Image Credit.Office design has a far greater impact on how your employees work and feel than you may realize. An office isn’t just a location where people work, it has to be fit for purpose. In the age of remote work, it’s also important to have a good reason for employees to come into work rather than working from home.
Here are a few different ways that your office design can affect your employees, for better or worse.
A More Productive Office
One of the most important things to consider is how productive your employees, and therefore your business, are. As an employer, it’s up to you to facilitate this productivity. Yes, some people are more productive and efficient than others, but often people have to make do with the tools you give them.
A badly designed office might make it more difficult for employees to get work done. There are a few things to consider when determining whether an office is fit for purpose.
First, you need to think about your industry. This isn’t a case where one office layout fits every situation. If your employees need to work as a group, then your office spaces should reflect that, with an open plan and an easy way for people to talk to each other. If your employees need to focus on a given task, then a more closed-off plan might be better, so people can focus on their work without distractions.
You also need to make sure that the layout makes sense. If people need to walk across the office multiple times during their workday to use equipment or talk to a team member, your layout might not be the most efficient. Make sure that employees can access what they need for their jobs without having to wander around.
Speaking of equipment, you need to ensure that the tools your employees have are fit for purpose. Again, this might depend on your industry and the type of work your employees do, but bad tools do make things a lot more difficult. So, keep your office well supplied with equipment and everything your employees need.
A Safer Office
It’s your responsibility as an employer to make sure that your employees are safe when they work. There are a few ways to do this.
First, you need to think about how tidy the office is. If the walkways are blocked or cluttered, it doesn’t just slow things down, but it can also present a hazard to your employees. Wires should not trail across corridors, and spills should be cleaned up immediately.
These are general policies that you can put in place to make sure your employees maintain a safer office space. It’s also a good idea to hire a commercial cleaning company to get rid of trash and to make sure that the workplace is clean and sanitary. This slows the spread of illnesses.
Speaking of illnesses, if your employees have a communicable disease, make sure they have options like sick days or the ability to work from home until they recover. While this might slow production a bit, it’s better than having all of your employees come down with a cold and all work more slowly for a while. Even worse, some people might have a compromised immune system, meaning that a simple cold could turn into something more serious.
Your office design should also have safety in mind. For example, staircases and balconies should all have commercial railing systems in place to prevent people from falling from a height. This is often a legal requirement, meaning that if someone does get injured due to an unsafe office design, you are liable.
A More Enjoyable Office
Finally, it’s important to consider the effect your office design has on morale and collaboration.
Employees are people, not just cogs in a machine, and that means that when they have to spend most of their day in an area, it’s better if it’s a pleasant area to spend time in. Good design choices like decorative features, plenty of natural light, and indoor plants might have a small impact on morale, but it’s more noticeable than you may realize.
If people are miserable at work, they’re much more likely to find somewhere else to work. Even if they stick around, they are going to be less productive than happy employees. Employee morale comes down to more than just how the office looks, but that plays a large role in it.
Your office should also be designed to allow employees to have comfortable breaks as and when they need to. While break policies differ from office to office, encourage employees to have breaks away from their workstations by providing a comfortable breakroom. This also opens your employees up to talk to each other about things other than work, forming relationships or even continuing to collaborate on a project while they relax.
Breaks have a surprisingly good impact on employees productivity as well, as a break resets their thinking and can help people to work more quickly than if they were trying to work flat-out. Employee burnout is a real problem, not just for employees, but also for companies as people who are too stressed are unable to work effectively.
Image Credit.Finally, comfort plays a large role in the morale and the general health of your employees. Another benefit of regular breaks is that it allows people to get up and walk around, which can prevent back pain and even long-term health conditions that can be caused by sitting at a desk all day long.
Speaking of sitting at a desk, make sure that your employees have comfortable and appropriate desk setups. Ergonomic chairs and desks allow people to sit more comfortably without being distracted by pain. Make sure that monitors are at eye level so people don’t stoop. After all, this will allow your employees to be happier and more productive as they don’t have to worry about their neck hurting.
Do you know someone who might enjoy this article or would find it useful? Share it!
