Benefits December 5, 2006

Being Wet On and Other Hazards of Being Santa

December 5, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - You may have complaints about the hazards of your work or workplace, but results of a recent survey show how impressive it is for Saint Nick to be jolly, as he not only risks being wet on, but gets sneezed on and has his beard pulled every day.
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Thirty-four percent of Santas surveyed for Auntie Anne’s Inc. said they have been wet on by a child, and more than 60% said they get sneezed and coughed on during a typical work day.

Nearly 90% of Santas said every day they work children pull their beard to see if it is real, and nearly half said they nearly lose their glasses every day as children try to pull them off. More than 50% said children step on their boots one to 10 times a day, and 74% said up to 10 children cry while on their lap each day.

Also, facing the hazard of overheating in their big Santa suits, 73% said staying well-hydrated is the key to keeping cool. Forty-six percent also said they use a fan to keep cool.

After facing these work hazards, over half of Santas surveyed (52%) said they look forward to taking a nice, long nap after the holidays are over.

The survey also asked Santas for the strangest gift requests they have received, and answers included:

  • Exotic pets, including: giraffes, pigs, elephants, llamas, tree frogs, unicorns, dinosaurs, penguins, and, reindeer;
  • A new sibling because child doesn’t care for the one he/she has, or for sibling to lose his/her voice permanently;
  • Cookbooks for Mom because ‘she can’t cook very well;’
  • To live on the moon;
  • A “real chainsaw;”
  • Alien from Mars;
  • Ride in Santa’s sleigh;
  • Floor buffer from a five year old boy;
  • Boots for a horse and diapers for a monkey;
  • For Santa to marry “mommy” (so the girl could be Santa’s daughter).

Santas said 75% of children say they have been good all year, but only 50% of Santas believe those who claim to be good are telling the truth.

The “Santa We Got Your Back” survey was administered online by Brand IQ and polled more than 330 of the 1,000+ members with the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (AORBS).

Complete survey results are here .

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