Going to work can be a total drag, but the employees with access to these office amenities would have to disagree! Check out more about them here!
If you’ve ever seen the seminal cult classic film Office Space, you might have a very specific idea of what an office job looks like. Cubicles, broken copy machines, endless typing. But in reality, going to the office can mean a lot of different things.
From administrative jobs to clerical work to programming, “the office” is a malleable and ever-shifting environment.
Gone (mostly) are the days of stuffy suits and droning bosses. With millennials inheriting the workplace in a big way, a place once associated with soul-crushing doldrums is experiencing a second life.
One substantial revolution in the workplace is the addition of innovative and awesome office amenities. A younger workforce means office jobs are trending towards the preferences of the young. Not satisfied with the gray walls of yesteryear, millennial employees are reinventing the office for a new generation.
If you’re interested in this ongoing workplace revolution, read on for ten of the coolest office amenities you can find.
1. Rock Walls
That’s right. You heard correctly. Indoor rock climbing at work.
A Wisconsin based insurance company called Acuity has a legit 45-foot-tall climbing wall right in their building. The wall was part of a four-year long expansion project that also included – wait for it – an indoor Ferris wheel.
Acuity says they want their employees to understand that they’re appreciated. What better way to show their appreciation than a massive indoor rock climbing wall?
2. Arcades
Not content with the traditional office amenities, Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana boasts an on-site arcade and game area. Open to employees and visitors alike, it includes pool, virtual golf, and classic arcade games, all free to play.
While Sweetwater is one of the foremost musical equipment retailers in the world, it’s hard to imagine anyone having the time to sell guitars when Galaga is sitting there just waiting to receive a new high score.
3. Gyms
This one is not new per se, but the idea of the office gym has taken off in recent years. Where it was once a rarity, it’s now almost a given that any company worth its weight in gold will offer a free on-site gym to employees.
But come on. We’re talking about the coolest office amenities around, so a typical office gym will not do. From the aforementioned rock wall to full indoor basketball courts and more, companies are going above and beyond to provide cutting-edge and fun fitness solutions to their employees.
4. Go-Karts
GoDaddy’s Tempe, AZ HQ features pedal-powered go-karts to get around the office. You can’t make this stuff up.
Keeping with themes of fitness, the go-karts provide a fun and efficient means of transport around their sprawling complex, all while giving employees a chance to stretch their legs and get their heart rates up. Frankly, it’s a mystery how they get anyone to stay at their desk.
5. Ping-Pong Tables
A ping-pong table in the office is almost the quintessential movie cliche when it comes to “cool office amenities,” but let’s face it, it is pretty awesome. Along with gyms, ping-pong tables have become something of a staple for any office that boasts a rec room.
6. Video Games
Not dissimilar to the aforementioned arcade, but probably even cooler, many video game developers have “workspaces” that are actually just gaming stations. While it, of course, makes sense that a video game developer would have video games in the office, imagining a job where one’s cubicle is a state of the art entertainment center is nonetheless mind-blowing.
Most large video game developers have employees whose sole job it is to playtest new games.
In the future, you get paid to play video games, and apparently, the future is now. What a time to be alive.
7. Slides
For real. Red Bull’s London headquarters has slides between floors.
Escalators might be ergonomic, but slides? Everyone else is living in 2018, but it appears Red Bull is living in 2418, because that is unimaginably advanced thinking.
Oh, and remember the insurance company with the rock wall? They have slides, too. Apparently, this is a thing now.
8. Egg-Shaped Rooms with Dry Erase Walls?
That title had to end in a question mark, because what?
MindLab is an independent consulting firm that works within the Danish Commerce Ministry.
Their egg-shaped meeting room is meant to encouraging outside the box thinking and subvert the idea of workplace hierarchies. On top of that, the entire interior of the room is one massive whiteboard, so ideas can be written down on the fly for all to see.
Egg-shaped rooms notwithstanding, there’s been a definite increase in awareness about the actual layout and overall vibes in an office space. As we continue to learn more about what sort of environment workers actually prefer, the traditional office format shifts further from its roots.
9. Conference Bikes
This one needs special clarification because there is just no way any normal human mind could conceive of it. The conference bike is a 7-person circular bicycle on which to, you guessed it, have business conferences. No aspiring start-up should be without this.
The bike features six seats for the pedallers and one for the driver and must be seen to be believed. Far be it from today’s youthful executives to waste away in a stuffy boardroom, the conference bike provides fresh air all while demanding real-world teamwork of the riders.
Is it an office amenity if it isn’t technically in the office? Oh well. Let’s count it.
10. Treadmill Desks
A few of the items on this list have dealt with fitness and health, and this is no exception. It’s been said that sitting is the new smoking, but the treadmill desk offers a creative solution to that problem. Aside from the physical downsides, exercise can help clear the mind, which benefits everyone at the office.
The treadmill desk is exactly what it sounds like: a treadmill with a desk on it. But these aren’t just some plywood nailed to an exercise machine. Treadmill desks come with all sorts of options, with everything from cupholders to built-in mounts for a computer monitor. Pretty awesome.
The Office Amenities Revolution
Office amenities used to mean coffee makers and water cooler for offices used to be enough, but the landscape of the modern office has begun an ever-accelerating and irreversible shift.
With more people moving to cities for work than ever, this new trend towards creativity and progressivism in the workplace is going to be a crucial component in attracting young people to emerging industries and traditional jobs alike.
What once were considered luxuries are becoming standard fare for many up and coming young businesses, and that’s a great thing. Better yet, many things that were never considered at all have started to make their way into the professional world.
It’s an exciting time to be a young professional. If you’re interested in learning more about new trends in business, tips for aspiring entrepreneurs, and more, don’t stop here. Hop on your treadmill desk and read on!
