Businesses with happy, healthy staff benefit from higher workplace energy levels and increased productivity. Which naturally, in turn, impacts the efficiency and profitability of your business. Young exciting job seekers entering the workplace are increasingly seeking out working environments that will nurture creativity, collaboration and diversity. Therefore, if you want to attract and retain the best employees, you need to create a business environment where they can thrive.
To help you ensure your employees feel more comfortable, healthy and happy in the workplace, we’ve put together a few simple tips:
1. Assess their working space
One simple way to promote workplace well-being is to create a work space in which employees feel comfortable. A poorly designed work space can impact on staff performance. Consider how your work space is being used now and how that might change in the future.
Consider the following:
- How do people use the space and interact? Do you have private areas? Social spaces? A work space that feels, looks and sounds great, will be reflected by the people who work in it. Never underestimate this!
- What are they looking at? Workers who have views to the outside are likely to be up to 25% more productive and process calls 12% faster according to World Green Building Council research.
- Colour can also bring a certain vibe to the workplace: Yellow – is particularly good for creativity, green – reduces stress and promotes calmness and blue – helps give focus.
2. Utilise your outdoor spaces
Outdoor spaces are a great place to clear your head, bond with other team mates or host informal gatherings. You could also look to introduce water features, park benches and flower pots outside the office to give extra spaces for lunch or for flexing creative ideas. If your office doesn’t have an outdoor space, read our next suggestion: Plants!
3. Get some office-friendly plants
Office plants are a great way to break up spaces, providing a more natural design touch and a sense of eco-aware spaces. The best thing about having plants in the office is that they quietly absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the working space. Dot plants around your office to keep clean air circulating and contribute to the good health of your employees.
4. Consider working spaces with natural light
Exposure to natural light increases productivity by 18% and better lighting in general pushes up work rates by 23%. Where natural light is restricted, ensure you have sufficient lighting for the tasks carried out within the space. With good lighting, workers make fewer mistakes leading to increased productivity.
5. Promote healthy eating
Modern, busy lifestyles foster poor eating habits. Many of us rely on supermarket ready meals and office snacks due to a lack of time for healthy meal preparation. Consider introducing free fruit for all employees and ensure there is a clean well-equipped preparation area so it’s easy for staff to prepare their own food. If you have a cafe on site, ensure it offers healthy meals and caters for all dietary requirements. By providing support to eat healthier, you’ll be helping your staff to keep their brains and bodies alert and functioning at their best.
6. Keep noise levels down
A noisy workplace is a major contributory factor to employee distraction. Consider both open and closed spaces for employees to work in, use surfaces that absorb acoustics, invest in noise-reducing headphones and position open-plan desks away from heavy footfall areas.
7. Get fit for fun
The daily battle with rush hour traffic can be stressful. Consider encouraging employees to get on their bikes or walk into work. Look into ‘Bike to Work’ schemes or discounted gym memberships for staff members. Improved fitness leads to increased endorphin levels meaning your employees will be generally happier and less stressed.
8. Get on the move
According to the Get Britain Standing campaign, workers sit for an average of 8.9 hours. There is new research to suggest that there are serious health risks connected. Encouraging staff to move more during the day will help reduce hours spent sitting, in turn helping alleviate the associated health risks.
To help your staff move more you could:
- Have furniture that encourages employees to keep moving while they work with sit-stand desks or balance boards.
- You can also undertake meetings on the move by walking around the park or block rather than sitting in the boardroom
- Introduce lunchtime yoga sessions or regular stretching breaks
- Invite into your premises a local chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist to give 30 mins sessions to any staff that feels a bit achey
Just remember, we spend 75% of our time at work, so an investment in the workplace is an investment in your staff!
Whether you are looking for ergonomic solutions for your office space, office stationery products, IT and Technology solutions, furniture and interiors or PPE and Workwear – here at Supplies Web we have you covered!
