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Official development blog for the PARANOIA roleplaying game. No description is available at your security clearance. The Computer is your friend.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

PARANOIA in the real world: Be happy or you're fired 

Via Slashdot and The Register, this Ananova story about a German firm that four years ago, in true Alpha Complex fashion, made happiness mandatory:
Employees at IT company Nutzwerk Ltd, in Leipzig, have to agree to be in a good mood as part of their employment contract.

Manager Thomas Kuwatsch said those who get up on the wrong side of the bed should stay at home and work out their grumpiness rather than come into work. But he warned those taking too much time off for bad moods would face the sack.

"We made the ban on moaning and grumpiness at work official after one female employee refused to subscribe to the company's philosophy of always smiling," he said. "She used to moan so much that other employees complained about her complaining. Once it was part of the contract, however, our employees really started to think positively.

"Mood is an important factor in productivity, and everyone here works hard and is happy."

Nutzwerkers may have to smile through the tears if the company's dubious efforts to legalize software patents in Europe continue to draw geek ire worldwide.
Posted by: Allen Varney / 5:59 PM

Comments:
I had a staff meeting tonight where we were told largely the same thing. Although we weren't encouraged to stay home and work through it... Granted, I work at a retail outfit entering the holiday season, but still it was a little wierd hearing.

I did have to resist exclaiming "Happiness in Manditory!"
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : November 07, 2005 12:54 AM
 
A co-worker of mine was recently pressured into quitting on the basis that he was not happy enough at work. I briefly questioned our boss to clairify matters on this new policy, asking "Would you say that happiness is... manditory?"

He thought about it for a moment and replied "Absolutely!"
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : November 21, 2005 1:27 PM
 
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