Did you know that office design plays a considerable role in the wellbeing of your team? That’s right – negative working conditions can affect the team’s performance, leading to error rates, injuries, and decreased employee engagement. An office space isn’t just a physical location; rather, it’s an environment that fosters collaborations and enables ideas to be born while also shaping professional identities. Recently, there’s been a shift in the way the office is perceived, illustrating the growing importance of a work environment’s role in shaping creativity, mental health and efficiency of a team. Even though most of the IT businesses moved to a hybrid workplace model, there are still many work departments that require employees to work from the office
In today’s competitive business landscape, it’s no secret that the wellbeing of employees directly impacts their success, and this concept interweaves different aspects of job satisfaction, mental health and overall happiness. Given that stress and burnout are growing issues in the workplace, ensuring employee well-being is a strategic necessity for businesses. Implementing smart shift planning software for efficient workforce management can help create a balanced work environment, reducing stress and improving overall productivity. Additionally, designing the office properly is a great place to start. Let’s explore the design elements that promote wellbeing in the workplace below.
Air quality
Air quality plays an important role in your team’s well-being. Frequent exposure to pollution and airborne irritants can cause headaches, lung damage, and serious illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stale air will also negatively affect productivity and employee well-being. While it’s easier to notice the air quality outdoors, this isn’t always the case regarding indoor air quality, which is often overlooked for overall wellness.
The office environment is among the most prone spaces to get suboptimal air quality due to the needs of such an environment, involving many people together, often in buildings that are either old or not frequently maintained. Fortunately, this is an issue you can address in a few ways, such as using fresh air whenever possible by opening the windows and installing an air purifier in the office to ensure the air is clean. Another excellent idea is to add some plants as they can filter dangerous pollutants, produce more oxygen, and allow employees to breathe easily.
Noise levels
In the long run, loud noise can damage employees’ hearing and affect their well-being. While workplaces are generally low noise, maintaining acceptable noise levels in the office by soundproofing the meeting rooms and addressing external noise, such as traffic, is still essential. Phone calls, especially lengthy ones, can distract team members, so it’s a good idea to designate a soundproof room for phone calls and video conferencing.
Similarly, you should consider having a clear policy in place on the use of radios and listening to music – some employees may enjoy them, but for others, they may be distractions, and you want to ensure that everyone can perform at their best, so we recommend encouraging the use of headphones to address this issue.
Ergonomics
If employees complain about aching lower back, sore shoulders, and poor posture, it’s time to consider ergonomics in the office. The truth is that the human body isn’t intended to maintain the posture that modern-day workplaces impose, and ergonomics is key in preventing musculoskeletal disorders and also ensuring the productivity and quality of your team’s work. To make the office more comfortable for employees, consider ergonomic chairs designed to support their hips, back and thighs and help them maintain proper posture thanks to their adjustable features. Vepa has an excellent collection of stylish and comfortable ergonomic chairs, so we recommend you take a look at the company’s products and determine what best fits your office needs and design.
Ergonomic offices put the safety and satisfaction of employees at the forefront, resulting in a positive work environment that reduces physical and mental stress as much as possible, ensuring employees will enjoy coming to work and doing their work successfully. An ergonomic workplace is an efficient workplace, so be sure to check vepa.co.uk and make a worthwhile investment in the wellbeing of your employees, as this will set your business up for long-term success.
Lighting
Lighting is often overlooked in the office, but it can directly impact the mood of employees. It’s essential to let in as much natural light as possible by installing light tunnels or big windows because this can promote focus, productivity and physical health, enhancing the team’s wellbeing.
However, it’s also important to pay attention to indoor lighting and tailor it to the work that different teams carry out in the building’s different areas. Ideally, employees should have the opportunity to dim and control lighting as needed, thus avoiding migraines and headaches that can be caused by intense artificial lighting.
Wellness rooms
Wellness rooms, or wellbeing rooms, are office areas designated for switching off from work, allowing employees to take a break from the office environment in a private way, which play a huge role in reducing occupational stress levels. In the modern office, wellness rooms can be designed for yoga or meditation, or they can take the form of fitness areas or game rooms, depending on the needs of employees.
In order to successfully create wellness rooms in the office, we recommend you use a survey to determine what kinds of activities usually relax your employees. The colour scheme is an important consideration when designing wellness rooms, as it should promote a calming atmosphere. To this end, consider using specific colours, like orange, red, blue, green, white, or pink, which can greatly impact employees’ moods. In fact, we recommend reading about the psychology of each shade before choosing the colour scheme for the wellness rooms. Obviously, these areas should have comfortable furniture to promote relaxation, so incorporate bean bags, couches, and so on, enabling employees to rest and recharge.
The bottom line
There’s a strong relationship between workplace design and the wellbeing and happiness of employees, encouraging collaboration, creativity and productivity, and resulting in a more engaged workforce. To reap all these rewards, take the time to consider all the design elements discussed above and look for the best ideas and solutions that will result in a workplace where employees are happy and healthy and perform at their best.