Because its been much discussed recently, I’d like to briefly touch on the importance of office design for employee health and productivity. Before I do, I’d like to give a big thank you to the Occupational Health & Wellbeing magazine for their huge input here. So let’s begin.
Office health and wellbeing these days isn’t just confined to Instagram feeds and fitness blogs. There is also growing awareness of how much our workspaces affect the way we think, feel and behave and how well we work.
The office environment is now understood to be more than just a place where a business puts its desks, computers, chairs and staff; it’s a foundation on which a company builds its brand values and culture and supports the physical and mental wellbeing of its teams and their productivity.
However in this age of ever-more sedentary working, with its well recognised independent and destructive effects on staff health and productivity, one of the most important ways to protect a successful business is to simply encourage people to move around more. No matter the budget, there is much that can be done here.
A long list of the small changes include adding photography or artwork along corridors and staircases to encourage their use or simply adjusting the position of printers, bins and refreshment areas has a dramatic affect.
Also, introducing standing desks or walking meetings allows more workplace dynamism and smart sensor technology offers exciting opportunities to understand and improve how our workspaces are used.
Understandably, this kind of approach does not happen overnight but requires everyone, from ground staff to high management, to work together. Because when they do, the potential benefits are huge. People feel happier and healthier and subsequently, the businesses they work for reap the rewards and are more productive!
