Nigel Hobbs, Chief Wellness Officer, Welnis Labs

The CEO who is happy to have his staff sleeping on the job.

Nigel Hobbs, Chief Wellness Officer of Welnis Labs, tells NapNow why he installed a nap pod for his staff in his Sydney Offices.

What’s your personal experience of napping?

I first discovered napping about five years ago when I read about the trend starting with tech companies in the US. I started napping in the car, normally in the afternoon between 3 and 4pm or whenever I felt that dip in energy and productivity. I try and nap every day unless I get caught up with clients or in a meeting. You get addicted to the improvements in so many areas of your working and personal life.

Why, as a CEO, have you invested in a nap pod for your staff?

We decided that to really gain the benefits of napping we needed to have a designated space that was just for napping. We had a nap pod installed but a room with an area to lie down or even recline such as a hammock or lounger works just as well. I would really recommend having a booking system as then your employees know they won’t be interrupted and they feel that this is their allocated time slot.

What’s the best way to encourage your staff to nap during a working day?

The most important thing as an organisation that we can do to encourage napping is to make it very much part of the company culture and not just accepted – but encouraged. It is vital to know that the company sees napping as a key driver of improved productivity as well as wellbeing and that everyone in the organisation has positive gains from napping.

Welnis is a specialized wellness interiors consultancy, that creates environments that benefit both the environment and human health.