A worker returns to the office to see a “recharge room” and takes a look inside. In this case, expectation definitely doesn’t match with reality.
TikTok user Liz (@lizzyfrat5) recently posted a slide show of “My offices personal ‘recharge room.’” There is a sign on the door that indicates the room must be reserved in advance and emptied of all trash and personal items when you leave. A second sign outlines “Wellness Room Policy” in greater detail.
The second slide shows the contents of the closet-sized room, which include a small armchair, an ottoman, and a rug. The room is dark except for light coming from outside where Liz is filming. In the caption, she writes, “Return to office they said #corporatelife.” The music accompanying the slide is from Amityville Horror.
The video has amassed more than 354,000 views as of the weekend. In the comments, users agreed it is a spooky setup.
“Is the wellness in the room with us,” asked one user.
Someone else said, “This room would make me more unstable.”
Another user agreed, “that would send me over the edge genuinely.”
One user compared it to a “safe injection site.” Another said, “It looks like it would lock from the outside.”
One person joked, “$2500 a month rent in NYC.”
Wellness rooms at the office are increasingly common
Returning to the office after working from home during the pandemic has been an adjustment for many workers. So it’s no surprise that some employers might be looking at strategies like the “recharge room” to try and make the work environment a bit more flexible for individuals working long hours.
The trend actually predates the pandemic, however. In 2018, Inc. called it out as the next big workplace trend.”They’re rooms where employees can take a few minutes of downtime to zone out, relax, stretch, nap, or even meditate,” the article states. “The idea is to unwind, get away from the stresses of the job long enough that the brain resets, and when the batteries are fully recharged, the employee emerges ready to tackle even the toughest projects with renewed energy.”
It’s important to note that a lot of the room designs suggested in the article are significantly more luxurious than what Liz’s employer has to offer.
The Daily Dot reached out to Liz via TikTok comment for comment.
