Why Hootsuite’s CEO wants employees to sleep at work

Most employers would be angry if they caught an employee sleeping on the job. But not Ryan Holmes' the CEO of Hootsuite' a social media management dashboard.

In fact' he encourages it. Holmes says in a recent LinkedIn post that the Hootsuite offices have nap rooms and sleeping pods for its employees' because he believes getting enough sleep should be a priority' and that every employee should listen to their body when they need a rest.

"It’s not worth depriving yourself of sleep for an extended period of time' no matter how pressing things may seem'" he says.

In the tech world' pressures to stay innovative and competitive run high' making it incredibly tempting for executives and employees alike to scrimping on sleep in favour of putting in extra hours.

While there’s nothing wrong with being dedicated to your work' Holmes points out that sleep deprivation comes with a slew of consequences' including increased risk for diabetes' depression and obesity. "Lack of sleep has become so widespread that it’s been declared a public epidemic'" he reports.

Holmes notices several companies changing their ways in response to this epidemic. "The same tech startups so notorious for workaholic culture are taking the lead in ensuring employees get adequate shut-eye'" he says. Even a 10-minute nap can make a difference' Holmes says.