people making decisions on these kinds of cuts have no clue about what affects the soldiers that do most of the work.

Matt_Watts said :

Girt_Hindrance said :

If anyone is concerned about removal of office plants, just bring in your own.
A list of good office plants for oxygenation etc are listed here on page 7.
Interestingly it’s a Workcover booklet.
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/health_and_safety_in_the_office_guide_1319.pdf

People should check with management first; a lot of agencies ban private plants because they’re not necessarily maintained by anyone, which means the potential for fruit flies or other pests on the floor.

Matt Watts comes out singing the management line .. big surprise. Frankly, the only fruit flies bothering me at my work come from the organic waste bins, and there aren’t even that many so if say, 1 in 20 workers brings in a cactus is it really going to create a plague of flies?

Welcome to the real wold kids!! the ACT Gov hasn’t had pot plants in anywhere I have worked for over 10 years – I think we made them dissapear under the budget cuts when Gary was last Chief Minister maybe?! he didn’t seem too upset then.

Those who really want them can BYO, makes for an eclectic collection of healthy and not so healthy specimens.

Girt_Hindrance5:47 pm 11 Jan 13

Matt_Watts said :

Girt_Hindrance said :

If anyone is concerned about removal of office plants, just bring in your own.
A list of good office plants for oxygenation etc are listed here on page 7.
Interestingly it’s a Workcover booklet.
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/health_and_safety_in_the_office_guide_1319.pdf

People should check with management first; a lot of agencies ban private plants because they’re not necessarily maintained by anyone, which means the potential for fruit flies or other pests on the floor.

Yep. That’s good advice, although I’ve never bothered to inform/ask anyone, and I maintain my plants quite well. I’ll also add that we’ve never had any reduction in the mass of plants in our building/s (just moved), so there’s never been that management focus on them.

Girt_Hindrance said :

If anyone is concerned about removal of office plants, just bring in your own.
A list of good office plants for oxygenation etc are listed here on page 7.
Interestingly it’s a Workcover booklet.
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/health_and_safety_in_the_office_guide_1319.pdf

People should check with management first; a lot of agencies ban private plants because they’re not necessarily maintained by anyone, which means the potential for fruit flies or other pests on the floor.

this is such a tired theme…should we revert to working in a single, un-airconditioned shed with no desks, no colour, no post-it notes, no fun, no plants, no stationery and just stare at each other all day?

the work environment is incredibly important to motivation and energy – small investments in furniture, plants etc have bigger dividends with happier and engaged workers

and thanks a lot for the post-it characters!! grrr…they’re now removed :'(

Dealing with the big workplace issues, that’s our Gazza.

Yes I like pot-plants.

Girt_Hindrance1:26 pm 11 Jan 13

If anyone is concerned about removal of office plants, just bring in your own.
A list of good office plants for oxygenation etc are listed here on page 7.
Interestingly it’s a Workcover booklet.
http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/health_and_safety_in_the_office_guide_1319.pdf

gentoopenguin1:18 pm 11 Jan 13

Garry should expand his concern to all those 20-something year old potheads who are now out of work since there are no more plants to water at immi…

The guy who waters ours is creepy. When did Gary become a spokesman for the PS anyway?

Under the Libs we had all our pot plants removed in my old workplace (under the arch of DEST at the time). Bet Gary didn’t give two hoots pot plant productivity then.

Gary “trail blazer” Humphries has a record of speaking on issues everyone else thinks are pathetic. Don’t forget that this Senator who allegedly represents the people of the ACT is the same clown who tabled an anti-muslim petition in the Senate chamber railing against refugees who weren’t Christians… But the petition was from three racist people in Sydney, which is firmly in NSW. As much of a joke as Zed is, I really hope the rumours are true, and Gaz gets rolled for Zed to replace him. However slight, it would be an improvement.

thebrownstreak6912:01 pm 11 Jan 13

FWIW, I really like having indoor plants in the workplace. They seem to make the place more focussed and yet relaxed.

The trouble with APS plants is that they are just like the rest of the office fit out – cheap as possible, barely alive, bland and all the same. Plus they are often in the way as more desks are crammed into smaller and smaller spaces. If the plants were interesting their absence might be noted.

I have to say, when I walk into some APS offices immediately my motivation and energy levels seep out into the grey dividers and life becomes sadder. Painting the ‘tea room’ (sink) in purple or rust does not solve the problem.

And its been said before – its a bit much for Humphries to complain about any budget cuts given his party’s position on govt spending.

Is this the same Gary Humphries from the Liberal Party that keeps promising to slash the living bejesus out of the public service?

It’s a shame they don’t also remove the asbestos…

What a tool. “One study…” No possible way that single study was an outlier, Gary?

OK Gazza, pot plants, which require continued maintenance, are OK but a few Post-It notes aren’t?

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