Hugh Hefner's little-known lesson for HR

Hugh Hefner, who died at the age of 91 on Wednesday, lived a life that made media headlines – in two ways. He was the proprietor of Playboy Magazine and his lifestyle attracted the gaze of red-carpet reporters as well hacks who thought something else was up.

However, during his early years, Hugh Hefner had a career hiccup that holds an HR lesson that all managers and bosses could learn from.

When he was 26, Hefner was a copywriter at Esquire. He asked for a $5 raise to make his weekly salary $60. When it was denied he quit to found Playboy. The brand went on to, at its peak, be worth roughly $400 million.

Whilst losing an employee with obvious drive and talent can be a big loss, inequitable pay levels can cause disharmony amongst workers. Last week, Deliveroo boss Will Shu gave himself a 22.5% pay rise much to the ire of those who have been watching the legal battles the firm has endured regarding perceived underpayment of his workers.