SAP Asia is one of the first companies to install nap pods at work back in 2010 in Singapore, a country known as one of the most sleep-deprived in the world.
Shopee, the leading e-commerce online shopping platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, has recently adopted nap pods at work after recognising the link of productivity loss due to poor sleep. The Singapore-based company encourages its employees to use the nap pods in its new premises in Kent Ridge.
Shopee’s new six-storey regional headquarter in Kent Ridge, which opened last month, sacrificed office space on almost every floor for rooms with double-decker capsule beds, soft and warm lighting and blackout curtains to complete the ambiance. Coders, developers and data analysts now have a place to zone out and get some quick recuperation.
Lim Teck Yong, Shopee’s head of regional operations and people team, explained how a good nap not only drives people to continue to work but, more importantly, increase productivity level as well. He said:
“All of us have occasions when we just need that 30 minutes, (or) that one hour of a quick power nap. And that can enable us to work more efficiently.”
Their nap pods are, thus, designed to be conducive to rest, to “extract the most out of their 30-minute nap”.
Nap Pods Break the Monotony of Coding
Shopee’s nap pods are meant for developers and data analysts who spend long hours at their computer screen. Since Shopee is operating 24/7, coders, developers and data analysts work non-stop to keep the app working, including fixing issues that arise.
Employees prefer to make use of the 40 nap pods scattered around the building instead of taking advantage of the free use of the office gym, pool tables, and massage services. Most common nap times are during lunchtime and in the late evenings.
“We maintain hotel-standard cleanliness in our nap pods. So we change the sheets every day,” said Lim.
Shopee employs over 1,000 staff whose average age is about 27 are dynamic, seeking to make a change in the world.
“Millennials today tend to work a bit harder, and hence providing these staff benefits will help ease some of the stress and the workload … and make it a bit easier for them to work,” he added.
According to Lim, benefits such as sleep pods at work keep employees happy and, consequently, productive. He said that nap pods might soon become basic office facilities in every company. He stressed:
“In Singapore, productivity improvement is a top priority … and as a tech company in a fast-paced industry, I think we ought to improve productivity and find all ways possible to achieve that.”
Tech giants SAP Singapore and Google Singapore have already installed nap pods fro members who need a quick recharge. SAP Singapore is known to be one of the coolest workplaces in the country having reclining sofa fitted with a helmet-like dome for privacy, painted black on the inside and comes with built-in audio speakers.
Last year, Nanyang Technological University has also set up a rest pod in a library for its students.
