Snoozing on the job isn91裸聊视频檛 just permitted at Bob Vaez91裸聊视频檚 software company, it91裸聊视频檚 encouraged.

The Toronto boss of EventMobi describes himself as 91裸聊视频漷he only CEO that promotes people to sleep at work,91裸聊视频� insisting the policy boosts productivity and company morale.

To that end, EventMobi91裸聊视频檚 open-concept waterfront office features a private nap room where workers can grab a few Zs if they feel sluggish, or just get some alone time in a dark space if they have a headache or don91裸聊视频檛 feel well.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 just from my own experience,91裸聊视频� Vaez says of his reasons for setting up the quiet space.

91裸聊视频淎s (with) any other tech professional worker, you work really odd hours and your brain just sometimes shuts off. Especially after lunch you just can91裸聊视频檛 work and I91裸聊视频檝e been to other offices (where) people sleep at their desk and it91裸聊视频檚 really frowned upon. If you can91裸聊视频檛 work, what91裸聊视频檚 the point?91裸聊视频�

The benefits of adequate sleep are well-established, but Vaez91裸聊视频檚 willingness to address tired staffers in such a direct way is relatively rare.

Still, he91裸聊视频檚 not the only one.

Google Canada spokesman Aaron Brindle says nap rooms can be found in the tech giant91裸聊视频檚 offices around the world, including the Toronto office where a wellness space for nursing mothers can be reserved for taking a break, or taking a nap.

Another space at their engineering headquarters in Kitchener, Ont., features two high-tech recliners with large spherical privacy visors for extra-tired employees looking to grab some shut-eye.

Meanwhile, management consulting firm Accenture says its three-floor Toronto office features a wellness room where staffers can snooze. That91裸聊视频檚 in addition to various inclusivity initiatives 91裸聊视频� gender neutral and accessible washrooms, a room for nursing mothers, and a meditation/prayer room with a foot-washing station.

It91裸聊视频檚 a phenomenon that seems primarily centred in technology and marketing sectors, says Alina Owsianik, director of talent acquisition, diversity and inclusion at Randstad Canada.

Owsianik knows of at least five Randstad clients with nap rooms, and credits their existence to a new generation of workers who increasingly blur the line between their home and work lives.

91裸聊视频淢illennials are spending much more time than our parents did at work. They also work crazy hours, different hours, and we want to adjust the work style and the balance to their needs,91裸聊视频� she says.

91裸聊视频�(That includes) a lot of development shops, technology shops, where maybe there are crazy deadlines or people like to work in the evenings (and) have a nap during the daytime. That91裸聊视频檚 why we see employers actually adapting the workspace and creating a dedicated space to take a nap.91裸聊视频�

She believes it91裸聊视频檚 more than just a fad, insisting 91裸聊视频渢hey are becoming more and more popular91裸聊视频� as an added tool to recruit top talent.

Owsianik says Randstad began testing its own version of the nap room, dubbed the 91裸聊视频渞echarge room,91裸聊视频� after an employee committee suggested the measure as a way to address mental-health issues.

It has a couch, diffuser with essential oils, a salt lamp, mats for stretching, and a couch for resting and napping.

91裸聊视频淭here are a lot of people that are not declaring disability or mental disability,91裸聊视频� she notes.

91裸聊视频淎nd we are working in a highly sales-driven environment where there is a lot of stress so we really wanted to create a space where people can relax, have a nap.91裸聊视频�

For job-seekers weighing multiple offers, a healthy workplace can win them over, she adds, believing many workers want more than just a good salary.

91裸聊视频淢illennials and the younger talent and the younger generation are looking more for the rewarding career (and) self-development rather than just the pay.91裸聊视频�

Universities, too, are recognizing that some of their students are exhausted by long commutes, awkward class schedules, jobs and personal commitments.

Two years ago, the student union that jointly serves Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber created two sleep lounges for its two Toronto campuses, and then doubled the number of beds at one of them last September.

The expanded lounge now has 12 beds while the second hosts eight. Together, they91裸聊视频檝e drawn about 4,000 users this school year, well surpassing the 3,000 that dropped by during the entire school year in 2017-2018, says the union, known as Ignite.

91裸聊视频淲e are a commuter school and a lot of our students, they don91裸聊视频檛 get to go home until maybe eight or nine hours after they91裸聊视频檝e had a whole day on campus,91裸聊视频� says union president Monica Khosla, who represents students at both schools, which includes a satellite campus for the University of Guelph.

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Over at Toronto91裸聊视频檚 Centennial College, the student union bought four so-called 91裸聊视频淓nergyPods91裸聊视频� by the U.S. company MetroNaps last August, adds spokesman Brad Beamish. One has been installed next to the cafeteria, another in the library.

Their many features include a retractable privacy visor, speakers that whisper relaxation music and pre-programmed relaxation guides, wake alarms, lights and vibration controls.

91裸聊视频淭here were basically people jumping in them before they were finished being set up. The demand was almost immediate,91裸聊视频� Beamish recalls.

Productivity expert Lisa Belanger is glad to see such initiatives afoot, noting that other countries seem to understand the need for work/life balance far better than Canada.

She points to Finnish sauna culture and the Swedish coffee break known as Fika.

91裸聊视频淓urope is doing better on this for sure with valuing vacation, respite, weekends,91裸聊视频� says Belanger, a post-doc researcher at the University of Calgary whose work includes looking at effective break strategies.

Historically, labour breaks were introduced to boost efficiency, she notes. These days, they are eliminated in the belief they slow us down.

91裸聊视频淐offee breaks were designed in the industrial era so that it increased productivity, reduced safety concerns and injuries and errors,91裸聊视频� says Belanger, also CEO of the consulting firm ConsciousWorks, which looks at how brain health, nutrition and sleep affect performance.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 gotten to the point where we kind of skipped over them. We put our coffee in a to-go mug and just get it in us as quickly as possible and forget that our brain requires breaks.91裸聊视频�

Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press

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