I think the main issue at heart is the desire that every human being has in controlling their environment. I say this because I just read in a book (A Drunkard

I think the main issue at heart is the desire that every human being has in controlling their environment. I say this because I just read in a book (A Drunkards Walk) how seniors in a home who could arrange their rooms the way they liked and could choose a plant to take care of were measurably happier and lived longer. Restricting machine names, removing snacks, clocking in and out these all contribute to a negative environment. Which employee (all other things being equal) is more likely to burn out: a) Diligent and responsible employee is essentially free to do what they need to do to get their job done. b) Diligent and responsible employee who gets shuffled into a 'highschool' scenario: hall-passes, attendance reports, dress code. Obviously some places feel they require these restrictions. Maybe in a large corporation you'll end up hiring employees who you can't trust to show up on time, etc. But isn't that also HR's fault?