duvet days, n, buzzword; a day when employees have right to stay in bed instead of going in to work, no prior booking required.

INCIDENCE: practice of US corps, seeking to become enlightened employers. Early adopters in UK include PR company Text100, in 1995. An allocation of several duvet days per employee is now becoming more widespread, reports suggest, as is the wider concept of helping employees maintain work/life balance

DISPUTED USAGE:Donald Johnson, of Text100: "I took one last Thursday because I was tired, there was snow outside and I could just not be bothered to go to work."

Ruth Lea, of Institute of Directors: "It's absolutely bonkers. It panders to people's weaknesses."

PART OF apparent growing US-inspired informality in workplace; viz. water coolers, dress down Friday, unisex toilets, skateboarding. Also note growth of so-called homing, where because of longer working hours, the office is made more like home with, eg, concierge services (dry cleaning, laundry and groceries delivered to desks, errand running).

ALSO: paint your own office in wacky colours; health insurance for pets; firm arranging for someone to water your houseplants and address your personal Christmas cards, even supplying someone to wait in at your home for the plumber; Dress-up Friday where ballgowns and tuxedoes are worn once a month. (All currently happening in US offices.)

NECESSITATED BY 1: acute post-bank holiday depression syndrome - identified by organisational psychologist Cary Cooper; ie having to go back to work before you want to.

NECESSITATED BY 2: workplaces having to become more convenient and enjoyable as part of company efforts to retain staff. Workers much less loyal to employers; average 30-year-old has had as many jobs as 50-year-old; attracting and keeping talented staff can be crucial to success.

EXCELLENT EXCUSE FOR: despite attempt to foster loyalty, duvet days provide ideal cover story when going for interview at rival firm.

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