A pile of HR fluff worthy of any people-friendly belly button quickly built up in Guru’s in-tray as he searched for the winner of his inaugural Angora Award for HR Pufnstuf.
Disciple Steve nominated the almost ubiquitous ‘dress-down Friday’ for the prize. “Surely this is HR’s least business-critical contribution to the workplace,” he says. “It makes the office look like a student union and encourages slovenliness.”
Disciple Judy offered ‘duvet days’ as her organisation’s cuddly contribution to business failure. “Don’t associate yourself with this doubtless American-inspired nonsense,” she warns. “It’s a slackers’ charter.”
But Guru awards the prize – a rare DVD box set of all 17 episodes of 1960s children’s TV show HR Pufnstuf – to disciple Kate. She suggests the extraordinarily furry ‘take your dog to work day’ is the fluffiest example of HR puff.
“Now a regular fixture in the pet-lover’s calendar, every September, soft employees up and down the country plead with their managers to allow them to bring Fido to work,” she says. “You think things grinds to a standstill when someone brings a baby into the office? Try introducing a puppy – it’s chaos.”
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Guru concurs. And in case you doubt the reality of this phenomenon, check out the website, complete with moronic celebrity endorsements. Actress Amanda Holden opines: “It’s really hard for [dogs] to be left at home for hours at a time,” (begging the question….). “And anything that reduces stress at work has got to be a good idea for everyone.”
Thanks for your deep insight into the world of workplace wellbeing, Amanda.
