In the last two decades, numerous office setup trends have come and go. After the traditional cubicle division, there was the open floor office design. Then came gaming spaces and wellness features such as standing desks and treadmill desks that allow you to work while exercising. All these changes have significantly affected employees’ productivity, and many companies are still trying out new things to make their employees more productive and happy.
So if you are an employer who is worried about his employees not getting their work done as much as they should during working hours, start looking at the working environment you have provided them. Consider the things below and check which ones could use some upgrade.
Lighting
The quality of lighting can affect an employee’s physical and psychological well-being. For instance, poor lighting can cause eye-strain, fatigue, and headache, while too much brightness can cause light glare, leading to headaches.
One great way to avoid all of these is to let more natural light in. So take advantage of those large glass windows in your office and remove whatever is blocking the light coming through it, for instance, blackout curtains.
At the same, too much direct sunlight can be dangerous as well. Consider getting interior solar shades as window treatments. These are excellent window treatment choices for office spaces that are facing the sun. What they do is protect the people inside the office from the harmful rays of the sun. It can also reduce glare, thus protecting everyone’s eyesight while allowing enough natural light to come through.
Temperature
A reasonable temperature must always be checked and provided so employees can perform well at work. An office that is too hot can make employees feel tired, and when it is too cold, they may not be able to focus on the task at hand, and mistakes might happen. This is how crucial temperature is in offices.
So if you want your employees to get their work done promptly and adequately, ensure that the heating, ventilation, and cooling system in your office are working perfectly.
Noise
Everyone can agree that it can be difficult to concentrate when there is too much noise in the background. Whether it is from the honking cars outside the office or your chatty colleague, it can be distracting and annoying.
Two things that can happen: The first one is the employee will lose focus and will not finish the work. The second is he can finish the tasks but with a lot of mistakes. So invest in doors and walls that can block the noises coming from outside. It would also help to get headphones so that employees can have the option to put them on when a loud colleague is around.
Office furniture
Office furniture goes beyond being a still decoration. It adds value to the office atmosphere, and most importantly, it hugely impacts employees’ mood. For this reason, it is smart to get something like ergonomic chairs and adjustable tables.
Apart from their regular desks, you need to provide more innovative furniture somewhere else. This will give the employees the flexibility to be anywhere they feel like working for the day.
If the office walls are already neutral, the office furniture is your opportunity to play around with colors. Consider the colors green and blue as they are known to improve one’s efficiency and focus. So if your office is looking plain and boring, consider purchasing furniture that can give employees more reasons to come to work excited.
Open floor plan
An open floor plan promotes socialization, brainstorming, and collaboration among your employees. It can provide a working environment that is less stressful and more interesting. Just do not forget to provide headsets so employees who do not want to be bothered can mind their own business in peace. Also, a few conference rooms would not hurt. It will come in handy when there are businesses that need to be discussed closed doors.
The bottom line
The design and elements of an office play a great role in providing an environment where every employee can feel comfortable, at ease, and productive. Employers must pay attention to office details because employees spend most of their time there—it is their second home. So it is only right to provide these people with a healthy surrounding to thrive, survive and be productive.
This investment may benefit your employees a lot, but if you come to think of it, it is your business that gains return the most. It may be a costly expense for the company, but it can undoubtedly increase your income in the long term.
