Rest Spaces at Work

Back to 2011 when I was working in a busy contact centre as a HR and Wellbeing Manager we did not have any quiet rest space for people. Canteen was used as an extra meeting room and was always noisy and busy.

Before launching a wellbeing programme we run a survey to ask employees what they want to see happening as part of their wellbeing agenda. 60 percent asked for a quiet rest space to be away from the phones and desks, somewhere they can recharge and enjoy the silence.

We scratched our heads as our performance driven culture did not provision for any rest space in the building. Eventually we found a room that had a size of a two-man tent. We put two cosy chairs, CD player and a coffee table with magazines in there. People were queuing up to spend a few minutes in this very tiny room with no windows.

And of course we did not have a problem with too many people resting at once.

Nowadays rest spaces become more popular and with stress and mental health issues on the rise they will soon be playing an important role in our working lives.

From simple rooms with two chairs to fancy bright and comfortable spaces companies around the world accept the idea that rest can be productive helping us recharge and re-focus our minds.

Some companies take a more imaginative approach and bring best places to rest at to work.

UK Fast business is one of them. They host a beautiful bar at their premises. A barman was not there when I visited but I heard it is usually open after 4 pm.

The trend of blurring the boundaries between work and life will become more prominent in the next 5 years as Digital Natives, Generation Z will be joining our workforce.

As Simon Sinek said in his famous interview about Millennials: “Bean bags and chill out rooms are in their top 4 priorities when they consider an employer”.

The importance of this kind of spaces for our minds, creativity, health and productivity is underestimated right now. Some businesses which have this kind of places complain that people don’t use them. Some working cultures still find time spent away from their desks as non-productive and colleagues are frowned upon for doing so.

But the times are changing. And there are some wonderful ideas that blossom. Manchester was hosting one of the most unusual public rest space called Re-Treat.

London is opening their first Pop and Rest Centre for busy people with Pop Pods. http://space.popnrest.com/

What is your experience with Rest Spaces at Work? Share your story in the comments below.