Given today’s high awareness of the connection between employee productivity and workspace-related well-being, ensuring your office’s hygge is one of the most important aspects to guarantee. There’s no such thing as a comfortable modern office that lacks quality furniture, a combo of intimacy and connectivity, cable and wire management, and quality light. In plain English, productivity can barely can’t exist without the other, and lots of resources demonstrate this.
Here are some tips to achieve top-of-mind comfort in your office.
Consider furniture a commitment to staff’s satisfaction
As with many things bought mindlessly, you often get to buy twice to correct a failure. Possibly, everyone can empathize with start-ups in their developmental stages dealing with tight budgets and way too many needs. Nevertheless, if you were to save money in any way, skimping on the quality of your employees’ chairs and desks might be a decision you’re going to regret later. Uncomfortable gear can cause discomfort, lumbar pain, poor postures, eye strain, and staff sickness over time. On the other hand, adjustable chairs, accessories like footrests, monitor stands, and desks that promote good posture can improve your staff’s well-being and decrease the risks of injury from sitting unhealthily. Assuming the budget is too tight, you can look into second-hand furniture and buy when you’ve found the right equipment.
As experts from Vepa suggest, investing in furniture that enhances employees’ day-to-day comfort can only spare you some related looming issues. For this reason, many companies with good employee retention rates buy furniture with employees’ comfort at the forefront of their minds.
Make the most of natural light
There’s no more enchanting workspace than one that’s filled with natural light, and studies attest to it. Bright light from the sun is associated with an increase in serotonin release, which is a reason why individuals suffering from seasonal affective disorder engage in treatments involving outdoor light and reduce the use of artificial light. When it comes to your workspace design, making the right choice as to how you’ll illuminate the rooms is essential.
You can start by looking at the amount of existing light at the moment and spotting dark areas, should they exist. Those are the spots where bright light could change the vibration of the office. And when such a boon is off the table, consider getting the right fit-out to allow for artificial light that looks and feels like that generated by the sun. There are sustainable lighting alternatives, such as CFL bulbs and smart lighting systems, that can cut it and cut your electricity fees, too.
Buy furniture with sustainable materials
Employees want to see a leader in their manager and an example of social and ethical correctness in their workplace. Investing in furniture made with nature and civil well-being in mind will likely be one of the most impactful moves to prove you align with today’s environmental standards. Units made from sustainable materials also have longer lifecycles, since they’re made with durability in mind to cut back on companies’ usual furniture replacements. Using items from second-hand or recycled materials slashes your business’ CO2 footprint, and the gear labeled as free from volatile organic compounds also slashes the risk of nasty gases polluting the atmosphere.
Sustainable furniture is rather new compared to the age-old ubiquitous furniture made with plastic, metal, wood, and other materials. If you need help envisioning how such items look, you can access vepa.co.uk and view their sustainable offerings, featured projects, or possibilities to create bespoke units.
Organize cables
Possibly everyone can attest to the nerve-wracking nuisance of getting tangled up with useless cord clutter and cables thrown everywhere. Staying alert to not trip over a cord, pull a cable and knock down the glass of water, or simply lack space to put down a pen can be the shortcut to a crackup when all you want is to get the job done and leave home. Anyhow, little but impactful things don’t always receive the necessary attention, all the more when you’re on the hunt for things that appear seemingly more important, like the best and most affordable ergonomic desks. But since we’re here addressing the elephant in the room, it’s worth mentioning the installment of sleeves, management channels, zip ties, and masking tape for cables, as well as wireless mice, keyboards, and possibly headphones.
Extra tip: always have some label for your cords within reach. This can help employees save time and effort that’s now spent on guessing where cables should run and tracing them to their source.
Think about the layout
It’s crucial to figure out how your office’s layout can improve your employees’ concentration and productivity. All businesses must consider a slew of factors, such as the elements that encourage cross-team cooperation, how to allow intimacy for all particularly while not restricting connection, and solutions to manage efficient workflows across the whole business.
These aspects will be unique to your workspace, being influenced by prospects like the building’s architecture or work policies and styles. While some things are unchangeable, those that stay in your power to improve can make a massive difference, such as getting high-quality, hyper-comfortable fit-outs, maximizing natural light, and ensuring the “home-like” feeling across the organization.
Include both open and private areas
Today’s comfortable workplace boils down to versatility to meet all employees’ needs. One worker might need privacy to achieve the best results, while another might feel comfortable in togetherness. Open floors may promote teamwork, but it’s best to balance them with quiet and intimate spaces that allow for internal focus.
To achieve top results, you can invest in soundproof booths for solo research and private calls and create special areas for team meetings, collaborations, lunches, and so on. Consider partitions, too, as they can also add a touch of elegance and double as a nice barrier.
Investing in makeovers and tweaks like the abovementioned ones doesn’t just enhance your employees’ daily well-being, but also proves you’re committed to maintaining their satisfaction and health.
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