:ROFLMAO: This is really a good topic. Just pick a side and decide whether to defend it or condemn it. Anyone can go either way with this one. There are those times, when it pays to have some busy work, just to clean, organize or just general repairs. Why pay some outsider to do the things you can put off indefinitely and get done on your own time, while still paying an employee ?? Even if you do the work yourself, where is your time or money better spent ?? Delegating to someone who can do it faster, better and cheaper..... or doing it yourself and possibly missing a deadline, a quote or an important phone call ??
I miss cutting my own grass at home, but the money it costs me to have someone come in, cut, trim and clean up is far better spent, then me getting all therapeutic sipping on a beverage and taking a Saturday afternoon, if it's not raining. If it rains all weekend, then I hafta wait til the next Saturday.
Same thing with a shelf or table. If there's nothing planned or we have a few hours down time, then by all means..... make it and keep the guys busy, otherwise.... do what you're supposed to be doing.
29 years ago, I had two old-timers build our desks. They were wonderful.... or I should say they ARE...... and cheap as they were retired carpenters. As we still have them, they're in perfect shape and we've replaced the top on one of them once.