Retriever sends along a BBC article about Greek government workers losing a benefit they used to get. In 1989, the government wanted to encourage computer use. I imagine there was some thought of making sure it was a tech-savvy place that could keep up in the world economy. They also paid a bonus for showing up for work. As if the people who lied for you to get your original salary were going to balk somehow at lying to get you your bonus.
They awarded six extra holidays to those who spent more than five hours a day on a computer. Presumably, if this wasn't a complete waste right from the beginning, it became one within a decade as people discovered that the internet could be used for exchanging pictures of cats.
A small but excellent example of how government tinkering with stuff, if it does any good at all, does so at a high, unintended, cost.
You got to it first :-( I was too busy--spending waayyy more than 8 hours a day on the computers. (Work-related, I'm afraid--failing disk arrays.)
ReplyDeleteThe thing that bothered me about the story was the bonus for "showing up for work." The computer use bonus I figured out easily (I'm old enough), but showing up?
I think something got lost in translation here. There must have been some particular case this applied to that was left out of the reports. Maybe some job that typically involved travel (lineman?) and you want them to do their paperwork where you can see them?