HAVING fun in the workplace as a means of promoting creativity gets short shrift from companies in the UK.

Wacky ideas such as having a punchbag of the boss, allowing office pranks as part of the company culture and encouraging 'dressing-down' days have no place in Britain.

According to a report commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, organisations in the UK put fun at eleventh out of twelve in their list of priorities for urging workers to be more creative.

First comes working closely with suppliers and customers (65 per cent), second is communicating success (55 per cent) and third is giving a high profile to suggestions for new ideas (46 per cent). Fun scored just 16 per cent.

The findings are contained in the report 'Harness Creativity to Improve the Bottom-Line" by Professor Amin Rajan.

"The UK's attitude to fun does not look like changing much over the next two years," he said.

The Institute of Management said the findings reflected its own research that showed companies were cutting back on fun events such as festive parties for their staff.

"Given that work takes up at least a third of most people's working lives, it is important that they enjoy it," said Mary Chapman, director general.

"Contrived fun that is imposed is not the answer. But having a sense of fun, while getting on with the job in hand, could be a way of lightening the load and staving off the blues - as well as enhancing creativity."