A major feature of Parkinson's Law is that of the 'Rising Pyramid: that is, work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. General recognition of this is illustrated in the proverb, it is the busiest person who has time to spare. There is little, if any, relationship between the quantity of work to be done and the size of the staff doing it. Underlying this general tendency are two almost axiomatic statements.

(i) an official wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals and

(ii) officials make work for each other.

Parkinson goes on to give the following example. If a civil servant, A, believes he is overworked there are three possible remedies: (i) resignation; (ii) ask to halve the work by having it shared with a colleague, B; or (iii) seek the assistance of two subordinates, C and D. The first two options are unlikely. Resignation would involve loss of pension rights, and sharing work with a colleague on the same level would only bring in a rival for promotion. So A would prefer the appointment of two junior members of staff, C and D. This would increase A's status. There must be at least two subordinates, so that by dividing work between C and D, A will be the only person to understand the work of them both. Also, each subordinate is kept in order by fear of the other's promotion.

When, in turn, C complains of overwork, A with the agreement of C, will advise the appointment of two assistants, E and F. But as D's position is much the same and, to avoid internal friction, two assistants, G and H, will also be recommended to help D. There are now seven people, A, C, D, E, F, G, H, doing what one person did before, and the promotion of A is almost certain.

With the seven people now employed, the second stage comes into operation. The seven people make so much work for each other that they are all fully occupied and A is actually working harder than ever. For example, an incoming document comes before each of them in turn. E decides it is F's concern; F places a draft reply for C, who makes drastic amendments before consulting with D, who asks G to action it. But then G goes on leave and hands the file to H, who drafts a minute signed by D and returned to C, who revises the first draft and puts the new version before A.

What does A do? A could find many excuses for signing C's draft unread. But being a conscientious person, and although beset with problems created by subordinates both for A and for themselves, A reads through the draft carefully, deletes the fussy paragraphs added by C and H, and restores it to the format presented in the first instance by F.