: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace is a business autobiography by Ricardo Semler published in 1993 by Warner Books.

The book relates the management succession and increasingly unorthodox ethos of Semco, which grew to become one of Brazil's largest conglomerates.

is the autobiography of a businessman, Ricardo Semler, and the business he managed, Semco, one of Brazil's largest conglomerates.

Starting out as a manufacturing company, Semco allowed its workers to set their own production quotas and found that employees would voluntarily work overtime to meet them.

Profit sharing is practiced right down to factory floor level, instead of large bonuses only for senior management.

Corporate staff offering accounting, marketing and legal expertise was reduced to the manufacturing units, while the quality control, processing and training departments were eradicated.

Co-ordinators represent the first-level of management of each unit and Associates are all other employees of the company, together they form the outer circle.

Family Silverware: In case of a new job opening a Semco employee who fulfils 70% of the requirements is treated preferentially over applicants.

Professionals can take off a few weeks or months every year or two from their usual duties to learn new skills, redesign their job or simply recharge.

Hence, unnecessary perks such as preference parking, executive dining rooms, fancy office furniture etc.

For example, health insurance and other benefits are offered but managed by employees, while pools, gyms and sports tracks are not included.

Semco managers are evaluated every 6 months by those he supervises through a special custom multiple choice questionnaire, while the results are made transparent.

Rules: No dress codes, no regulation on travels, no working hours, no internal auditing department, no preference parking places.

Salary surveys: Semco asks their factory and office workers to visit comparable manufacturing companies and interview their counterparts.

Satellite Programme: Contracting basic manufacturing by encouraging Semco's own workers to found their own company that can also sell to competitors.

They are supported through favourable leasing conditions for production machines, as well as advised on pricing, quality and taxation.

Support Staff: At Semco everyone copies, faxes, phones and picks-up his guests himself, as secretary jobs have been taken off the payroll.

Work at home: It is allowed and encouraged, as it enhances concentration, productivity and peoples personal flexibility.

Engage, give opinions, seek advancement, participate in elections, get in touch with the factory committee, don't just be another employee.