03-14-2006 -- LOUD TALKERS AMONG BIGGEST WORKPLACE PET PEEVES, ACCORDING TO RANDSTAD SURVEY

ATLANTA, March 14, 2006 – The American workforce is minding its manners, claiming to be buttoned up while buckling down in the office. In a workplace etiquette-themed survey released today by Randstad USA, a leading workforce solutions company, behaviors that interfered with work performance rated high among employed U.S. adults as their biggest “pet peeves” in their place of business. Thirty-two percent of employees listed “loud talkers” as one of their biggest pet peeves in the office, even more than cell phones ringing (30 percent), use of speakerphones in public areas (22 percent) and using personal digital assistants (PDAs) during meetings (9 percent). A total of 2,318 employed adults was surveyed online by Harris Interactive® for Randstad’s monthly Job Bites survey on workplace etiquette. Throughout 2006, Randstad is commissioning a monthly survey on relevant and provocative workplace trends. “Randstad’s workplace etiquette survey shows that American employees are disciplined in their jobs, skipping lunch breaks and working longer hours that cut into the weekend,” said Genia Spencer, Managing Director of Operations and Human Resources for Randstad USA. “Employees are focusing on productivity, and they are looking to their colleagues and employers to limit excessive distractions.” In addition to disruptive behaviors, off-color language is unacceptable in the workplace. According to the Randstad survey, a staggering 91 percent of employed adults do not think profanity is acceptable in the workplace. Other interesting Randstad Job Bites findings include the following: Personal Work Habits: * Nearly two in five employed U.S. adults (38 percent) indicated they do not usually take a lunch break. * One-third (33 percent) state they work overtime without additional compensation. * 31 percent work on Sundays. * 91 percent say they do not call in sick when they’re not really sick. § 91 percent do not think profanity is acceptable in the workplace. Top Pet Peeves: * 44 percent noted condescending tones as one of their biggest pet peeves at work. * 37 percent cited public reprimands as a big pet peeve. * 34 percent selected micromanaging as one of their biggest pet peeves. * Nearly one-third (32 percent) rated loud talkers as one of their biggest pet peeves. * 30 percent listed cell phones ringing at work as one of their greatest annoyances. * 22 percent cite the use of speakerphones in public areas as one of their biggest complaints. * 11 percent find it annoying when colleagues engage in personal conversations in the workplace. * Nine percent find the use of PDAs during meetings to be offensive. Survey Methodology Harris Interactive® fielded the study on behalf of Randstad USA from February 17-21, 2006, via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,318 U.S. adults aged 18 and over, among whom 1,444 were employed. Data were weighted to reflect the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points and the employee results have a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. This online sample is not a probability sample. About Randstad USA Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Randstad USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad Holding nv, a $8.25 billion global provider of professional employment services and the fourth largest staffing organization in the world. In 2005, Randstad USA''s 1,900 staffing professionals put 48,500 people to work in the U.S. each week through its 419 branches and client-dedicated locations. Randstad fulfills temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire opportunities in Office, Executive Office, Industrial, Call Center, Finance & Accounting, Technical and Creative. Randstad provides skills assessments, career counseling, training, health coverage, paid vacation and 401(k) matching contributions to eligible internal and external employees. More information is available at the company’s Web site, www.us.randstad.com. Investment information is available at www.randstad.com. About Harris Interactive® Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll® and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. ###

Media Contact: cindi.kurczewski@us.randstad.com

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