10. A “Bunny Council” Resolved Disputes
In lieu of an actual Human Resources department and proper grievance reporting system, the Playboy Club relied on a “Bunny Council” that worked in coordination with Bunny Mothers to manage any disputes or issues among female staff. According to the 1968 Bunny Manual, the Bunny Council consisted of a representative from each club room. Once per month, all the representatives met with the club’s Bunny Mother to speak on behalf of the Bunnies from their rooms. The Bunny Mother was then responsible for presenting the comments, in writing, to the General Manager of the club.
In addition to the Bunny Council, there were general Bunny Meetings once per month which all Bunnies were required to attend. The Bunny Manual stated that missing a Bunny Meeting was to be treated as severely as skipping an entire work shift. The Bunny Council was intended to handle feedback that Bunnies were uncomfortable staring at the larger Bunny Meetings. After each Bunny Council meeting, the General Manager’s feedback on the provided comments would be disseminated among all of the Bunnies. Despite the rather odd way of handling it, it is clear that the Playboy Club operated as a well-organized business and treated their Bunnies as regular employees, despite the supposed glamor and mystery of the position.