As a lowly wage slave, TS is no stranger to being overworked and paying for its own stamps on business correspondence. It was with great relief, and some measure of surprise, when TS was told it was not alone when it comes to penny-pinching bosses.

Sources advised TS that despite revenues of £1.3bn, Big Four firm Deloitte still won’t cough up to buy its staff a few pencils and a notepad. ‘It is well known that the first stop you make when you are assigned to a Deloitte audit is Ryman to buy some stationery,’ a partner at a rival Big Four firm said.

A Deloitte spokeswoman said the firm had plenty of stationery cupboards, but didn’t mention if they were full.