Some organisations ask their staff to take part in carbon-offsetting programmes or to switch off their computers as part of efforts to protect the environment and boost their corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials.
However, Japanese construction firm Maeda Corporation is getting staff to use their heads to save energy.
In response to a national campaign to reduce power consumption, the Tokyo-based firm has requested that its 2,700 employees adopt identical hairstyles that require less blow-drying.
Male staff have been asked to adopt a short back-and-sides hair cut and the women a bob with a longer fringe.
To encourage staff to take part in the initiative, the firm could fund the cost of the new hair cuts and the subsequent maintenance of the styles by offering hairdressing vouchers.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Chizuru Inoue, a spokesperson for the Maeda Corporation, said: “We are not sure of the data yet, but we believe if people have short hair they do not need to use their hair driers for so long and they will use less water.”
“I have had a lot of our staff calling me to ask where they can get their hair cut in the correct style.”
The Japanese government has asked businesses and households to cut the amount of energy they consume after the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant was destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami in March.
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