Apart from the mandatory 1-hour lunch break, which all employees in South Africa are required to take, there are other breaks that people prefer at work.
Breaks and bonuses that would make being confined to an office more pleasant, especially after almost two years of working remotely.
The general apprehension about returning to normal working routines stems from the pandemic’s remote working policy.
Many people, especially working parents, found that working from home allowed them to achieve a better work-life balance.
Being away from the workplace has helped to improve mental health by allowing you to combine time with the kids, home routines, and work.
This may explain why some businesses in South Africa continue to use a hybrid work schedule in which employees alternate between the office and home.
However, one company continues to stand out when it comes to employee wellbeing, offering a plethora of benefits and breaks.
For the fourth year in a row, Google has been crowned the finest place to work.
Offering its staff a plethora of perks that most businesses would envy.
Google values rest breaks and has reserved nap pods at its offices for employees to use as needed.
David Radcliffe, Vice President of Google’s Real Estate and Workplace Services said, “When innovation gets too much, there’s a solution for that, a nap pod. We find that a 5-minute to 15-minute power nap works. Whether it’s after a long period at the office or over weekends, naps at work are allowed.”
This spurred a conversation on Feel Good with Andy Maqondwana on how individuals would like to take breaks at work.
Here are several examples:
I’m taking a break so I can run some errands.
Taking a nap
Breaks for picking up and dropping off the kids from school
Crying is a natural reaction.
Time off or menstrual leave
Breaks in the music
Prayer pauses
Time to be alone
Take a walk or get some exercise.
The office nap time appears to be the most popular of all the breaks, as many employees are burned out and don’t get enough sleep.
Workers are often tired in the mornings and late at night, so taking a sleep might be good.
The habit of enabling employees to take a nap while on the clock is not only championed by Google; the Japanese swear by it.
Gone are the days when being the “first one in the office and the last to depart” indicated a hardworking employee.
The Japanese custom of napping at work is known as inemuri. Some people may associate napping at work with laziness or a lack of work ethic, although this is far from the case.
Being present while sleeping, according to the Japanese, can make workers more dedicated and effective. They feel that a lack of sleep will have significantly more negative consequences on company productivity than a few hours of sleep at work.
