A construction company in Japan has asked its 2700 staff members to get the same haircut – in a bid to conserve energy.
As you’ll no doubt recall, the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck north-western Japan in March had the effect of knocking out the Fukushima nuclear plant. This has resulted in demand on electricity supplies in some parts of the country coming under severe pressure – especially during the hot and humid summer months when millions of people turn on air conditioners.
Adding to the strain on demand is the fact that many other nuclear plants across the nation have been shut down while they undergo safety checks. As a result, the Japanese government has requested that companies and homes do their best to cut down on their use of electricity.
A Daily Telegraph report said it is this drive to save energy that has led the Tokyo-based construction firm, Maeda Corp., to encourage staff members to get identical haircuts.
Explaining the move, Maeda spokesperson Chizuru Inoue said, “Our company is very keen on protecting the environment and we encourage our staff to adopt many environment-friendly actions.”
She continued: “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. If all our staff do this, then it may save a lot of power.”
Male employees are being encouraged to get a short back-and-sides “but slightly longer on top,” while the female workers should go for a bob “with a longer fringe that can be swept to one side.” A picture of the two recommended haircuts can be seen above.
While some companies have followed the government’s advice and moved production to weekends and evenings in order to lessen the burden on power stations, Maeda could well be the first company to recommend an energy-saving haircut.
[Top image courtesy of Levent Konuk / Shutterstock]
[Bottom image courtesy of Maeda Corporation’s blog]
