Wellbeing In The Office

In any office it’s important for your employees to be comfortable, healthy and happy in themselves before they can be productive, efficient and creative in their work. Employee wellbeing should be invested in as a priority, as it has been proven that businesses with healthy and happy staff enjoy high levels of staff morale and productivity and, ultimately, long-term profitability.

Workspace Design

Wellbeing is important

It’s important that your workspace is designed so that employees can engage with each other. If you work in an office environment in which you are sat in the same position for long periods of time, motivate your employees to take a break from your static position. A good way to achieve this is through encouraging employees to get up and speak to their colleagues in the office, rather than emailing them or phoning their extension.

It’s important that your employees feel comfortable in their working environment as poorly designed workspaces can quash creativity, good performance, engagement and innovation. One way that movement around the office can be encouraged is through the actual design of the office.

An office fit out can give you more efficient use of space. If spaces in your office are under utilised or too cramped, then look at office portioning or breakout pods to better define areas. But remember – it’s not just about how visually appealing your office will be, it’s important to consider staff requirements e.g. desk layout so that employees can interact with one another, facilitating efficient and effective team working.

If an office fit out is what you’re looking for, be sure to know your vision and values. It is important to engage with employees before fitting out your new office space so that you can fully understand what they want, and act upon that appropriately as every working environment is different.

Splashes of Colour

Colour scheme is important when it comes to refurbishing your office space.

It’s important to choose the right shades as certain colours can affect a person’s mood, wellbeing, health and happiness. For example, orange is often viewed as a warm colour that lifts spirits, whereas green creates a feeling of comfort, relaxation, calmness and space, as a result lessening stress.

A good option to add both colour and texture to your office is through plants, which are a perfect way to inject a sense of the outdoors into your workspace. When it comes to choosing greenery for your office, the first thing you'll need to decide is whether to opt for real or artificial plants. For the most part, a real plant can be a lot of work and may not get the attention it needs in a busy office, so opting for a lifelike and decorative plant can have just the same effect. Plants have been proven to improve mental wellbeing, increase productivity and even improve your memory.

Get Moving

It’s been estimated that the average worker is sat down for an average of 8.9 hours a day and for a lot of people, that’s even higher than the amount of sleep they get. Problems can arise when staff are sat at a desk for longer than 4 hours a day – these include stiffness, back pain and muscular problems, as well as disrupting blood sugar levels.

That’s why more and more often companies are choosing to invest in furniture that encourages people to get moving. Being less sedentary can be achieved through standing or height-adjustable desks, sit-stand stools and balance boards. Using this type of furniture can result in less muscular pain and lead to greater focus. Check out Posture Team’s excellent range of sit-stand desks, to make the first

Flexible Working

Working 9-5, 5 days a week and only ever in an office environment can be a thing of the past for many people. Thanks to technology, more and more businesses are choosing to adapt to a more flexible working style which involves working away from the office. Adapting flexible working hours means that your employees can choose to work from home or whilst they’re on the move, at whatever time of day they may prefer.

But it’s important to remember that flexible working isn’t going to work for every company. Whilst it has proven successful for some companies, particularly in the digital sector, it may simply be unsuitable for other businesses. Instead, you could look to make small steps towards becoming flexible – after all, your employee’s productivity isn’t going to be defined by hard and fast rules - it’s about looking at the space, furniture, the finishes, your company values and the human and physical boundaries.

If you want help making that step towards making your workplace less sedentary and increasing your workplace wellbeing, get in touch with the professional and friendly Keel Workspace, who have over 20 years of experience providing office fit outs throughout the North East.

Give us a call on 0191 516 6588 or send us an email to sales@keelworkspace.com