The Grindstone 1 Combined

The Grindstone
FEBRUARY 2018
GOODMAN
MASSON
A DAY IN THE
LIFE OF
CHRIS PORGES
WHY THEY LEAVE EARLY ON
A FRIDAY
LINKEDIN
THE CITY INDEX
AN INTIMATE LOOK INSIDE
PERKS
THE OFFICE
THAT EMPLOYEES LOVE

03 Editors Note
04 LinkedIn
06 The City Index
07 Happy Hours
your
Reclaim
lunchbreak
12 Making a change
table
of con -
tents
MLW
08
Ideas Box
09
10
A day in the life of...
11
Our Favourite Offices
All images above from our Instagram account
Follow us here
Insta
@MyLondonWorks

E D I T O R S
Intro to An
London Works
My
N O T E
S o p h i e Stones
Welcome to our very first issue of The Grindstone. A
In this magazine, you'll find spotlights on those
magazine that talks all things My London Works. So
companies keeping their employees happy with
what exactly is My London Works? Well whilst the
innovative perks, insights into the London job market
magazine might be new, MLW is not. Originally
and tips on how to make your own workplace more
conceived by Goodman Masson's, CEO, Guy Hayward,
'user friendly'.
My London Works has been quietly working in the
After all, whilst London might be at the forefront of
background for years now, pushing for better
the UK, when it comes to benefits, I think we can all
benefits, fairer working hours and most importantly
agree we have a long way to go...
Enjoy!
an open dialogue between employer and employee,
which will allow these changes to happen.

whole A
of heap
benefits
recognise that everybody
Linkedin
different with their benefits
is
Boasting a dog walking
package.
free snacks and an on-site
service,
they make life easy for their
gym,
employees.
5,700
every day special, a
Making
tradition is caricatures of
LinkedIn
members, which have turned
staff
on everything from cupcakes to
up
only do LinkedIn offer free gym
Not
but employees also earn
classes,
for every session they attend,
points
can be traded in for LinkedIn
which
LinkedIn For Good foundation
The
a "transformation grant"
offers
allows employees to share
which
skills with charities
their
employees can let off a
LinkedIn
steam with bi-weekly
little
few companies can
"very
these benefits"
match
Marketing Manager,
-Associate
London
GYM CLASSES
swag.
TRANSFORMATION GRANT
bobbleheads.
MASSAGES
massages in the office

OFFICES
understand that to
LinkedIn
employees a good office
their
a benefit. Their 30 locations
IS
aim to inspire their people,
all
inspiration from
taking
of the country they're
elements
in. based
every corner is
Around
to help their
something
do the best job
employees
can, whether that's in the
they
of fun meeting rooms, or
form
machines that
vending
the latest tech, using
dispense
their ID cards.
only
GLASSDOOR
are given exceptional
"You
at LinkedIn not only
perks
but also aimed at
monetary
wellbeing such as budget
your
child care or sports/
for
which you can
massages
as you choose every
spend
In addition free fresh
month.
daily for lunch but also a
food
and nutritious
healthy
breakfast."
for more
Scroll
Office
LinkedIn
IDEALS
unique culture and
""Our
set us apart. We work
people
get sh*t done and have
hard,
makes the meaning of
"What
is people, so you try to be
life
to people immediately
good
you and in your
around
community. So a lot of
broader
projects are about how I
my
affect the world in the
can
of millions"
hundreds
here to
Click
out
check
LinkedIn's
Glassdoor
highlights
fun."
- Reid Hoffman, Co-founder
-Former Employee
Profile

City The
Index
percentage of Londoners
The
are 'Economically active.'
who
of us are in
4,672,000
employment
workers are as much as
Happy
more productive than
12%
average working week in
The
is 33 hours.
London
Office for National Statistics
The
Londoners work on
found
3 weeks a year more
average
the rest of the UK.
then
in the UK make up 99%
SME's
all businesses.
of
02
78.4
those who are miserable
12
08
33
12
16
3
22
99

Happy Hours
Goodman Masson, Fridays finish at
At
In a world where Londoners work
3:30.
average of 33 hours a week, they tell
an
why they clock out early...
us
Goodman Masson they’ve continued
at
tradition of early finish Fridays, not just
their
the summer but all year long.
throughout
the clear positives, a 3:30pm finish
Seeing
become a staple of their working week.
has
is reflective of Red Bull, the brains
And
Septembers National 4pm Finish
behind
in that a “#4pmFinish isn't about
Day,
off, it’s about being more
slacking
It's a day where we all head out
productive.
the office a bit earlier so we can do more
of
the things that are important to us after
of
more productive with our time in the
being
office."
fact it might seem like an early finish on
In
Friday is simply a benefit for employees,
a
we can all see the benefits, with
however
Masson CEO, Guy Hayward,
Goodman
not only about their early Friday
writing
but also the change in day-to-day
finish
implemented in the GM offices last
hours
year.
marked change Guy references, has
The
been seen in a significant amount of
also
done on the matter. Hudson who
research
an employee productivity
conducted
on British Airways, found that
investigation
on a Friday ‘went off the cliff’ at
productivity
2:39. However at Goodman Masson,
exactly
see fingers furiously typing right up
you’ll
closing hours at 3:30, with the
until
that the rest of the afternoon is
knowledge
The same amount of work is done,
theirs.
you’ll see less Facebook breaks
however
all, when you hire the right people
After
won’t find employees logging off with
you
half-finished to-do list, regardless of what
a
they can leave.
time
the years since the new Friday finish was
In
Goodman Masson say they
implemented,
also found that those extra few hours
have
bonding between employees,
encourage
teams able to fit in a little out-of-work
with
whilst waiting for any other...
socialising,
the day at a similar time I am the first to leave at 5:30. The
start
My son summed it up perfectly…‘I really like sitting down
impact?
P.T.O
brought in, in 2012,
First
as a summer perk
simply
and online shopping stop offs.
have seen no impact on our productivity or operational metrics.
“We
many teams, we have seen a marked positive change. Whilst I
In
YOUTH
MAGAZINE
for supper every night with you now’.”

commitments they have planned
social
evening.
that
essence of their new video, in which
The
employees say what makes them
their
giving them the time to do these
happy,
is essential to the way they
activities
to work, and as Julia Linder, a
continue
at Goodman Masson, puts it,
Consultant
Masson succeeds
“Goodman
people are happy,
because
are appreciated, and
people
to impress their
motivated
because they respect
bosses
them.”
and Cofounder of Flocabulary, Alex
CEO
agrees, writing “it may seem
Rappaport,
to give the whole office 4 paid
generous
off every week, but it leads to happier
hours
and more focus during the hours
people
here.”
we’re
the list of perks employees want
Topping
see, in a survey conducted by
to
allowing employees to start
Paymentsense,
weekend earlier, is a relatively cheap
their
of ensuring happiness within our
way
With 35% choosing the time off over
teams.
expensive benefits, including gym
more
and free meals, we could all
membership
an extra hour or two, even if it’s just to
use
the rush hour commute home.
avoid
Behind The Walls of
Go
Masson here
Goodman
here to view
Click
Massons
Goodman
more pictures of GM's
See
on their Instagram
team
here
@Goodman_Masson
Glassdoor Profile

NOT IT'S
ABOUT
MONEY
ABOUT IT'S
MIND-SET

I D E A S
B O X
I need advice on how to ask my boss if it's
possible to take a longer lunch break. I’d
love to be able to take an hour and a half
so that I could go to the gym and perhaps
do a class. An hour just isn’t enough time
– especially if you’re a girl!
How do I have this conversation with her?
We would recommend introducing the idea
Hannah Walker
to your boss that a healthy body equals a
healthy mind. And if you need to take the
extra time one day, why not make it up the
next? Alternate your gym days so one day you
take an hour and a half and the next only half
an hour.
At my last company we got 5 credits for
dry cleaning a week, so all our dresses
and suits could be cleaned for free.
Do you think it’s reasonable to ask for
something similar where I am now? My
partner said I should have asked for it
when negotiating my contract but it’s too
late now.
It is incredibly rare for companies to pay for
dry cleaning in totality and unfortunately your
partner is right in that it's best to negotiate
Alaska Honard
extras like this during the contract stages.
However it's not all doom and gloom. Why
not suggest your boss brokers a deal with a
local dry cleaners to pick up everybody's
clothes, giving you a discount and benefiting
everybody in your new office.
Join the conversation here

serve
@LaFabricaTapas
Spanish cuisine using
up
fresh local produce.
and
all, this is the
"After
'Off West End' theatre
An
shouldn't
@ParkTheatre
be an evening treat.
just
a bustling cafe bar
With
4 minutes from
just
Park Station,
Finsbury
not pop by for a
why
pizza?
stone-baked
your Reclaim
lunchbreak
family owned Italian
A
restaurant,
pasta
@PastaRemoli
in Roman
specialises
using the finest
dishes,
Enjoy a 2
ingredients.
meal and drink at
course
for just £12
lunch,
Finsbury Park
authentic ingredients
@PastaRemoli
Spanish way of life".
@LaFabricaTapas

Day in the life of...
A
Porges Chris
PORGES JOINED GOODMAN MASSON IN 2009 AND IS
CHRIS
DIRECTOR AND A MEMBER OF THE BOARD. SINCE
MANAGING
HE'S LAUNCHED SEVERAL NEW TEAMS. OVERSEES THE
THEN
TEAM AND PROVIDES "A LITTLE BIT OF FUN". HERE
MARKETING
IS IMPORTANT AT
LUNCHTIME
MASSON
GOODMAN
BEST PART OF MY JOB
THE
IS...
I hate getting out of a warm bed
in the morning, however I count
myself lucky in that respect. I
hate mornings so much I know
the day will only get better! I
manage to keep my positive
outlook by relying on the local
train instead of the tube. I'll
enjoy the 17 minutes of silence
(except when the weird noisy
family are on there shouting-no I
don't say anything just tut in my
head), reading the news and
enjoying the views of the
Hackney Marshes. Emails can
wait until I'm at work.
We moved our hours from the
Recruitment standard of 8:30-
6:30 a year ago, but I still get to
work for about 8, mostly for the
quieter commute.
desk, in meeting rooms and on
the move and I'll spend most of
it with my direct management
team and the people that work
with them, then it's clients and
then the rest of the board... If I
really have to!
Whether it's the gym, table tennis
or a bit of Fifa, taking time in the
middle of the day to recharge and
have a bit of a laugh is one of the
reasons we have one of the lowest
sickness rates in the city.
HE CHATS ABOUT HIS NOT SO AVERAGE DAY...
I like the office, my desk and the
people I sit with, so sitting down
for cereal provided by GM (or a
cheeky sandwich from next doors
cafe) is a really nice time of the
day. I sit on the sales floor like all
of the board. Offices are for
meetings not for people, in my
book.
THE START...
My day tends to be a blur of
conversations and emails at my
figuring out what people need to
be happy and successful, which is
an ever-changing equation I am
attempting to solve every day....
That and work pay my phone bill.
I've always loved that.
Away from work, there is so much
to do with the children, friends
and family that I try to do as much
as possible and no day is ever the
same.
THE END...

TICKETMASTER
have job seekers
Ticketmaster
to be at the front of
clamoring
queue, once they see their
the
With a slide that's
offices.
than you think" being
"faster
the tip of the iceberg,
just
London HQ
TicketMasters
complete with a fully
comes
bar, picnic area,
functioning
studio and the
fitness
pinball and pool
obligatory
CANDY
MIND
Monsters creators, Mind
Moshi
take having fun very
Candy
Visitors won't find
seriously.
forgetting where
themselves
are, as the artificial grass
they
the offices are
spanning
with monster shaped
littered
employees working
beanbags,
tree-houses and a slide
in
Our
Favourite
Offices
Slide into success
BULL
RED
Bulls offices hope to give
Red
employees what their
their
give their customers;
drinks
energy!
by Jump Studios,
Designed
light colours and 'dramatic
the
of circulation' including
means
floating staircase and slide,
a
free movement
encourage
the building.
around
all, Red Bull gives you
After
tables.
wings.
connecting the floors.

Work;
you feel you have
Do
technology to do a
the
job?
great
your company
Does
in your brand?
invest
your business
Does
with and help
engage
your existing
retain
customers?
you provided with
Are
infrastructure and
the
to be
support
successful?
your business
Does
a well-drawn out
have
to acquire new
plan
clients?
Grow:
is the last time
When
had a 121 with
you
boss?
your
you know what to
Do
to be promoted?
do
was your last
When
appraisal?
you have a
Do
mentor?
Reward:
you want more
Do
just a basic
than
salary?
your company
Is
you buy a
helping
house?
you buy extra
Can
holiday?
Connect:
you given a
Are
day off?
birthday
your work finish
Does
on a Friday?
early
switch off can you
To
table tennis or
play
pool?
your company
Is
for breakfast
paying
your 5 a day?
and
won't happen
Change
only one side is
if
the discussion.
leading
My London Works,
At
believe both
we
and
employees
need to
employers
together. If you're
rally
employee on a
an
check out
mission,
guide on things to
this
and things to
ask
about. There are
think
of them, here
many
M P L O
E
E E Y
are just some...
A
M A K I N G
C H A N G E

IF WHAT
EVERY
DAY
EVERYONE
IN
LONDON
UP WOKE
EXCITED
ABOUT
GOING
INTO
WORK?

O I N G
D
O R E
M
Work;
you communicate
Do
and results
decisions
with your
openly
people?
your marketing
Does
client services
and
the objectives
support
your employees?
of
your people able
Are
analyse their own
to
performance?
Grow:
your people aware
Are
their own career
of
map?
road
every employee
Does
a personalised
have
plan?
coaching
you conduct
Do
appraisals and
regular
121's?
weekly
employees have
Can
to funding and
access
for out of
support
learning?
work
Reward:
your people have
Do
in how they
choice
their income?
receive
holiday saving
Are
on offer?
funds
your employees
Can
for loans that
ask
in value?
reduce
Connect:
your
Would
say they
employees
their work
loved
environment?
there an area for
Is
people to
your
and relax?
unwind
fresh fruit arrive
Does
day?
every
was your last
Where
employers, the ball
As
firmly in your court
is
change the way the
to
works.
workplace
little step helps
Every
it comes to
when
well-being
employee
retention.
and
there is a lot
However
think about, so
to
some ideas to
here's
you on the path to
get
better workplace
a
environment...
M P L O
E
E R Y
company trip?

Get involved?
more?
how you can make
See
hello? say
us at the above
Email
Hello@MyLondonWorks.co.uk
Contact Us
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a difference in your
own workplace? Just
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