After it was widely reported that Yahoo! CEO, Marissa Mayer, had a nursery built near her office to accommodate her child care needs, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) released empirical information regarding the growing popularity of on-site child care services at workplaces around the world.
According to the 2012 Workplace Amenities Strategies Report, which compiled the responses of 848 facility managers to identify trends in managing workplace amenities, on-site child care amenities have become more common in order for employees to save time and be more engaged at work. Of the surveyed facility managers, 75 per cent indicated their facilities offer on-site, full-time child care, while another nine per cent offer off-site, full-time child care.
The physical aspects of the work environment have a direct impact on the productivity, health and safety, comfort, concentration, job satisfaction and morale of the people within it. This impact can be enhanced with workplace amenities such as cafeterias, daycare centres and recreation areas. As competition for talent grows, more companies are offering better workplace amenities than ever before.
Other popular amenities highlighted in the survey include:
- Break rooms (93 per cent);
- Multi-purpose spaces (72 per cent);
- On-site fitness areas (54 per cent);
- Cafeteria/food services (52 per cent); and
- Nursing/lactation rooms (50 per cent).
