I know several people have suggested holidays for different days, and reasons...
My belief is that, in the same way as Monopoly games have two Get Out Of Jail Free cards, each employee should be given two Get Out Of Work Free cards. These entitle the employee to leave work for the remaining duration of the day... two days of normal leave would be converted to GOOWF cards.
Good Reasons: You are insanely bored; you have been asked a difficult question by your boss; its suddenly the sunniest day of the year so far; you find out that they are giving away free crisps in town; a national disaster has just happened and you want to watch it on television....
These cards should be undeniable, and can be used at any point, no matter how unsuitable - also, tradable legal tender - Bob might work late covering someones ass, only in exchange for one of his GOOWF cards.
So the next time you feel like GOOWFing off... just do it!-- Danzarak, Mar 01 2002 Real Escape http://www.halfbake...Real_20Escape_20KeyThe more xtreme version of this - more a get out of life free card... [goff, Mar 01 2002] Phone In Bored http://www.halfbake.../Phone_20in_20bored<commercial break>My version of this idea.</commercial break> [pottedstu, Mar 01 2002] Very similar, but slightly less extreme than the 'Real Escape Key'. Wouldn't mind these either.-- goff, Mar 01 2002 These are just "slumber days" by another name, aren't they?-- mcscotland, Mar 01 2002 Whats a slumber day? Whatever it is, I guarantee it can't get you out of a difficult meeting moments before you are due to go in... or...
"Come into my office Smith.. Smith..?" "He left this sir..."-- Danzarak, Mar 01 2002 These are called Personal Days here, and I had one of them per quarter at my last job (30 hrs. annually, to be taken in 2 hour increments).
You're not going to find a job anywhere that lets you get out of important duties without notice. If you could do that without consequence, then obviously you're not very important to the company, so why would they hire you?-- waugsqueke, Mar 01 2002 Well... thats almost the same thing... not quite. You guys in the US have things bloody easy!
Everyone up to the managing director would have them.. I'm certain that there are points when they would want to leave in a hurry too. If it was company/country wide, people would go for it.-- Danzarak, Mar 01 2002 happy employees are productive employees....
I closed down all my businesses within minutes of the WTC being hit....and ordered everyone to the conference rooms to watch the TV for the day or to go home if they felt better doing that. I also give casual Fridays (casual clothes worn to office) to the office workers and have lunch break extended to two hours on Friday (which I pay to cater in). I also sponsor two employee softball teams and one employee volleyball team.
as waugs said, most companies also give employees "personal days". I think employees put forth far more effort for a company when they know that they wouldn't be nailed to a wall for having to leave early or come in late now and then.-- runforrestrun, Mar 01 2002 rforrestr - say, are you hiring? :)-- waugsqueke, Mar 01 2002 [runforrestrun] I want to work for you!-- dana_renay, Mar 01 2002 what are those called again . . . sick days?-- crimsonrose, Mar 01 2002 The *funny* thing is that I think more new ideas occur and more work gets accomplished during those two hour employee lunches on Fridays than during the rest of the week. The clothing naturally makes people more relaxed and comfortable and they are more apt to suggest something or think of something that they might be afraid to mention during an "official" meeting around a conference table with everyone in suits and looking stern. I like my employees to laugh.
I have *secretly* given "goof-off" days to people. Generally this occurs when I have a new employee that seems insecure around other employees. I will tell a more seasoned employee to go "chat" with the new person and even "gossip" so that the new person gets some background on everyone in the workplace and feels a sense of belonging. There is such a thing as "productive gossip".-- runforrestrun, Mar 01 2002 runfor, what's your company policy regarding halfbakery participation during work hours?-- beauxeault, Mar 01 2002 runf, pay and conditions? annual leave? pension? I think you may find quite a few familiar cv's in the post as we speak.-- po, Mar 01 2002 if all your work is done, or if you have been diligently applying yourself to a work related task for some time and just need the mental break....I say "go for it". I don't "police" my people. You can download porn to your heart's content as long as your work is done. I believe my employees are adults and should be treated as such. They know what they need to do and they know how they work best to get the task accomplished.
(of course, I haven't shared this site with anyone....lord knows productivity would probably drop drastically for about a week...or maybe a month...and then I would have to actually lay down some laws. I think if someone finds this place then they were meant to be here.)
(will always accept CVs/resumes in Marketing, Advertising, Sales, restaurant management, chefs, ((how I run a restaurant is a thing of beauty)), and general office workers -- Southwest, USA ---TX, AL, LA, NM, AZ --- hopefully soon to branch into the midwest ;-) ---and today's employee luncheon was a smashing success!-- runforrestrun, Mar 01 2002 Gawd no! I wouldn't bulletinize the halfbakery at your food court. HAHAHA. That would be like discussing cultural restaurant exchange as a stipulation for giving China most favored nation status in world trade negotiations. HEWHEWHEW.-- reensure, Mar 02 2002 "Food Court" I like that! Good name for the Friday get-togethers at the advertising agency. I'll have to get myself a throne and a crown to wear....-- runforrestrun, Mar 02 2002 //Bob might work late covering someones ass, only in exchange for one of his GOOWF cards// In a good working environment, this is probably baked. If people are happy in their job (or as happy as you can be when you really want to be living the life of the idle rich) then they are generally not too upset about covering for workmates as long as the favour gets returned later. //Bob might work late// Ha! Dream on!-- DrBob, Mar 02 2002 /listening/ to you ppl is simply mind boggling-- Abstruse, Mar 04 2002 Danzarak - I don't think so. they may have 30 hrs of 'duvet time' but they only get 10 days hols a year, and then a lot of people don't take them all.-- goff, Mar 05 2002 You should be able to use it to get out of assignments. "Bob, would you proofread these 600 contracts for us?" "Um, no. I think I'll use one of my Get Out Of Work Free cards." Try Joe, he's all out of them.-- phundug, Oct 13 2004 I think they're called 'Pink slips.'-- RayfordSteele, Oct 13 2004 random, halfbakery