Executive PA Australasia October November 2016 | Page 9

Keep up to date with the latest news
and views of interest to busy PAs
Average EA travel and event budget
more than quarter of a million dollars
Groundbreaking research into luxury
and high-end business travel has been
conducted by MyTravelResearch.com in
partnership with Executive PA Magazine
and Luxperience, with executive assistants
included as part of the overall survey to
this multi-billion dollar industry.
Carolyn Childs, co-founder of
leading travel research organisation
MyTravelResearch.com, says there are
several key take-outs.
1. As well as arranging and booking
business initiatives such as executive
retreats, many also organise much of
their bosses’ personal lives including
leisure travel. They need information
for that quickly and factually. It’s a
2.
3.
4.
5.
small part of their responsibilities but
potentially a high anxiety one.
Senior assistants see themselves as
ambassadors. They strongly identify
with their organisations and bosses
and want to represent them well.
When viewing proposals from
suppliers they want value and to
see it in the details.
They love the variety and diversity of
planning meetings and travel can br ing
to their role, but struggle to educate
internal stakeholders on the issues.
They tell us they see product gaps in a
way luxury leisure buyers don’t. They
are looking for more local product that
offers a distinctive opportunity, but
satisfies the focus on value in an age
of scrutiny of big corporates, including
some not-for-profits.
6. On average senior PAs and EAs are
spending A$253,000 annually on
events and meetings.
Executive PA Magazine Chairman
Russell Peacock says, “for most of us
our understanding of the importance
of PAs as key travel buyers meetings
organisers, comes from anecdotal evidence
and first hand experience. So its great
to see their importance recognised and
defined by an independent and respected
research body.”
To purchase a copy of the reseach
report go to www.mytravelresearch.com
GENDER PAY GAP NARROWS
Australian Bureau of Statistics
data just released shows the
average weekly earnings gender
pay gap for full time employees
has narrowed to 16.2 per cent, a
decrease of 1.7 percentage points
from a year ago.
Minister for Women, Senator
the Hon Michaelia Cash, says
the new data is encouraging
and the Government’s focus on
implementing policies to further
reduce the stubbornly high gap
is unwavering.
“In the month of July, the level
of employment for women rose by
8,100 and is now at a record high
of over 5.5 million. Furthermore,
the participation rate for women
has also trended upwards over the
last 12 months.
“Despite the positive data,
the gender pay gap remains too
high. The Government is getting
on with the job of implementing
a policy agenda to deliver greater
female workforce participation
and importantly, encourage
participation in male-dominated
industries which are traditionally
higher paying jobs.”
On average, men working full-
time earned $1,613.60 and women
earned $1,352.50, a difference of
$261.10 per week.
Tips to limit eye strain
1. Check position of computer
monitor
Employers turn blind
eye to eye strain
Leading optometrist group PersonalEYES says too many
employers are turning a blind eye to eyes in the workplace
and are warning corporates could be losing thousands from
decreased productivity.
In a new survey it estimates 4.8 million Australians suffer
from dry eyes, and in the workplace, one in five Australians
suffer from this condition.
Staring at digital devices for extended periods is now one
of the most common causes of eye strain, and results in dry or
irritated eyes, difficulty focusing and blurred or double vision.
PersonalEYES CEO Dean Powrie says, “Australians
now spend more time connected to a screen than they do
sleeping so it’s more important than ever to be mindful of
screen time and eyes because it directly affects performance
in the workplace.”
He says blue light-emitting screens are most known to
have detrimental effects on sleep.
Ensure your desk is set up with their
screen slightly below eye level. If your are
constantly referring to documents and
back to your screen, consider a vertical
document holder attached to the
computer screen to ensure documents
are at eye level.
2. Text size and brightness
Talk to your IT department about
enlarging text size. The brightness and
contrast levels on employee computers
should also be adjusted according to office
lighting levels of 300-500 lux.
3. Anti-glare screen filters
Don’t have bright light in your field of
vision or behind you. An anti-glare screen
filter could be the answer. The best ones
are made from optical glass and can
reduce glare by more than 99 per cent.
4. Take screen breaks
You should look away from your screens
for two to three minutes every 30 minutes
and a 10-15 minute break every two to
three hours.
5. Watch air conditioner and heaters
Air conditioners and heaters can dry
out the air, and your eyes. If your
organisation requires constant use of
this, a humidifier with a HEPA filter could
be a good investment.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 | WWW.EXECUTIVEPA.COM.AU
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