The avenues of innovation – both in products and in costumes – are endless. Two examples come to us from Australia. A patent attorney left the profession after inventing a pocket washing machine for camping and long-lasting hikes. It is a sort of waterproof bag in which you put your dirty laundry, a little water or detergent (shower gel is fine too) and a lot of elbow grease turning and scrubbing: it's called 'Scrubba'. At the end of the treatment, the clothes are put out to dry. Naturally, he patented it early on and is in talks with various groups about producing it under license.
Instead, a Sydney company - Kavanagh Industries, a firm that manufactures metal carpentry - encourages employees to sleep on the job; or, rather, to take a nap (not eight hours). The mini-siesta - so says Kavanagh - leads to greater productivity in the rest of the day. And it's not just the 'fringe benefit': the company also offers tai-chi classes, massages, a gym and a meditation room.
The director, Aidan Kavanagh, says these initiatives have resulted in almost zero sick leave or work accidents, and staff turnover is virtually zero.
