The use of the word “official” in this stage's direction affects the mood of the scene by creating a sense of urgency and importance. The actors are playing officials, so they are already supposed to come across as important and trustworthy. However, in this stage direction, we can see that there is more at stake than just getting through a day at work. The company is going bankrupt and may be closing down; therefore, it is crucial for these characters to act as if everything is normal and fine, even though they are all aware that something bad is happening behind closed doors.
At the same time, there is also an air of mystery surrounding this situation—we don't know why there are rumors circulating about bankruptcy, or what exactly was said by other employees who were fired earlier in the day. This adds another layer of tension because it makes us feel like something big is about to happen soon but we don't know what yet!