Really MBIE, Spending $400 on a hair straightener

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JaseNZ

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#175111 17-Jun-2015 18:08

Sorry but this really gets to me , The ridiculous cost that was spent on the screen and stone stature not to mention $1800 for each staff member in furniture. They actually spend money on installing a hair straightener.

*Sigh* my tax payers money at work.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/69455082/ministry-spends-140000-on-screen-installs-hair-straightener

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#1326737 17-Jun-2015 18:13

They haven't done right with a few of their purchases, but the big picture is with their move they will save millions of dollars. Office furniture is expensive, and to get good quality furniture that lets them SQUASH people in (I've seen it, there's not much space) I guess you pay the money. Their new premises are squashing staff in so tight I expect they'll have people leave because of the lack of personal space - I have 2-3 times more space in my cubicle than most people there have.

Geektastic

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#1326759 17-Jun-2015 18:59

And just remember the line...Open Plan superseded individual offices because it was MORE PRODUCTIVE not - repeat not - because it allowed us to squash more staff into less rented space... ;-)

alasta

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#1326763 17-Jun-2015 19:11

I get the outrage about the sign and the TV screen, but the moaning about the hair straightener seems a bit mean. The CEO said on the radio this afternoon that they have 850 female staff, so that's about $0.50 per staff member.

It makes good commercial sense for employers to do little inexpensive things like that to keep their staff feeling good and hopefully retain the high performers.

MikeB4

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#1326768 17-Jun-2015 19:34

Terrible the hair straighter cost each tax payer $0.00016 each. Having said that the Screen is excessive.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

DarthKermit

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#1326773 17-Jun-2015 19:42

The government can hardly complain about people ripping off the tax payer when our own government is also ripping off the tax payers.

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langers1972

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#1326774 17-Jun-2015 19:43

Sorry but why do employers have to provide hair straighteners, I wouldn't expect an electric razor?

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JaseNZ

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#1326778 17-Jun-2015 19:53

$400 might not seem like much but as always in business death by a thousand knives how many other frivolous things were purchased as well.

They would have known that all spending is under the public eye and would have expected questions to be asked on the expenditure, one would wonder at the decision making on all this.

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#1326780 17-Jun-2015 19:54

langers1972: Sorry but why do employers have to provide hair straighteners, I wouldn't expect an electric razor?

Because employers (esp government departments) are doing their bit to promote alternative (healthy) transport modes, health and well-being of staff, and efficiency of the transport network in the cities by providing staff lockers, showers, dryers, changing rooms, cycle racks, hair straighteners..whatever. So staff have the choice of running/cycling etc to work.

Big picture people!

No doubt some silly choices have been made in this building, but this one is just a media beat-up IMO.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

alasta

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#1326798 17-Jun-2015 20:32

langers1972: Sorry but why do employers have to provide hair straighteners, I wouldn't expect an electric razor?

I don't expect chocolate eggs and hot cross buns at Easter time either, but my employer provides them because it's a nice thing to do to build morale.

gehenna

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#1326804 17-Jun-2015 20:43

I don't have a problem with the hair straighteners. You can't push for more people to walk/bike to work without giving them the means to get themselves straightened (no pun intended) up when they get to the office. Especially in Wellington where a brisk walk in the breeze will give you 50 different hairstyles in 10 minutes.

The curved screen and plaque are another story altogether.

Geektastic

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#1326822 17-Jun-2015 21:40

What are the consequences of not straightening hair?

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DarthKermit

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#1326838 17-Jun-2015 21:53

Geektastic: What are the consequences of not straightening hair?

Probably the downfall of civilization as we know it.

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Lias

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#1326849 17-Jun-2015 21:58

As others have said I have no issue with the hair straightners, and it came across as a bit of a petty complaint I thought. Even the stone sign I can live with with.. the screen is just excessive, there is nowt wrong with sticking a whacking great flatscreen there, who gives a rats arse if it doesn't match the contours of the reception desk..

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