Over the past two decades or so, the modern office has highly evolved. The early 2000s, for instance, saw the death of cubicles as open office floor plans were born and became the preferable design option for most companies. 2015 onwards, there was a rising trend of including indoor sports facilities such as foosball and ping pong. The truth is, all these changes have taken place over the years as businesses attempt to make their employees more comfortable and satisfied in their workplaces.
There’s no denying the fact that the workplace environment can have a huge impact on an employee’s health and overall well-being. This is especially the case in extremely busy workplaces that are also likely to have more than just a few stressors lurking. What’s for sure, is that businesses know that employee productivity is highly dependent on how comfortable, healthy, safe, and motivating the office environment is. A calm and moderately appealing environment is also paramount as far as employee productivity is concerned. Without the right work environment, businesses can lose thousands to millions of dollars from employee unproductiveness. As your employees focus on getting more sleep and planning their time well, here are some ways employee productivity is affected by how your office looks, and what you can do about it.
Furniture and Furniture Layout
Ever walked into an office that is cluttered and disorganized? Well, probably not, but if you’re like most people, you’d feel like going back home right away. But this feeling of demotivation occurs every day to millions of employees across the globe, and one of the main causes is unhealthy furniture that leads to body aches and injuries from mild to severe. Needless to mention, backaches and neck pains from poor office ergonomics are a major cause of employee absenteeism. If you’re tired of employees constantly complaining about body aches caused by uncomfortable furniture, you may want to click here to get ideas on how to select ergonomic furniture and create a layout that works best for your office. Employees are more comfortable and productive when using healthy office furniture that is also appealing, and when the layout doesn’t look cluttered.
Lighting
Even in our homes, lighting can have a huge impact on your efficiency in completing tasks. Now, this is especially in the office environment, where you sit all day behind the computer. According to a 2018 study done by folks from Cornell University, optimal natural light reduces headaches and eyestrain by as much as 84%, thus increasing productivity. While not all offices or workstations may have access to, fluorescent lighting specifically has been discovered to cause headaches. Additionally, many employees confess to feeling more relaxed and focused when working from near a window. To make your office more productive, therefore, incorporating a mix of both natural and artificial lighting can be a game-changer. Some steps you can take to improve your office lighting include:
- Maximize daylight
- Add skylights
- Keep the glare under control
- Do away with flickering light
- Incorporate options such as task lighting and ambient lighting
Color
Color goes hand in hand with mood and morale. It can have a huge impact on your employees’ productivity. For instance, experts believe that blue has a calming effect on the mind, which means that it can help employees feel more relaxed and less stressed. Green, on the other hand, is believed to reduce eye fatigue and improve efficiency. Appropriate for more competitive teams, red is believed to evoke passion and emotion. But since color is more of a controversial subject, it’s good to remember that it’s always about creating balance while promoting the right mood. For this reason, you’ll want to work with an experienced interior designer when using color to boost employee productivity.
The Noise Factor
Noise is among the most common distractions in any workplace, and it’s often a cause of low employee productivity. This is especially a challenge in offices located near busy streets, construction worksites, and the like. Additionally, some employees are more productive while working in complete silence, in which case screening office dividers can be helpful in an open office plan. Adding some privacy to an employee’s workstation can also help improve their focus and sense of satisfaction, thus boosting productivity.
Plantlife
Just like natural light, nature has a calming and stress-relieving effect. Office foliage adds amazing scenery and has an oxygenating effect. Apart from improving the aesthetics, studies have shown that adding plant life in an office can improve employee productivity and job satisfaction.
The joy of every employee is to work in a job they love and feel satisfied with. As long as they are comfortable, safe, and healthy in their workplace, they can be more productive and efficient in executing their roles. With the few tips above, you now know why the look and feel of your office are important as far as employee productivity is concerned.
