Share your interesting or note-worthy topics from your company induction

[Kat Warner _TechTime_]

On-boarding or induction often involves a whole lot of information sharing about the role, the company, then physical working environment, and more.

One topic recently added at my workplace is about how to use landline phones - something that is just a given to many of use but is not something everyone has had to use that often in recent years.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours?

[Kat Warner _TechTime_]

Here are a few tips about calling from the office (landline) phone.

Office phone

• Press the 'talk' button to open the line. You will hear a series of beeps when you open the line - ignore these.
• You can press the 'talk' button before or after dialling the phone number.
  • If you dial the number after opening the line, you will hear a beep for each key press as you dial the number
  • If you dial the number before opening the line, you will hear a series of beeps when the line opens then different tones when the number you have entered is dialled.
• After this you will hear the connection indicator sounds i.e. ringing/engaged signal/etc. Note: if you are calling an overseas number the indicator sounds may be different from New Zealand.

Local calls

When dialling Wellington numbers you only need to enter the 7-digit phone number or the mobile number starting with 02x-(the remaining 6 to 9 digits)

National calls

When dialling NZ numbers outside of Wellington you need to dial 0 then the area code (9 for Auckland, 3 for the South island) then the 7 digit phone number. The leading zero may not be given by the person you are calling in their email signature. Mobile numbers are the same as explained in the local calls section.

International calls

When dialling international numbers you need to start with 00, then the country code (61 for Aussie, 1 for US) then the area code, then the phone number.

Calling from a mobile phone

On a mobile phone,  a NZ mobile number 027 123 4567 may be stored as 0064 27 123 4567 or +64 27 123 4567

Tell me more about phone numbers

Since 1993, NZ landline numbers have a single-digit area code and a seven-digit local number. The first three digits generally specify the exchange and the final four specify the subscriber's unique line at that exchange. (more details here)

[Samie Kaufman - Your Gal at Gliffy]

I had to fax some paperwork when I started this job! That was a strange experience. 

One thing I really appreciated is that our office has a first aid cabinet. That sounds like such a small thing... but it was nice to know that they were thinking about the safety and comfort of everyone in the office right from day one!

[Kat Warner _TechTime_]

That is interesting to me because here it is mandatory so the only questions are "where is the first aid kit?" and "how many years past the expiry date are the bandages?".

[Samie Kaufman - Your Gal at Gliffy]

Yeah.... I'm not so sure there are any policies like that in the United States. I absolutely love learning about these little cultural quirks!

[Dharma Ramos]

First aid kits are federally required (OSHA) on businesses with two or more employees. 

[Samie Kaufman - Your Gal at Gliffy]

Well, to clarify, I'm sure that there were first aid kits around. But our cabinet is right by the coffee and they stock it with things like Emergen-C, too! ;)

[Dharma Ramos]

Oh, I see what you mean. In my last job there were the federally required first aid kits, then in the kitchen we had the communal bottles of Advil, Tylenol, Bandaids, etc.