Designing Offices That Promote Staff Well-Being
Your employees are an integral part of your business’ ecosystem. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that their well-being is on point.
According to the Mental Health Organisation, 12.7% of all sick days in the UK are due to mental health conditions. As a result, it’s clear that stress and anxiety in the workplace can lead to decreased attendance and productivity and can affect your business’ growth.
Most initiatives for well-being in the workplace focus on the psychological environments, such as social relationships and workload. But did you know that the office design can have as much impact on your staff’s well-being?
Today, we explore how you can improve your office design to boost happiness and productivity at your workplace.
Start with the layout
From cubicles to open spaces, the office layout has come a long way. While cubicles allow for more privacy and concentration, the open office layout is preferred by most start-ups today. That’s because managers and employees sit together, and the conversations can flow more easily. It’s also a cheaper alternative to constructing multiple private office spaces.
GlaxoSmithKline surveyed their employees to establish the effectiveness of switching from cubicles to an open office layout and discovered that email traffic dropped by more than 50%, while decision making accelerated by 25% because workers could have informal meetings.
Perhaps a more flexible layout that fuses both layouts and takes into account the needs of everyone will work best in terms of promoting well-being at the workplace. For example, a person with ADHD will work better in a private and enclosed space.
To achieve that, use partitions and dividers that will cancel out the noise and provide privacy for those who need it. You can also create flow zones for different types of work or leisure. Bookable meeting rooms, private pods, and a rest area can all help with getting your team into a flow state.
Maximise natural light
Natural light plays a massive role in enhancing mood, productivity, and creativity. A study by C. Blume, C. Garbazza, and M. Spitschan shows that natural light can increase the release of serotonin, thus improving our mood and the circadian rhythms, which are responsible for our sleep.
Allow natural light to enter your office for as long as possible and encourage people to spend time outside during their break time. This is especially beneficial for people with seasonal mood disorder.
Viewing nature can also instil a sense of calm, whether it’s real or an image. If you have a view overlooking a park with trees, that’s great. But if you don’t, you can easily bring the outdoors inside by implementing lots of plants and natural materials, such as wood-effect flooring. This is what the currently trending biophilic design is all about.
The office décor
Creating a pleasant and healthy office environment isn’t just about the office layout. The décor can also enhance team members’ moods and productivity.
According to colour psychology, the best colours for an office are the bright or warm ones. Orange and yellow, for example, stimulate mental activity and induce happiness and positivity. Blue has soothing and intellectual effects, while green represents balance and growth.
Alongside picking the right colour scheme that facilitates an inspirational atmosphere, it’s important to create a welcoming and cosy office environment. You can do this by adding accent wall art, 3D signs with inspirational quotes or phrases, and decorative objects.
Furniture also plays a big role in promoting well-being at the workplace. Ergonomic chairs and standing desk converters will reduce the risk of strain injuries.
The purpose of the office design is to breathe life into your team and in return, increase well-being and productivity. These tips will help you facilitate an inspirational and pleasant environment that your staff is excited to step into. Because a happy workforce means a successful business.
Sources
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-mental-health-work
https://risepeople.com/blog/the-impact-of-office-layout-on-your-employees/
