Sometimes, office space feels less like the best form of working environment and more like a necessary evil. Your office workers may feel like they’re trapped in a prison rather than working a job, and there’s nothing worse for a business than low morale and unhappy employees.
Don’t be disheartened, though, because there’s plenty you can do to spruce up your office and add some joy into an office environment.
Design/Layout
If you have some control over how your office is laid out, then there’s plenty you can do to make it a nicer place to work. Firstly, many office workers enjoy having an openness of space, so tear down those cubicle walls and open up their horizons. Employees who are able to see and speak to one another often feel happier than those who are trapped in cubicles.
Secondly, consider decorating the walls. Whether it’s posters, artwork or whiteboards, some extra colour and culture will improve your office environment greatly.
Natural Light
If you have the opportunity to give your employees some natural light, this is a great way to boost productivity. Employees with access to windows get an even bigger benefit, so if your open office has large windows, your employees will experience a much needed happiness and productivity boost.
A study by the Northwestern University, Chicago (Abstract 1234 here) showed that employees with access to natural light get more sleep on average than those without, and that employees who can see out of a window are more physically active. A combination of physical activity and longer sleep makes people happier, less tired, and more productive in the workplace.
Plants
Plants have a number of different benefits in your office environment, besides just looking pretty, which is of course a benefit in itself. Firstly, plants reduce the number of toxins present in the air, which reduces the chance of your employees getting sick. Office environments typically experience a lot of bad air pollution, so having a healthier office is bound to see improvements in your employees’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Plants in the office are also thought to reduce stress, according to studies by researchers at Texas A&M University, Surrey University and Washington State University. Having plants present and visible in the office could reduce stress and increase productivity by up to 12%, a great sign of a happier employee and happier office environment.
Tidiness/Organisation
Finally, of course, keeping a clean and tidy workplace is a great way to keep your employees happy. Arriving to a messy desk in the morning raises stress levels from the get-go, and having to search through stacks of paper to find the thing you’re looking for leads to even more stress. You can encourage employees to keep their desks tidy in a number of ways, either through vocal encouragement, or perhaps even a small bonus to the employee with the tidiest desk each week or month.
For the general office environment, however, your employees can only do so much of the work. Hiring a professional cleaner to keep your office clean and tidy is of paramount importance. It’s sometimes difficult to realise just how much little things like dust and dirt add up, and how much of an effect they have on office morale.
For office cleaning services in the Manchester area, get in touch with Focus Cleaning, who will provide you with a good quality service and a regular cleaner you can trust. Call us on 0161 485 8060, or get in touch using our callback form.
