Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 24
A playroom for children of the employees in the Directorate of Industries & Commerce Kohima was initiated in 2016. This was stated in the annual administrative report 2016-17 of the Industries & Commerce Department tabled on the floor of the House today by Parliamentary Secretary for Industries & Commerce, Amenba Yaden.
The report stated that with the number of women increasing in the work place, workplace day care has become an important benefit for many employees, allowing them to spend more time with their children during the work day.
It stated that when children are nearby, parents and children feel less separation anxiety. Parents can check in during a lunch break or when the work load allows; for example, for reasons such as nursing or finding out how a child is faring. It can improve employee morale, lower absenteeism and turnover because fewer employees needs to take time off to look after their children. Workplace day care also decreases anxiety for some parents, improving their ability to concentrate on their jobs.
With this in mind and considering the number of women joining the department every year and aiming at women empowerment, this playroom was initiated by the department, it stated.
The playroom comes with an attached bathroom and is equipped with a bed, cradle and toys for the children to play, rest and sleep. The playroom comes attached with a smaller room where it has a microwave, electric water boiler, clean drinking water for the helpers /parents to heat/make their children’s food.
It is situated in the basement of the office providing enough privacy for children, and there is different entrance/exit so that the functioning of the workplace is not disturbed.
The report stated that this is the first of its kind office playroom in the state of Nagaland.
