By Saintly Ngwenya
The proverb “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” seems to have been penned specifically for farm activities. With the pressure associated with farm activities, many farm owners and managers tend to exert all of their time and effort to production. This pressure is eventually passed down to employees. Usually at first results may seem pleasing, but as with progression of time it an be noted to be detrimental to production. Without enough time off, workers begin to become bored and thus inefficient in their work.
To avoid this kind of negative impact due to excessive work, managers are encouraged to not only to give employees time off but to develop recreational facilities on the farm. These can include sporting activities, social clubs and sponsored trips away from the farm. Though these may not be directly linked to production but their impact can be realised with time. Recreational activities improve team building and improves communication and trust among employees.
Whoever wrote this proverb in 1659 was clearly referring to farmers in this 21st century.