who will be speaking to the Bermuda Human Resource Association, on Wednesday.

Mr. Davidson is Senior Vice Emperor of Playfair, a Californian company which has been cheering up offices and factories in America.

The message he will be giving, at the Elbow Beach Hotel, is that relieving stress at work can help to increase productivity, creativity and team spirit.

Mr. Davidson reports that US companies can lose millions of dollars from employees taking stress-related time off.

And that does not take into account the fact that workers who are feeling stress tend not to produce at their highest level.

Mr. Davidson said: "For years people had the attitude that if you were having fun at work you must not be doing your job. Business is serious but it should not be solemn.'' Playfair started in business more than 16 years ago, originally working with colleges. The idea was to introduce new students, who might be away from home for the first time, to their fellow new starters.

Mr. Davidson joined just over 10 years ago and it was decided a year later to extend the scheme to the business community.

Since then, he said that the feedback has been excellent from 90 to 95 percent of the companies given the Playfair treatment.

References include the Office of the Surgeon General, California State Department of Education, National Kitchen and Bath Association and the American Family Insurance Group.

He said: "We speak to both management and employees, although the majority are managers because they are in a better position to instigate our ideas.

"We tell them that people can do their jobs better in a relaxed atmosphere and we suggest that managers praise employees instead of only pointing out faults.

"We try to lighten up the work environment. For example a manager can begin a staff meeting with a joke or by giving people novelty pens in the shape of vegetables or animals.'' Mr. Davidson always carries a supply of these novelty items around with him to add a little fun to any meetings which are getting a little too serious.

Playfair are regular guests at seminars all over America to help delegates relax before or after the serious business.

And they use the seminars to put over their ideas to relieve stress when the delegates return to their offices.

During his lecture Mr. Davidson will involve people in a number of games or simply give a person an ovation when they stand up.

He said: "When we ask people onto the stage and they receive an ovation they are delighted. However we don't want people to just come along and take part in the programme and then forget about it, we want them to take it back to the office.'' More than 100 people will attend Mr. Davidson's lecture during the Human Resources Association's annual meeting at the Elbow Beach on Wednesday. There will be an open meeting at 7.30 p.m. that evening.

Mr. Tim Smith, of the Association, said: "We asked Ritch over because we feel this is probably necessary in Bermuda because of the recession.

"People get more serious and managers can only offer them the `bottom line' all the time. But there can still be an improved atmosphere and involvement of staff in decision-making.

"In the rich '80's pay is no longer the most important consideration for employees. Most of them want to be part of the team.'' Mr. Davidson said: "It is also a way to ensure loyalty of your staff at a time when people tend to change jobs regularly.'' RITCH DAVIDSON -- Lighten up the work environment.