Manchester company awards dog ‘Employee of the Month’ 15 times during lockdown
"Lottie was a total star and definitely deserved to be awarded ‘Empawee’ of the Month for simply making the whole team smile on busy days and for keeping me company."
A very special dog has been awarded Employee of the Month a whopping 15 times during lockdown for keeping staff’s spirits high at this Manchester company.
Eight-year-old Border Collie Lottie received her first award last April when owner and yappy.com founder, John Smith, decided that she deserved a place on the usually-human Employee of the Month wall.
“Lifesaver” Lottie’s been up to all sorts over the last 15 months.
From dressing up to take Tiger King-inspired Joe Exotic selfies, to celebrating their loo roll stash as the nation’s stock fell low, Lottie kept John smiling – and she brought joy to the whole team at the Manchester-based company too.
Lottie was pictured celebrating Eat Out To Help Out, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Christmas and more throughout lockdown.
Every month, John – who founded the pet-themed personalised gifting website back in 2018 – snapped a seasonal photo of Lottie and framed it on the Employee of the Month wall, and in case you missed it, her adorable antics were also documented on the company’s Instagram account so everyone could see how amazing she was.
Every month, John snapped a seasonal photo of Lottie and framed it on the Employee of the Month wall / Credit: yappy.com
“Like many UK business owners, during the first lockdown, I found myself suddenly juggling the demands of running a business and trying to ensure that the morale of my staff was kept intact,” John explained.
“When it became possible to make trips into the office for a change of scenery, I still didn’t see many staff at all, and most days found myself working alone five days a week.
“On those days, Lottie was a lifesaver and kept me going with cuddles and constant entertainment.
“I decided to start sharing photos of our days with the team to keep everyone smiling.
“Lottie was a total star and definitely deserved to be awarded ‘Empawee’ of the Month for simply making the whole team smile on busy days and for keeping me company.
“Dogs have this amazing sixth sense and ability to know how you’re feeling and even five minutes of tummy-tickling or going for a short walk with them can help reduce stress levels and calm you down on difficult days.”
Featured Image – yappy.com
News
New data reveals a third of Brits admit to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday
Emily Sergeant
Surprising new data has revealed that a third of Brits admits to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday.
After a long and tiring week, most of us would love the chance to clock off work a little earlier than usual on a Friday, but for a lot of workers, this isn’t always a possibility – and for some, they even have to work longer at the end of the week to make sure everything has been finished off and tied up before the weekend arrives.
But since there has been a noticeable rise in remote working and working from home, a new survey has revealed that working attitudes have changed.
Virgin Media has released new broadband data that reveals a drop in traffic on Friday afternoons during the summer months – with as much as an 8% dip between 3-5pm compared to the winter, as remote workers clock off early.
A third of Brits admit to secretly sneaking off work early on a Friday / Credit: Glenn Carstens-Peters | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
The Friday traffic drop-off comes from Virgin Media’s broadband network analysis, which it says is a ‘reliable indicator’ of the connectivity habits of the British public.
Alongside the network data, Virgin Media also asked Brits about their work policies and working habits ij a bid to fully understand the trend.
Nearly a third (30%) of Brits say they have a formal early Friday finish in place during the summer, but despite almost half of UK adults (48%) saying they’re not authorised to finish early on a Friday, 32% have admitted to regularly logging off with or without official permission.
Surprising new data has revealed Brits’ working habits / Credit: Chuttersnap (via Unsplash)
Many Brits have also confessed to working ‘on the move’ on a Friday afternoon too.
15% admitted to having worked from the train station as the weekend creeps nearer, as well as 14% from the park, 10% from the pub, and many as 30% of 18-24-year-olds worked from the car while travelling for the weekend.
“Our network traffic analysis is revealing changing workplace habits in real time as the nation takes advantage of long summer Fridays,” commented Jeanie York, who is the Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2.
“We’re continuing to boost our fixed and mobile networks so whether Brits are working from their local park, or finishing their work at home, we’re ready to keep them connected.”
Featured Image – Israel Andrade (via Unsplash)
News
Tiny Manchester pub brilliantly condemns ‘alarming rise’ in hate speech
Daisy Jackson
A micropub in Manchester city centre has spoken out about an ‘alarming rise’ in hate speech.
The Victoria Tap, a tiny little boozer at Manchester Victoria train station, strongly condemned any racist, homophobic or sexist conversations taking place in its venue.
The pub said ‘there is absolutely no room for it’ within its walls.
In a statement – which has been met with praise from customers and followers – they added that anyone bringing hate speech to the pub ‘can let the door kick you on the way out’.
The Victoria Tap wrote: “We’ve noticed an alarming rise in racist, homophobic and sexist slurs/comments/conversations lately and we just want to say that there is absolutely no room for it here.
“This is a safe space for everyone.
“If you, or someone in your group, want to disturb this philosophy, you can let the door kick you on the way out.”
The Victoria Tap has brilliantly condemned ‘alarming rise’ in hate speech
Praising their statement, one person wrote: “Great to read this. There is NO place for this. All public spaces should be welcoming.”
Another said: “Pubs should be welcoming environments for people of all walks of life. There’s no room for misogyny, racism or discrimination of any kind. Those who espouse those thoughts need a good hard look in the mirror.”
Someone else commented: “That’s how I see the Vic Tap. Great place for a safe quiet pint. Keep up the great work guys as it’s a fantastic venue.”
The Victoria Tap opened at Manchester Victoria back in 2023, completely transforming a space that was previously a bin store.
As well as its cosy interior, it has a small beer garden which overlooks the tram tracks in and out of the train station.
It’s operated by the same team behind the Piccadilly Tap and the even newer Oxford Tap.
We know exactly where we’ll be heading for our next pint now. Good work, Victoria Tap.
Emily Sergeant -
10th September 2021 
