Before the BBC became excited (like the rest of us!) about the birth of a new royal baby they carried a story about the invention of the modern office drawing on the writings of Charles Lamb (1775-1834). Lamb worked for the East India Company for thirty years.
The quotes are great and certainly resonate today. My personal favourite is:
"In 1817, the holiday allowance of £10 a year was cut for new members of staff, Saturday became a full working day and the equivalent of the Christmas office party, the "yearly turtle feast", was scrapped.
Lamb wrote to a colleague John Chambers, who was off
work with scurvy, complaining about some of the changes.
"The Committee have formally abolish'd all holydays whatsoever - for which may the Devil, who keeps no holydays, have them in his eternal burning workshop.""
To read more see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23372401 or listen to Programme 1: The Beginnings of the Modern Office on BBC iplayer (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0375byp)... the programme is available for seven days from 22 July.
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