Running an office where your employees work is a big responsibility. After all, you want an environment that suits your business brand, encourages productivity, and is also a place that employees enjoy working in.
While you might not have the space or budget to do everything you want to, there are certain elements of your workplace that you might want to focus on that make a real difference to everyone.
Make repairs
It can be the little things that get ignored around the office. After a while, these start adding up and make the place look a little shabby, or unsafe. So before you look at the big projects, take a good look around and pinpoint those little things that need to be fixed or serviced. These can include retouching paintwork or sticking down corners of wallpaper. Perhaps your elevators are due a service or could do with an overhaul to make the ride smoother. There are parts and frequency inverters from Ziehl-Abegg that can be used on many makes. Ensure you have a professional company do this.
Taking care of these things that you’re probably stopped noticing can really make a difference.
A space to relax
Do your employees have somewhere they can go to decompress when they’ve had a hard day, or a stressed out? Not just the lunch room. Having a space where people can go and not have to think or talk about work is important. It’s good for the well-being of your employees.
Fresh air
A clean, continuous supply of fresh air is really important, in all areas of life. In the workplace, a lack of fresh air can cause employees to feel lethargic and more likely to circulate germs around. Fresh air makes you feel better and perform better.
If you have an older air-conditioning system that just recirculates the stale air, then invest in an upgrade that uses a continuous supply of air from outside. If you don’t have an air-con at all, it can make a big difference if you can keep your office at the right temperature no matter what the weather is like outside.
Natural light
Have you heard of the condition ‘sick building syndrome’? It’s a term used to describe the list of symptoms and illnesses experienced by those working in a particular place. The symptoms include headaches, flu-like symptoms, lethargy, rashes, and difficulty concentrating.
While there’s no specific cause, it is thought that buildings that have poor access to fresh air, and natural light and where employees experience stress are all factors.
Natural light is fantastic for keeping people feeling alert and happier in their environment. If you don’t have many windows, see if there are opportunities to have some installed. If not, rearrange the office for employees to be nearer to natural light sources like windows, skylights, and glass doors.
Ask them
Why not ask you, employees, what changes they would like to see made to the workplace? Not only will it make them feel like their opinion matters, but you’re likely to find some great ideas in the feedback that you hadn’t thought of before.
