THE BLOND PIMPEREL REPORTS

To preserve the integrity and the colour of this report there has been no corrections to the spelling or grammar. This will also be the process in the future to protect the artistic flair of this column. Powernews proundly presents the 'Impimpi Of Pretoria' - THE BLOND PIMPERNEL

(Click on the picture for enlargement)

Joburg’s finest vs. Miriam

A very warm welcome to all you nosy ones, supporting the art of social information distribution. Today I would like to tell Miriam’s story. It’s a touching tale of adversity and raw human sincerity.

Our fellow perm consultant Miriam had a run in (literally) with a specimen of one Joeys finest – a Taxi driver called Simon. Upon investigation I found out that both parties concur that the incident occurred, on Monday morning the 25th of June 2007 around 7:26, on the corner of somewhere and somewhere near the William Nicol off ramp. This is where Simon and Miriam met for the first time – the scene where they sort of crashed into each other. (Obviously, not to be bias or anything, we are on Miriam’s side and she’s okay by the way).

Now I want to also tell everyone that I have in fact called Simon to get his side of the story, so that the information I disclose here would be as close to the truth as anyone would ever get!
Wait till you guys read his side of the story, and I’m not kidding at all! All he gave me was a one-liner, but a real classic one if you ask me! When I called him to “enquire” about the role he played in making our colleague’s car look like a McDonalds happy meal, he politely informed me that he couldn’t talk to me for long because he was driving (speeding is more like it) without a hands free kit (and have you ever seen a taxi-driver with a hands free kit?) so anyway…

Here are both sides of the story word for word:

Miriam’s side: “It’s very simple, I was in the slow lane, going towards the William Nicol off ramp and the bugger cut in in front of me and I slammed on breaks, there was no space for me to stop so I drove into him.”

Simon’s side: “I drive a taxi, she should know by now”

So there you have it. Moral of the story: Expect the expected.

AN OPEN OFFER TO THE EDITORS OF POWERNEWS

XXXXXX OF BRYANSTON WRITES:

I think the time has come for you, Mr. Manpower Editor, to do a story on the Bryanston office support. We feel that it could make an interesting read for all. None of us has been properly featured in the blog as of yet, and I can really assure you we are all extremely interesting. (I will be happy to supply you with dirt on any one should you wish to feature one of our fantastic team members) However I do recommend, you do a story on our highly successful temp consultants entitled “Boerewors and Baklava” (you see %&#@ (name omitted) is ...... and I’m ......) If you are interested please feel free to liaise with me on this.The kindest Regards Ever!XXXXXX(name omitted for safety reasons)



THE EDITORIAL TEAM REPLIES:

Dear XXXXXX (name omitted for safety reasons)

Thank you for your letter and input. The editorial team relies on information and articles offered by the branches. We are delighted that you are willing to be our 'impi' on the ground in Bryanston, offering dirt and grime of all concerned. We hereby invest the secret codename of 'Blond Pimpernel' on you. I eagerly await your first express on the subject of Boerewors & Baklava. I am sure that the readers of Powernews would welcome an insight into the activities of your fellow staff.

Regards
Lilly (Chair), Rowene, Rodney & Ian

NEW COMPLIANCE OFFICER

Marie Jacobs is appointed as the new compliance officer until further notice.
All staff have signed the Setting the Standards document that outlines the standards that Manpower will adhere to. If you are aware of anything or anyone that is not in accordance with these policies, please report it to Marie with immediate effect(marie@manpower.co.za).

WEDDING BELLS

This is Hilton Drivers wedding photograph that appeared in Durbans Mercury today. Hilton is the new IT consultant at Durbans Technical Engineering. Manpower wishes Angela & Hilton all the best for the future.

JESSE'S WAY HOME

On Friday 22nd June 2007, Durban Finance consultant Tina Nunes and her husband Tony, signed adoption papers for young Jesse. Their journey that had begun two years before had finally become a reality............................ Jesse legally had a home. This is Tina, Tony and Jesse's story.

On July the 15th 2005 my husband Tony and I were living on a farm in Cato Ridge and I was running a community hospice center. On this particular day, two elderly people arrived with a tiny 5 week old baby wrapped up in a towel. They said that they were the baby’s grandparents and that the baby’s parents had left their residence two days previously because the mother was sick and needed to go to hospital. However, they had not returned. They wanted to know if the baby could stay in the hospice until the parents returned.

“I phoned a friend Rae, who is a qualified nursing sister, and she advised that young babies have undeveloped immune systems, and would thus be at risk in a hospice surrounded by very ill people. I unwrapped the towel and looked at this tiny baby. He was beautiful, dressed only in a nappy and short-sleeved vest. I loved him from the first moment I laid eyes upon him.

We did not want another child as we have four almost grown up children, and we were actually counting the days until Tony and I would be footloose and fancy free. A week prior to this event I had had a dream, and which lead me to tell Tony that there was a new important job on the way. I didn’t think it would be the job of raising another child.

It turned out that Jesse’s biological parents were not able to care for him, and within a few short days I realized I would battle to give him up. My friends and most of my family were very supportive, plying us with clothes and baby equipment. Without any major outlay Jesse wears designer clothes and has had all the mod-con equipment he could need. In addition to calling him Jesse, and discovering after the fact, that one of its meanings is “Gift from God”, the assistance has further given us confirmation that keeping Jesse is the right thing to do.

Tony speaks Zulu and Jesse will be brought up speaking Zulu as well as English. “Our closest friends, and other people from our church have adopted cross culturally, so Jesse will grow up amongst a mix of children. Members of Jesse’s family visit him every two months, which means he is not divorced from his heritage or his roots.” We want Jesse to grow up with pride – being adopted is not second prize!”

There have been many problems during the adoption process. The rural social welfare departments and magistrate courts are averse to cross cultural adoptions. They are also over worked and under resourced, so after problems in the early stages of trying to adopt Jesse, we hired a private social worker who specializes in cross cultural adoptions.

On the 21st of June, my husband was told by a person when speaking about Jesse’s adoption, that he knows one Xhoza name “Tsepo” – and it means “blessing”. As Jesse’s biological family are from Lesotho, we have decided that this is a fitting second name.

On Friday the 22nd June 2007, we legally became Jesse Tsepo Nunes’ parents. It was a joy filled moment to realize that we do not have to worry that he will ever be removed from our care and we get to enjoy watching him growing up to be a fine young man. He has filled our lives with so much happiness that we only see it as gift and blessing from God. In addition my biological children have matured because they’ve been stretched beyond their own needs and wants and I believe that it’s made them more responsible, more loving and more compassionate. We all strive to bring our children up to have social consciences and Jesse has certainly expanded this experience for us. He is an example of what the New South Africa should be about.

My final words are that there are nearly three million orphaned black children in South Africa today, and if every family who had the means, chose to adopt and love a black child, this South African social crises would be resolved.

If I was given one more wish, it would be that there would be no-more unloved and uncared for orphans and that there is a family for each one!

TOO LATE FOR PRESS

Ryan Alcock- Temp Light Industrial in action whilst doing SPEC call training with Danielle in April 2007! The jester hat is won when a hit is obtained on the phone with clients!!!

This was meant to be in last months edition but is was ommitted to an error - our apologies.

A LETTER FROM A HAPPY PLACED CANDIDATE

Hi Sanet
Hopefully you know that Henry has placed me at Gestetner, I just wanted to thank both of you for this and also commend both of you on how professionally you handled my placement, the feedback was brilliant and just the overall experience of dealing with both of you was great. As you know I did go to other placement agencies but none of them would even hold a candle to Manpower.
Thank you again.
Regards
Michael Witschi

Well Done Sanet & Henry - its always nice to get feedback from a happy PLACED candidate!
If you have any letters or success stories that you would like to share, please email them to: ianm@manpower.co.za

THE TEACHER SPEAKETH with DANIELLE EASTERBROOK

Training was held in Durban from Monday 18th June to Friday 22nd June 2007. On the training course was:

Michelle Bowers (Perm -Finance)

Roveena Naidoo (Temp - Finance)

KirstA Turner (Temp - Office Support)

Nishaan Hiralal (Perm - Office Support)

Hilton Driver (Perm - Technical Engineering)

Meshal Oothamlal (Admin. assistant)

WANTED BY MANPOWER SA

NEW CONSULTANTS

Any consultant that places a new consultant within

Manpower will receive R1,000 cash for their effort.Terms & Conditions

The money will be paid after 90 (ninety) days of the new

consultant commencing employment.

This offer is valid from 20th June 2007 and until further notice.

REWARD

R1,000

Issued by Sheriff Andrew Kramer

LAUGH OF THE MONTH

A Human Resources Manager was knocked down, tragically, by a bus and
was killed. Her soul arrived at the Pearly Gates, where St. Peter
welcomed her.

"Before you get settled in" he said, "We have a little problem...you
see, we've never had a Human Resources Manager make it this far before
and we're not really sure what to do with you."

"Oh, I see," said the woman, "Can't you just let me in?"
"Well, I'd like to," said St Peter, "But I have higher orders. We're
instructed to let you have a day in hell and a day in heaven, and then
you are to choose where you'd like to go for all eternity."

"Actually, I think I'd prefer heaven", said the woman.

"Sorry, we have rules..." at which St. Peter put the HR Manager into
the downward bound elevator.

As the doors opened in hell she stepped out onto a beautiful golf
course. In the distance was a country club; around her were many
friends... past fellow executives, all smartly dressed, happy, and
cheering for her. They ran up and kissed her on both cheeks,and they
talked about old times. They played a perfect round of golf and
afterwards went to the country club where she enjoyed a superb steak
and lobster dinner. She met the Devil (who was actually rather nice)
and she had a wonderful night telling jokes and dancing. Before she
knew it, it was time to leave. Everyone shook her hand and waved
goodbye as she stepped into the elevator. The elevator went back up to
heaven where St.Peter was waiting for her.

"Now it's time to spend a day in heaven," he said.

So she spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds, playing the
harp and singing... which was almost as enjoyable as her day in hell.
At the day's end St. Peter returned."So," he said, "You've spent a day
in hell and you've spent a day in heaven". "You must choose between
the two."


The woman thought for a second and replied, "Well, heaven is certainly
lovely, but I actually had a better time in hell". "I choose hell."

Accordingly, St. Peter took her to the elevator again and she went
back down to hell.

When the doors of the elevator opened she found herself standing in a
desolate wasteland covered in garbage and filth. She saw her friends
dressed in rags, picking up rubbish and putting it in old sacks. The
Devil approached and put his arm around her.

"I don't understand," stuttered the HR Manager, "Yesterday I was here,
and there was a golf course, and a country club. We ate lobster, and
we danced and had a wonderful happy time. Now all there is, is just a
dirty wasteland of garbage and all my friends look miserable."

The Devil simply looked at her and smiled, "Yesterday we were
recruiting you, today you're staff."

ITS FATHERS DAY ON SUNDAY 17TH JUNE

Around the world, people celebrate Fathers Day to honor dads and to express their love and affection for them. It may be noted that the date of Father's Day festival in not fixed and different countries around the world celebrate Father Day on different times of the year. Sometimes, even the manner of Father's Day celebration differ, what is common everywhere though is the spirit of the festival. In countries across the globe people take opportunity of Father's Day to honor their dad with cards, chocolates, flowers and other gift of love. Spending time with dad and indulging in fun-filled activities is another common feature of Father's Day celebration around the world. Another interesting factor about Father's Day celebration is that people wish “Happy Father's Day” not just to their biological father, but also grandfather, stepfather, foster father, uncle, elder brother or anyone who plays the role of a father in their lives.

The idea of celebrating Father's Day Festival was given by Ms Sonora Dodd, a loving daughter from Spokane. Her father Henry Jackson Smart single-handedly raised Sonora and five of her siblings after the death of her mother during childbirth. When Sonora attended a Mother's Day Sermon in 1909, she thought that if there is the day to honor mother then there should also be a corresponding day to honor fathers. Sonora worked relentlessly for years to ensure that the idea of Father's Day becomes a reality. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge first recognized Father's Day. In view of the massive popularity of the festival, in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. Over the years, the concept of celebrating Father's Day spread beyond geographical boundaries. Today, millions of children across the world express gratitude for their dads as they celebrate Father's Day festival.

Many people laughed at Sonora Dodd when she gave the concept of having a Father's Day, as traditionally, only mother is regarded as the sole nurturer of a child. The role of father is often relegated to a secondary status as compared to a mother. But all of us know that father is just as important for a child as the mother is. If mothers are the heroes of child rearing, significance of father in the development and emotional well being of a child is no less. Children depend on their father for their spiritual, emotional, physical, financial and social well being. For daughters, father is the ideal man in the world and also the first man they adore, while for sons, father is an idol and the strongest man they aspire to emulate. Though traditionally father is seen more as a provider and guide for children, the scenario appears significantly changed in nuclear family culture of today. With most husband and wife working, fathers in present times are as involved in child rearing job as the mothers are. Today, most fathers do not shy away from changing nappy or taking the difficult task for putting the baby to sleep. This cultural change is helping in strengthening father-child relationship and consequently in emotional development of a child and building of stronger family bonds.

COACH'S CORNER with ANDREW KRAMER

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into awell.

The animal cried piteously for hours asthe farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and thewell needed to be covered up anyway;
it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him.

They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.

Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well.

He was astonished at what he saw.

With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.

He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal,

he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.

The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.

Each of our troubles is a steppingstone.

We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!

Shake it off and take a step up.

AND THE WINNER IS.......................

In Aprils blog we had a competition to guess whose baby picture was displayed. An overwhelming response was received with 12 people correctly guessing that the cute little baby was none other than national human resource manager, Marie Jacobs. All correct entries were placed into a hat and a winner was drawn by the chairperson of the Communication Workgroup Lilly Figueira. The winner of the 500 piece puzzle was LEANA BOOYSEN of the accounts division in Bryanston. Congratulations, we hope that you have many happy hours assembling the puzzle. Thanks to Rowene Bowker for kindly donating the prize.

FAREWELL FROM POWERNEWS TO TIM

There are places I'll remember All my life,

though some have changed,

Some forever, not for better,

Some have gone and some remain

All these places had their moments

With lovers and friends,

I still can recall,

Some are dead and some are living,

In my life, I've loved them all.....

- JOHN LENNON-

AT THE HELM - OUR CAPTAIN BIDS US A SAD FAREWELL

From Tim Hackney’s Desk

December 2001 was the start of an unbelievable 5½ year journey. The total number of staff in Johannesburg, Durban & Cape Town was 13. Total Sales for the year was R 15.1 million. The company has grown significantly over this period with sales revenue increasing by over 500% and a total staff compliment of over 80.

It has been an honour and a privilege for me to have been part of this journey and more importantly to have worked with an amazing group of people both in South Africa and EMEA. Manpower SA is gaining steady momentum and with our targeted goals together with future potential acquisitions, the company is not far away from gaining it’s place in the top three companies in South Africa.

A team is made up of a group of individuals who compliment one another with differing strengths and weakness and this is one of the traits of Manpower SA.

I wish you all every success and happiness as I embark on new opportunities. Set your goals as high as possible and then reach for the stars. They are not as far away as you think.

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields and,

Until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I will miss you all.

Tim

FUN BRAINTEASER

After the huge success of our April fun brainteaser entitled, 'Whose Baby Picture Is This', the Communication Workgroup have put up a new challenge. What we have done is to morph the photo of a certain Manpower manager with that of Shrek. Our question to you is this, 'Whose Baby Would This Be'. Leave your answers under the comments section.

WELCOME TO THE MANPOWER FAMILY

We would like to welcome the following people into our BIG family. We know that they will feel at home and grow with us.

NISHAAN HIRALAL - DURBAN GENERAL
KRISTAY TURNER - DURBAN FINANCE
HILTON DRIVER - DURBAN GENERAL
LEAH BRINK - CAPE TOWN GENERAL
RHONDA HERBST - CAPE TOWN FINANCE
TASNEEM JACOBS - CAPE TOWN GENERAL

MICHELLE BOWERS-DURBAN FINANCE

JUNE BIRTHDAYS

08th - Hilda Ngobeni (Bryanston)

09th - Wendy Julies (C.T. Finance)

12th - KristAy Turner (Durban General)

14th - Ian MacFarlane (Durban)

16th - Emsy Ledwaba (Accounts)

25th - Anel Kirstein (Bryanston Finance)

26th - Tiffany Skeggs (Bryanston Finance)

27th - Jayshree Govender (Durban Key Accounts)

28th - Tiffany Skeggs (Bryanston Finance)

30th - Zeenit Khan (Cape Town Finance)





Folklore teaches that it is extremely bad luck luck just to wish a Gemini for their birthday without buying them a gift! So you know what to do.................................................................

MANPOWER CALLS ON THE WORLDS TOP 1000 COMPANIES TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

You can check out the hard-hitting TV-ad when you click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRpXUZC1M2g

In January 2006, Manpower Inc., a world leader in the employment services industry, was the first global corporation to sign up to the Athens Ethical Principles. The Principles declare a "zero tolerance" policy for working with any entity benefiting in any way from human trafficking, including clients, vendors and business partners. The Athens Ethical Principles are an initiative of the "End Human Trafficking Now!" (EHTN!) campaign, built on a partnership of corporations, organizations and committed individuals, and is championed by the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement. The campaign is endorsed by a host of global organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Labor Organization."Trafficking human beings is now the third largest illegal industry on the planet, following only arms and drug smuggling," said David Arkless, Manpower Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Special Envoy for the EHTN! campaign. "It is a modern form of slavery and no matter where companies are operating, their supply chains could be benefiting from trafficking. We cannot ignore this exploitation and we encourage other companies to join us in standing against this industry."An estimated 12.3 million people are forced into labor or sexual servitude every year worldwide. The International Labor Organization estimates that $32 billion is earned annually from forced labor, while sexual exploitation of women and children brings in $28 billion.Companies can sign up for the Athens Ethical Principles and learn more about the End Human Trafficking Now! campaign by going to Manpower's website at http://www.manpower.com/mpcom/content.jsp?articleid=449 or the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement at www.endhumantraffickingnow.com.In October 2006, Manpower Inc. expanded its social responsibility program to encompass a broader range of initiatives that build upon its heritage as the industry leader in workforce development for more than 50 years. The company's expanded social responsibility platform leverages Manpower's history of innovation in providing a bridge to employment for disadvantaged individuals and extends these efforts to additional groups of people in need of assistance. The four pillars of the company's social responsibility platform are: workforce development, disaster recovery, reaching out to refugees and combating human trafficking. For more information on Manpower's global social responsibility program, go to the Social Responsibility section on the company's corporate website, www.manpower.com.

MANAGERS SOAPBOX

This month we feature an article published in Durbans Daily Mail on 16 May 2007, which features our very own Rowene Bowker (manager of Bryanston Finance and Technical Engineering).

AN increasing number of South Africans are finding they have to, more often than not, choose among numerous job offers when looking for alternative employment. Though people in sectors such as construction, financial services, manufacturing and utilities are mostly on the receiving end of multiple job offers, we find that other job categories, such as receptionist and secretaries, are also attracting a range of job offers, says Rowene Bowker of Manpower Recruitment. To add to the dilemma, she points out, South Africans are not only receiving employment offers from local companies but also from leading companies across the globe. It is exciting to be in demand by more than one employer she says. It boosts your confidence and you have the luxury of making the best decision regarding your career and lifestyle. However, she adds, being faced with more than one excellent option can cause confusion and anxiety. It is happening more and more, it helps job seekers in all industries and on all levels to learn how to weigh the options and make the best decision, she says. Bowker believes it is best to consult someone, preferably a recruitment consultant, to ensure you take all the relevant issues into consideration. Remuneration and monetary benefits may play a role, but candidates usually look beyond the money she says. Ideally the candidate must make a list of all the reasons he or she wants to change jobs and weigh those reasons against what the prospective employer is offering. When comparing offers, candidates should gauge which position will enhance their skills the most; which company aligns best with their personal goals, vision, ethics and culture; geographical location and; how the position will affect their lifestyle and work/life balance. It is tempting to accept an offer from a big corporate, she says. You need to decide whether you want to work in a corporate where you may become just a number or for a smaller organisation where you know what you do will matter and that you are making a measurable difference. Due to increasing traffic congestion on our roads, Bowker says that a position close to home may be better if quality of life and family responsibility are high priority Needs that vary from person to person include professional development, a sense of belonging and a wish to work on international projects. It is of utmost importance that the candidate uses the interview process to get as much information as possible so he or she can make a proper comparison, she advises. The company that meets most of the candidates’ needs and expectations is the better option. The candidates existing employer often comes up with a counter offer, making the candidate uncertain about leaving. Counter offers add another dimension to the process as there are loyalty issues and the candidate may feel bad about leaving, she says. To keep perspective, we need to revisit the reasons for wanting to leave and compare the counter offer to the other offers.