The Lighter Side of Labour Relations

Good Afternoon, You've Reached Hello Kitty Robo

Japanese employment agencies are promoting the use of Hello Kitty Robo, a robotic receptionist who is sensing a visitor's presence, greeting him or her and holding simple conversations.   At a fraction of the cost of a human employee, robots are being suggested for other purposes including elder care.   However, it was recognized that robots were not capable of doing everything human employees do.  Whew!  Here's to less Hello Kitty and more Hello Human!

Skipping School to Trade Stocks

Saudi Arabia is starting to worry more about the teachers rather the students who are truants.   Teachers are regularly playing hooky to trade on the Arab world's largest stock market.   Saudi Arabia's education ministry has asked headmasters to ensure that teachers know that they should not use work hours to dabble in stock market deals. 

Before You Call in Sick on a Monday

A survey showed that more British workers will call in "sick" on Monday more than any other day, either by texting in their absence or calling in with a credible cough.   The survey also showed that men and women take an average of nine "sickies" a year, but that female workers believed they could get away with taking off twice as many days as their male counterparts.  Five percent of those participating in the study also admitted to being "caught out" by the boss - including bing spotted having lunch with friends. 

One Way to Get Your Shot on Net

Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore was surprised when a stranger in full hockey equipment jumped on ice and shot a puck at him during a team practice.   Undaunted,  Theodore poke checked the practice crasher on his first attempt and stopped a weak wrist stot to the high glove side.  The ice interloper would not leave the ice until he was pulled away by an arena worker.   The impromptu audition did not result in the Habs deciding to sign up the recreational player.   The police declined to press charges.

The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on Fire

A party to mark the end of fire awareness promotional event was blazin'.  Literally.   Firemen from a small Japanese town were left red-faced when the party ended in a fire that badly damages their station.   No one was hurt in the fire that is thought to have been started by either a gas cannister for the barbecue or a kerosene heater.

It's Not About Work But it's Still Funny

A toddler in the United States was surprised when she received a summons to serve on a jury.   The two year old was a bit short of the minimum age of 18 to serve on a state jury.   The Massachussetts Jury Commissioner agreed to give her a 16 year grace period.

Drilling Teeth Without a License (Not even a marriage license!)

A British dentist was found guilty of serious misconduct after the dental regulatory body discovered that she was allowing her unqualified boyfriend to carry out dental work on patients.  The BBC reported her boyfriend worked on more than 600 people, drilling out cavities without local anaesthetic and installing fillings that crumbled within days.  Given that she had been warned seven months earlier that her boyfriend was unregistered, the decision was made to strike her name from the dentists' register.

Higher Pay for Cops with connection to Higher Authority

The Justice Ministry in Israel is beginning to investigate how many policemen have undergone a quickie rabbinical ordination in order to pad their paycheque rather than for reasons of religious calling.   The so called "rabbicops" receive an an additional 2,000 shekels per month.   Wages for Israeli police begins at around 4,000 shekels. 

Extra Passengers Causing Headaches for Cab Drivers

No one ever said driving a taxi was an easy job.   In Chicago, a cab driver in the first week of his job found that his job involved delivery in every sense of the word.   The cab driver found himself delivering the baby of a pregnant passenger on the shoulder of Interstate 88 near Lisle.  The necessary skills were gleaned from watching a show on the Discovery Channel.   The cab driver not only helped deliver the baby passenger, but also waived the $60 cab fare.   Meanwhile a cab driver in Denmark had a different problem with extra passengers.   The cab driver became involved in a brawl with five men when he insisted he could only take four passengers.   The driver claimed that he accidentally bit off the tip of one of the men's ring finger in the midst of the fracas.   The cab driver was not seriously injured and everyone was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. 

Four Cleaners and a Fountain

Italian police arrested four street cleaners who were caught trying to pocket approximately 1,200 euros scooped from Rome's Trevi Fountain.   The popular fountain is often visited by tourists who toss a coin over their shoulder into the fountain, believing the tradition that this act will ensure they return to Rome.   Half of the coins, often several hundred euros a day, are donated to a charity.  Police were alerted by the charity when it noticed its takings had declined considerably.  The four cleaners are estimated to have stolen as much as 110,000 euros before they were caught wet handed.

Cross Dressing Cop May Lose Job (and Wife)

A police officer in India is in peril of losing his job after he appeared on television dressed in a yellow dress, red lipstick, matching nail polish and a nose ring.   State officials have launched an investigation into his behaviour claimining it is a "real embarassment" to the police force.   The police officer has been dressing as a woman for the last 10 years since he had a vision of the god Krishna and he now believes himself to be a reincarnation of the lady consort of Hindu god.   While he claims the issue is one of freedom of religion as he is only following his faith, thinks the issue is one of faithlessness.   She claims his cross dressing is related to his womanizing ways and is suing him.