Working conditions are a crucial aspect of employee well-being. In the Quiet Room set up in the office, employees can spend a moment alone if needed, communicate with loved ones without interruption, and so on—the special design ensures soundproofing.
Quiet rooms are becoming an increasingly common practice in workplaces, providing employees with the opportunity to take a break from environmental noise, improving their well-being, productivity, and emotional state, as well as helping them make more thoughtful decisions. “A quiet room is not just a technical innovation, but also a step toward a more balanced work environment where we care more about well-being and employees’ personal needs. We want employees to have a safer environment, for example, to talk to their child’s teacher, answer a phone call from their teenager, or call a doctor. Lately, employees have been thinking more about and valuing hybrid work, flexibility in the workday, and the ability to flexibly plan when to start their workday. It’s important to adapt to one’s personal rhythm,” says Iveta Kažemaka, Head of Administration and HR at Dativa, about the new opportunity.
The quiet room in the company’s office is constructed from noise-dampening acoustic panels, and the booth’s design—featuring double walls and glass—allows for noise reduction of up to 28 decibels. Built-in ventilation and a CO2 sensor ensure fresh air, while adjustable LED lighting can be tailored to the user’s needs.
“In an IT company, employees perform intellectually intensive work. That’s why it’s great that the company ensures the workspace offers not only areas for collaboration and meetings, but also a place for focus, free from background noise or colleagues’ conversations. It’s helpful that the company also educates employees on how to develop healthy mental health habits on their own. “It’s a positive sign that there’s also a Nap Room here where you can take a nap—good sleep is another prerequisite for mental health,” reveals supervisor and occupational and organizational psychologist Anita Āboltiņa.
At the opening of the quiet room, she told her employees how essential the concept of a “healthy mind menu” is in daily life—elements of “mental nutrition” that strengthen mental health and help restore energy during an intense daily routine. The ability to concentrate on work without interruption is important not only for productivity but also for mental health. Time for focus is one of the seven activities on the healthy mental “menu” that our minds need every day. A. Āboltiņa also shared the latest psychological insights on the importance of emotions in the workplace, how the mind and body react in stressful situations, and how we can restore mental health balance if it is lost.
The company obtained funding to improve the work environment—specifically, to create a quiet room—through the “Family-Friendly Workplace” grant competition, a program funded by the Latvian state budget and announced by the Society Integration Foundation , which is organized with the aim of supporting employers who have obtained program status to implement family-friendly work organization practices and promote a family-friendly attitude in society. The competition supports initiatives focused on support measures for employees and their families.
The project is co-financed by the European Union and is part of the European Social Fund Plus project “Creating a Family-Friendly Environment and Society,” project number 4.3.6.9/1/24/I/001. SIA Dativa (formerly SIA ZZ Dats) is responsible for the content.
