SURVEY SAYS: What's the Hot Topic at Your Water Cooler?

August 2, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Believe it or not, it's August - the "middle" of summer, the middle of vacation "season" (let's face it, you're either taking one, or covering for those who are) - and a perfect time perhaps for a bit of gathering around the old office "water cooler."

This week I asked readers what the “hot” topic was in your office.

There was a great deal of variety in this week’s responses – but THE hot topic appears to be going on vacation (19%), with gearing up for health-care enrollment (13.2%) and Harry Potter tied for a distant second (with regard to the latter, one reader said, “Well, even the slow readers have finally finished reading Harry, so now we can talk about it.” )

If going on vacation was the hot topic, there were plenty of folks who were talking about things that were related – albeit distantly – to that topic.   As one said, “There is a full moon this week, and some *%#* person let all three tiers of top brass go on vacation at the same time. Do you people have any idea what that means!!?? Am losing my mind trying to keep people from a) getting us sued and b) hiring a bunch of turkeys.”

“Ahhh, so many choices, but we can only pick two,”noted one reader.   Which brings me to the “second” hot topic category, where the clear winner was “Office politics/gossip,” distantly followed by “Where YOU went on vacation,” while “Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan and other young girls in trouble with the law” came in third.

Among the categories that showed up regularly that WEREN’T on the choice menu, Michael Vick, the weather/heat, and changing jobs were most prevalent.

Among the other verbatims:  

“What the hell is going on with the stock market????? Lots of employees, and I mean lots, want to bail out of stocks…”

“In a department of 10 people. One got fired, one qui,t and I am going on maternity leave in December. I feel like I am in a soap opera. So much drama!”

“It’s not often that Cubs fans still have any hope for the season by the time August comes around. And with a number of Cardinals and White Sox fans at the office (and their lack of success this year), it encourages those Cubs fans to speak louder.”

“Of course, the regular office gossip includes the work load that is too big, especially when we have to cover for each other when on vacation.”

“extensions… Extensions… EXTENSIONS!”

  “We just had a consultant leave the firm after 15 years of employment… leaving a corner office vacant… leaving everyone short of partner salivating… need I say more?”

One reader painted a particularly colorful description of their non-water cooler environment:   “There is no one item that is discussed in the office, as a whole. We are isolated in our cubbies; insulated by age, gender, ethnicity, job description, and work overload. The stack of files surrounding me is a sufficient barrier, akin to the great reef of Australia, but not nearly as beautiful or fecund.”

And another colorful response (almost deleted as an out of office bounce back) read, “I will be in the office today. For emergencies, please contact me (88WRK2MUCH). Otherwise, I will respond to your message as I am able after I get home this evening and bring my BlackBerry to bed. Any ‘water cooler’ topics may or may not be addressed at that time.”

But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said, “We don’t have time to stand around a water cooler talking about anything…there’s too much work to do.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

  Going on vacation  18.9%  
 Where you went on vacation  0.0% 
 When people who went on vacation are coming back  3.8% 
 About people who have gone on vacation  0.0% 
 Gasoline prices  0.0% 
 The political scene/debates  3.8% 
 Major League Baseball  5.7% 
 Little league baseball  0.0% 
 The war in Iraq  0.0% 
 Office gossip/politics  15.1% 
 Gearing up for health care enrollment  13.2% 
 2008 budgeting  9.4% 
 Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan and other young girls in trouble with the law  0.0% 
 Harry Potter  13.2% 
 Movies  5.7% 
 Music  0.0% 
 QDIA regulations  5.7% 
 The Friday Files  5.7% 
Going on vacation  4.6% 
 Where you went on vacation  10.8% 
 When people who went on vacation are coming back  4.6% 
 About people who have gone on vacation  0.0% 
 Gasoline prices  1.5% 
 The political scene/debates  6.2% 
 Major League Baseball  7.7% 
 Little league baseball  0.0% 
 The war in Iraq  3.1% 
 Office gossip/politics  15.4% 
 Gearing up for health care enrollment  4.6% 
 2008 budgeting  4.6% 
 Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan and other young girls in trouble with the law  9.2% 
 Harry Potter  3.1% 
 Movies  6.2% 
 Music  0.0% 
 QDIA regulations  0.0% 
 The Friday Files  1.5% 
Other (please specify)
  16.9%  
The movie Sicko, the pros and cons of universal health care, a single-payor system, and the Hilary Clinton health care proposal.
There is no one item that is disussed in the office, as a whole. We are isolated in our cubbies; insulated by age, gender, ethnicity, job description, and work overload. The stack of files surrounding me is a sufficient barrier, akin to the great reef of Austrailia, but not nearly as beautiful or fecund.
You failed to mention Michael Vic and the charges filed against him for dog fighting and pit bulls.....
the sale of The Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch.
Our facility move to a new facility. Currently not permitted to take vacations, so that is not a hot topic other than we can't.
Gearing up for football season...and how Michael Vick should get an eye for an eye punishment for his crimes.
With the 30 day notice rule for AutoEnrollment in PPA 2006, how can deferrals start with the first paycheck!?!
What's going to happen to us as a result of recent management changes.
People calling in sick on nice days OR attaching a sick day to the end of of vacation. And, of course, covering for those people.
weather, humidity, lack of rain
There is a full moon this week and some *%#* person let all 3 tiers of top brass go on vacation at the same time. Do you people have any idea what that means!!?? Am losing my mind trying to keep people from a) getting us sued and b) hiring a bunch of turkeys.
Upcoming wedding of one of our employees and her move from NM to Alabama. Yesterday we had a viewing of her wedding shoes!
Well, even the slow readers have finally finished reading Harry, so now we can talk about it.
How much we all have to do while others go on vacation. But, I haven't gone yet, and can't wait.
The stock market - we're excited to finally see some volatility after these last few years of boring old "up, up, up" all the time!
I guess we are talking about work and we have plenty of it!
403(b) legislation
Living in MN, The Kevin Garnett trade to Celtics (insider trading with McHale) We all lament another "rebuilding" year and feel without KG there is no reason to follow the Timberwolves!
Weddings and Babies.
We are in the middle of our evaluation and pay increase cycle. Mostly everyone is wondering if the pay increase will help ease the pain of the gas increase and trickle down effect of price increase. Most don't think so.
Plan audits. We are neck deep in the audits of our 16 plans.
All of the above
Burnout by all of senior staff
We just had a consultant leave the firm after 15 years of employment... leaving a corner office vacant... leaving everyone short of partner salivating... need I say more.
Not at my office so much but in other venues its Michael Vick
Our "hot" topic is trying to guess which of us is going to quit first! And how soon?! That's sad!
Getting through this computer conversion....
Major League Baseball PLUS-Boston Version-Red Sox win World Series with addition of Gagne; Patriots win Superbowl with addition of Moss; Celtics win N.B.A. Championship with addition of Garnett.
Do you realize that school starts in 2 weeks!!! Where did summer go?
What the hell is going on with the stock market????? Lots of EE's, and I mean lots want to bail out of stocks...

Actually, it's a combination of "all of the above" but...centered on rain. Here in the Great Lakes State we haven't seen it in some time and need it badly. So, with a - d we're asking folks to vacation close to home & wash/wax their cars alot, with f we're asking candidates "if elected what'll you do about rain", with d & e we're saying "let's play two and have a picnic, with i we're saying "least it ain't that dry here", and with o & p we're watching Singing in the Rain and Rain Main and humming Purple Rain and Rainy Day Blues. And finally, with regard to retirement we're preachin' to save for a rainy day.   


Actually, in this office, the hot topic is "other".   We should pass the $1 Billion mark in assets this month, and everyone is guessing when that will be, and reacting to each market move with cheers or groans.


The hot topic in our office is our pending conversion to a SAP ERP system, and the likelihood that many employees won't be able to take all of their vacation this year because of the conversion and ensuing problems that will occur.


Our phone lines!
Inflation
See below
Succession planning
Fishing season is on, so things like shark attacks on kayaks have been hot topics
How the stress in the office is enough to induce my labor!
Dreaming about going on vacation should we ever be able to be gone more than one day
Vacation or lack there of. Most aren't going anywhere this year.
More of all of the above
Work
extensions... Extensions... EXTENSIONS!
If you can't be on vacation, you can at least read Harry Potter which is almost as good!
The bad girls not obeying the law make a nice diversion of the business of the day and is gossip without condeming co-workers.
Real life gossip is always more interesting than some starlet's misadventures. It is amazing what people do after (usually) 5:00pm...
Since we the heart of our HR department was ripped out as of 1/1/2007 no one in the department has any time to do anything except try and figure out how to do "more with less". We are coming to the conclusion that we can't. It's not a good feeling to know that to get everything done you aren't able to do a good job at anything. We're probably not the only ones in this boat.
We just returned from a two-day management summit. Numbers and management planning/successsion were the only topics.
Well, so many of us work from home, that there is no water cooler. Sometimes, we meet on Sametime for a virtual water cooler, or even in SecondLife for an even more realistic chat session. But in those few conversations I've had, Harry Potter (movie and book) have been the hot topic. For the record, I've finished the book and LOVED the ending. I admit I was in tears at one point but I feel that Rowling tied it all up. I'd just honestly like to know more about what happened to everyone. I remember reading that Jane Austen could tell you what happened to each of her characters after the end of a novel, and I bet Rowling could do the same.
You totally brought me down. First is the recognition of being mid-way through summer, than identifying what's going on at work. Thanks buddy.
I work in Washington DC, I'm a political junkie and so are my colleagues -- and not we are not working for the government, a party or a candidate. We LOVE this stuff... and afterall, it has a huge, huge impact on employee benefits and employment issues.
Summer is really hard here. Our fiscal year ends 8/31, so we spend all summer on insurance negotiations/renewals, performance appraisals/increases, and budgeting, as well as our union contract which is negotiated every third summer. For HR, there is no summer vacation!
Since last week's announcement that our Board and a private equity firm have agreed on a price to take the company private, "Office gossip/politics" constitutes hot topics 1 through 10.
Ok, so a few weeks at home with a newborn may not appeal to many. However, they don't commit to discussing any of the above! And, it's a few weeks away from the daily dysfunctions of the office.
In Boston, it's always about the Red Sox in the summer.
Gossip and Politics is always the hot topic...doesn't matter what time of year!
Of course the regular office gossip includes the work load that is too big especially when we have to cover for each other when on vacation.
It's a pretty mixed bag, and depends on who you're talking to. Office gossip is a perennial favorite, fueled recently by several departures (and a few less-than-stellar co-workers). Gas prices are usually good for a few outraged comments. Current workload is always big. Harry Potter is big within certain groups. The people who talk about the war in Iraq (and insisting that it's justified and all soldiers are saints) talk loudly, but are mostly ignored.
Its not often that Cubs fans still have any hope for the season by the time August comes around. And with a number of Cardinals and White Sox fans at the office (and their lack of success this year), it encourages those Cubs fans to speak louder.
What can i say?
We are the first company to offer QDIA through a managed account option (Guardian Life Insurance with 401(k) Toolbox) so QDIA is a hot topic here!
I think I am the lone Republican in a sea of Democrats--so I keep my mouth shut and let them ramble on.
Go Cubs!!

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