We had all been up for about three nights straight preparing a major presentation. He was just completely worn out, Gould recalls. Recognizing that the company s business would continue to require employees to work furiously on project deadlines no matter what the hour until the job was done, the management team implemented a creative solution. Exhausted workers can now replenish their energy by crawling into one of the company s spent tents. Tucked away in a rooftop alcove, the tents allow employees to take a step back before re-entering the fray.
Employees use the tents for other reasons as well.
If you really need to concentrate, you can crawl into one of the tents and tune the world out this definitely can help the creative process, Gould says. General Electric recognizes the importance of keeping workers happy, too. GE is overhauling its Schenectady campus, the headquarters for its Power Systems Division, which employs more than 4,500 professional and manufacturing personnel. The changes have increased employee morale and productivity, says Craig Radliff, manager of facility operations at the site. He says the facility is a recruitment tool a nicer site helps attract workers.