Rotterdam installs 'cynicism hotline'

The city of Rotterdam is encouraging its civil servants to report 'cynical' colleagues.

Since last week civil servants in Rotterdam can report ill-tempered colleagues to an online 'cynicism' hotline. The city says the move is part of a drive to improve the working environment.

The announcement on the city administration's intranet has caused a stir among the more than 14,000 civil servants in Rotterdam. Some say the measure is superfluous; others fear it will encourage snitching among colleagues. "It's just another case of the nanny state," sighed one civil servant who requested anonymity.

A spokesperson for the city denied the initiative encourages snitching. "Perhaps the word hotline was ill-chosen, "he said. "It is not about punishment, but about support. It is not about specific people, it is about a specific type of behaviour. People are bothered by negative behaviour."