This is the eighth and final ‘idea’ in our Eight game-changing ideas for women at work series, that we have published over the last two weeks. Catch up on all the previous ideas here.
Offices everywhere, from tech companies to large law firms, are embracing the open plan interior design for housing employees. They’re removing the walls and stuffy hallways to allow everyone to see the view, and to help foster a collaborative culture in the process.
At some companies, like Microsoft, a new era of ‘activity-based working’ is seeing employees no longer assigned a single desk, but encouraged to set up their personal technology wherever they need — be that at the first available desk they see in the head office, a cafe or at home.
All these measures are great for employees, particularly in helping to increase communication among staff, break down stifling hierarchical symbols and to encourage flexibility.
But let’s face it, we all need a little privacy sometimes. And that matters as much for the CEO as it does for the office junior.
So the last in our series of Eight Game-Changing Ideas for Women is for employers to create privacy rooms available for access by all employees. These should be fitted out with the appropriate comforts, entertainment and space to enable those who need it to have a break from sitting in the open floor for a while.
Women could find plenty of uses for these rooms. An opportunity to make a phone call, a private and clean space to use a breast pump, or even just a chance to stare at the wall — something few women who’re juggling part or full time work while managing a household get much of an opportunity to do.
Such rooms, if you have the infrastructure, would not be difficult to fit out. Indeed, some large organisations could spend a little less on their artwork and football-sized reception areas and a little more on offering comforts to employees, many of whom are spending more than a third of their week at the office.
What might be difficult is encouraging all employes, male or female, to make use of such facilities, to know it’s ok to step out of the office spotlight and take a break. There’s no shame in taking half an hour for a nap, to play a computer game, to catch up on an episode of whatever series you’re getting through, or even some personal lunchtime yoga.
Some powerful women have become vocal advocates of offering employee ‘nap rooms’, including Arianna Huffington who’s says her HuffPo offices have such areas in order to highlight the importance of sleep among employees. She believes sleep is not a ‘nice to have’ but rather an essential tools for safety, productivity and wellbeing.
Our idea is not just about supporting ‘nap rooms’ exclusively, but rather ‘privacy rooms’ where the option of a nap is just one of the things on offer.
A well rested employee is a productive and happy employee. And for many women, the opportunity for a little ‘downtime’ may only occur during the working day. Why not offer such opportunities as a real incentive for attracting great female talent?