Love is in the air this weekend, with the approaching Valentine’s Day celebrating romance. Whether you plan to spend the weekend gazing into your lover’s eyes – or feel queasy at the thought – we’ve rounded up a balanced selection of fun dates to pencil in your diaries…
Attend: Orchids Festival at Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is hosting an Orchids Festival inspired by the exotic and colourful plant life of India. Running from 4 February - 5 March 2017 at the Princess of Wales Conservatory, the display celebrates Indian culture and will look specifically at the significance plants have on Indian culture, specifically on their practice of worship, medicine and everyday life. Sights include a large Indian flag made out of flowers, film screenings, hands-on sessions and stories, and Indian-inspired dishes that will be sold at the restaurant.
It’s important to appreciate nature, both local and international, and get your teams outside once in a while – albeit the low temperatures. Over two-thirds of Brits (71%) are currently spending more than five hours a day at the desk, according to research from Royal Caribbean. However, according to psychologist Emma Kenny, a perfect work-life balance consists of spending two hours outdoors and two hours doing something active during the work day. However, in reality, the amount of time Britons actually spend on lunch is less than half the recommended amount – which is why HR must emphasise the importance of taking a break.
Go to: Valentine’s Fine Food Market
They often say that the way to a woman or man’s heart is through their stomach, so if you want to indulge in some romantically themed food, head to the Duke of York Square’s themed food market. This Saturday, there will be treats on offer including Maldon Oysters, heart-shaped macaroons, and mini pink donuts.
It’s highly doubtful that you’ll bump into a pair from work at the event, as the office romance is becoming extinct, according to research by Protecting.co.uk. The survey found that the majority of office workers who had a crush on a co-worker claim they were too cautious to tell them, with 61% of respondents worrying about violating harassment policies. 16% didn’t want to mix work and romance and 11% said their workplace has a ‘no relationships’ policy. But what if two lovebirds happen to work together? What implications does this have?
Recently, we asked professionals in the industry if they’ve ever hired two romantically involved employees – you can read more here.
Watch: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
On Sunday afternoon, picture houses around London (Crouch End, Hackney and Stratford) will be playing the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The story of a Manhattan socialite with an obsession for Tiffany’s jewellery is coming back to screens for a short while only, so book now if you fancy revelling in a classic romcom.
It’s clear that we can all resonate a little with Holly’s desire for wealth and the finer things in life – with over half (57%) of prospective employees arguing that perks are among their ‘top considerations’ when deciding whether or not to accept a job, research by Glassdoor found.
Simon Prince, Marketing Director of Conference Geni, spoke to us about the benefits of perks: “Work perks play such an important role for employees - they boost morale and improve job satisfaction . . . [however] . . . there is no point spending money on work perks that your staff aren’t interested in, so internal surveys, focus groups and monitoring job satisfaction are great ways to gauge what your employees really want.”
However, some employees take having freedom over the work credit card to the extreme, claiming business expenses on Armani Jeans, international flights for dental treatment and pet food for a guard dog.
