Best Workplace Amenities
If you're currently struggling with low employee engagement and high staff churn, you may be looking at ways to increase your staff wellbeing. While there are many different programmes and plans that promise huge improvements in staff wellbeing, many don’t deliver success.
One investment that will pay off, however, is investing in workplace amenities. As the place where your staff spend all of their working lives, your office has a huge impact on their wellbeing.
It’s important that you remain focussed on amenities that will be valued and used by your people every day, rather than expensive gimmicks that don’t improve the wellbeing of your people in the long term.
Every week, we speak to companies who are looking at improving their workspace, and staff wellbeing and amenities are almost always contributing factors. In our experience, there are 5 key things every company can include in their workplace to maximise the wellbeing of their people. In this article, we’ll explain each of them, why they matter, and how you can maximise their impact in your workspace.
Ergonomic Workstations
Your people will use your office furniture for thousands of hours every year, so it's important that your furniture is comfortable and ergonomic. Otherwise, they could start to suffer back, neck, and shoulder pain. Ergonomic is more than just good quality – it needs to be suitable for the body position of the user, so adjustability is key. Even a slightly sub-optimal ergonomic setup will be distracting and uncomfortable for staff, lowering their focus and productivity.
To improve the ergonomics in your office, the best place to start is the most heavily used furniture. This is typically task chairs and desks. Ensuring they are commercial quality and easily adjustable is crucial. If not, they will need to be replaced. Other furniture that is heavily used, such as collaboration furniture, should also be assessed.
Relaxation Spaces
While it might seem counter-intuitive, including a dedicated relaxation space in your new office design can not only improve the wellbeing of your people, but also their productivity. Having a dedicated space for staff to switch off and relax means the rest of your office can become a dedicated “work zone”.
It might seem like your office hasn't got space for a breakout area, but you should consider how efficient your existing layout is. Most offices have 30-40% wasted space. 5-15% of your total space is generally recommended for breakout spaces, so refurbishing your office to a more space-efficient layout will enable you to include a relaxation space in your existing office.
Focused Zones
Another key environment your office should include is a suitable space for deep-focus work. Without this, your staff will have nowhere to work without distractions. This will become very frustrating for them, reducing their wellbeing.
Again, you can make space for a focussed zone by making your current layout more efficient. Many offices have too many desks and meeting rooms. By reducing these, you can make space for focussed work. It's also important to note that desk banks are not suitable for focused working, as they are not private enough.
Natural Light
One of the highest-impact ways to improve the wellbeing of your people is to increase their access to natural light. A recent study found 78% of employees say access to natural light and views improves their wellbeing. 70% report improved work performance.
To improve natural light in your workspace, ensure the most used parts of your office are situated near windows. Traditional office design often places meeting rooms or executive offices around the outside. However, these spaces are used far less, so natural light is wasted. Throughout the rest of your space, installing daylight-balanced LED lighting will replicate natural light.
Biophilia
Biophilic design is a design concept that advocates the use of natural materials throughout the workplace. This includes everything from timber wall slats to fresh air. Staff working in biophilic offices reported a 15% increase in wellbeing, are 6% more productive, and are 15% more creative.
The easiest way to add biophilic design to your workplace is through office plants and living walls. They are relaxing from a colour psychology perspective and they increase the oxygen content in the air. Other ways to incorporate biophilic design include the use of natural material finishes, such as wooden flooring. Ensuring your office has an adequate fresh air supply is also a valuable benefit.
Refreshments
A healthy diet is one of the most important parts of physical health. Given that your people will be working in your office for up to half of their waking day, you can have a big impact on what they do (and don’t) eat and drink. Helping your people to make healthy diet choices will improve their focus and productivity.
Including free, healthy refreshments in your office is one of the easiest ways to improve staff wellbeing. You can simply make sure your office tea point or kitchen is well stocked with snacks and coffee.
On-Site Fitness Facilities
The benefits of improved fitness are well-documented. Studies show that physically active workers are 30% happier and more productive. However, office workers often struggle to find the time and motivation to keep active. In addition, outdated office layouts that don't promote movement contribute to the problem.
There are two key things you can do to improve the physical activity levels of your people. The first is by implementing an agile office layout that promotes movement. The second is by providing on-site fitness facilities. While this may seem an unnecessary investment, it will make it much easier for your staff to be physically active, which will improve their wellbeing and performance.
Improving Your Office Amenities
Investing in your workplace amenity package is a win-win for your company and your staff alike. Ergonomic furniture ensures your people remain comfortable throughout the day. Relaxation spaces, natural light and biophilia all make your space much more enjoyable and healthier to work in over time. Easily accessible, healthy refreshments make it easier for staff to have a better diet. As a result, the engagement and focus of your people will increase hugely. In turn, this will improve both their performance and the performance of the company as a whole.
To learn more about improving the wellbeing of your people, read 9 Ways to Improve Workplace Wellbeing with Office Design.
