Sleeping on the job may be frowned upon in some businesses, but not in the German civil service.

The country's bureaucrats are being encouraged to take an afternoon nap in a scheme that officials claim will actually increase productivity. The authorities in Berlin have been convinced by sleep research that suggests that employees who take naps of up to 30 minutes can concentrate better and improve their work efficiency.

The plan, which involves setting up special snooze-rooms in government offices, has caused controversy, given that German civil servants do not generally share the country's reputation for efficiency.