3 or 4 years ago I had the chance to go to Mountain View, California and visit my best friend who was (at the time) working for Google. I cannot express in words what the experience was like. It was surreal. It was like an all-inclusive resort as a place of employment. From bulk candy stands, to games rooms, to massage rooms, to napping pods, it did not look or feel like a place that you would go to work. The toilet seats were heated and cleaned themselves (and you if you were brave enough to have water squirted at you), they had bands play on Fridays over the lunch hour (small bands... like Maroon 5), and the cafeteria was more like an expensive restaurant (that you ate at for free). I'd go tour radio stations for the day, come back at 5 o'clock and ask my buddy "What did you do today?" His reply? A simple: "Well I didn't feel like working so me and a couple guys went and played beach volleyball. Then some of the guys from downstairs wanted to have a ping-pong tournament so I went and played in that." Apparently as long as you completed your work, they didn't care what you did during the work day. CRAZY! The Google campus (it's so big they need to call it a campus) has everything you'd need. Laundry (plus they give you free shirts every week), food, showers, etc. Maybe that's the idea. If they never have to leave, then they are always at work!
I left Mountain View with a new vision for business. If I ever ran a business, it'd try to run it like Google. Make it a fun environment, one that people don't dread going to every day. Maybe if you did that then you'd get more out of your employees than if you work them like crazy. Now all I need to do is start a business.
One Of The "Napping Pods" At Google
