FAO HR back to 1960s with doorstickers and hourly timesheets

 ROME -- Staff in the Human Resources Division arrived at work this week to find an unexpected new ritual awaiting them: a daily dawn patrol by the bearded HR Director, who now walks the corridors each morning to record what time employees arrive, FAO sources say. Those who are not at their desks before his rounds reportedly discover a small green Post-it affixed to their office doors—an improvised marker of tardiness. Has FAO HR turned the clock back to the 1960s? 

 Later in the morning, administrative staff follow up with a formal all-team message, politely instructing anyone who “found a green sticker on their office door” to visit the Director, flamboyant Lebanese dandy Serge Nakouzi, at their earliest convenience. For many, the message reads like a cross between a summons and a classroom attendance reminder.

 The new practice accompanies an earlier directive requiring HR staff to complete hourly timesheets specifying what work was accomplished during each 60-minute block of the day. The combination of physical door tagging and hyper-detailed time reporting has prompted some staff to quietly wonder whether FAO’s HR management philosophy is moving backward rather than forward.

 Observers have also noted that not all staff seem to be equally subject to these new controls. Individuals viewed as part of the Director’s inner circle have, so far, been exempt from both the green Post-its and the follow-up summons—fueling concerns that the system functions less as a universal standard and more as selective oversight.

 Adding to the speculation, several long-serving staff recall similar stories circulating about the Director’s previous tenure in HR—tales of early-morning rounds, strict monitoring practices, and a style of management that some describe as “discipline first, dialogue later.” For those who lived through that earlier era, recent developments feel less like a surprise and more like a return to form.

 Across the division, the new measures have become the week’s prime topic of hallway conversation. While accountability remains an important organizational priority, many staff are questioning whether these methods align with contemporary HR principles—particularly in an era when most UN entities emphasize trust-based management, digital systems, and consistent application of policy.

 For now, HR personnel are adjusting to their new reality—one Post-it note, one hourly entry, and, for some, one strategic exemption at a time.

 ps