LONDON: April 1 is International Fun At Work Day. Never heard of it? You’ve heard of April Fool’s Day, of course, and are fully expecting the usual assortment of forged written warnings.

International Fun At Work Day is an attempt to foster the notion that work should be fun, and that when it is: employees are happier, better motivated and more productive. Needless to say, it is an American invention, the brainchild of a group of motivational speakers and business consultants who rejoice in the name of Playfair.“If you want your company to provide excellent customer service, you first have to provide that same kind of attention and appreciation to your own employees,” says Matt Weinstein, author, speaker and “emperor” at Playfair. “You can’t expect employees to provide service with a smile if you don’t give them something to smile about. By adding some fun and play, you can help create an organisation which employees will want to make a long-term commitment to, where turnover and burnout are minimal.” Companies now are trying to instil a year-round culture of fun in the office. American business is taking fun as a stress-buster and team-building exercise.

A new generation of executive toys, including a desktop punchbag, combine fun with a purpose. It’s not surprising that Toy Tips, a research company, gets executives to test toys for stress-reducing properties.

According to Kate Hull-Rogers of HumourUs.org.uk, “Fun should be a way of life in the workplace. You cannot go once to they gym and be in good physical shape, it must be an ongoing programme. It means doing regular things like the weekly quiz, the extended Tuesday lunch, a Friday pass-the-parcel. We have the terrible habit of having a bit of fun and then someone saying, ‘Let’s get back to work’.” — The Guardian