You spend your time focusing on the things your business does well.

You spend countless hours developing and testing your products/services, along with building brand awareness.

Have you sat down and taken a moment to think about how your office environment affects your employees?

It is a fact that our surroundings have a direct effect on the way we feel, this is true in everything we do, especially our office environment. If your employees feel more welcome in their workspace, their morale will increase, therefore increasing their workload.

Have a read of the ideas below and take a look around your workspace and answer these simple questions:

• How many of the following could you change to give your workspace a boost?
• How can you make your office a healthier, happier and more productive space?

 

Let in natural light

As human beings we gravitate towards natural light, for a few reasons;

• It increases Vitamin D, which helps prevent depression, weight gain and other disorders and diseases.
• Studies have found that employees that work in natural light record higher levels of energy and productivity, compared to those working in artificial light.
• Natural light has also been shown in studies to lower the risk of near-sightedness in young adults.
• A bonus one, you can save some electricity by letting in as much natural light as possible!

Of course, in some areas of the UK, this may not be possible, for example, inner-city office spaces that are surrounded by other buildings may not get much natural light at all.

However, there are proven new technologies in lighting systems that are affordable and easy to implement.

Temperature Tantrums

There are always going to be staff in the office that prefers different temperatures, which may cause temperature tantrums.

“Turn it off! It’s too hot!”

“No, I’m freezing! It’s like a freezer in here!”

Back and forth, like this, all day long! It can get very frustrating for the involved parties, and for everyone else in the office.

Our brains can only tolerate a small change in temperature before our bodies kick in to counteract the temperature change, be it to lose or gain warmth. This will cause our mood to change and concentration levels to decrease.

The optimal temperature for the aircon according to most system manufactures is between 24 and 25 degrees Celsius in the summer and between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius in the winter.

Saying this though, a regular supply of fresh air is important for your office as well, and can sometimes be the answer to the temperature fluctuation.

Music can increase productivity

All of us are different and it’s unlikely all the people in the office are going to have the same music taste as you if they do then bonus! Get that country music blaring out those speakers!

The majority of offices will allow music, but only specific genres or songs that have been proven to increase productivity, of which you can find plenty of playlists on Spotify or Apple Music.

Create a chill out area for your staff so they can either get away from the music that is being played in the office or listen to their own music while still doing their work.

Also, make sure your office is efficiently double glazed to block out any unwanted noise from outside.

Colours matter

Different colours affect your mood in different ways, and colour theory has been practised by some of the greatest painters in the world for centuries.

Here is a quick rundown of some positive colours and what mood they associate with:

• Orange = Creativity
• Yellow = Intellect & Emotion
• Red = Energises
• Blue = Calming
• Green = Healing

Colour can change the style and mood of your workspace instantly, so sit down and decide what mood you want to portray in your office and paint or decorate accordingly.

Science of Ergonomics

“Ergonomics is the science of designing the workspace, keeping in mind the capabilities and limitations of the worker.” (Google).

An office with good ergonomic design can reduce factors that lead to musculoskeletal injuries and increases performance and productivity.

You can either look into this yourself online and purchase furniture that will benefit your staff, or you can get in contact with an expert. They will come to your workplace, take a look around and recommend what type of furniture would benefit your staff.

Keep it clean

Finally, consider the overall cleanliness of your workspace. Remember, a healthy office is a friendly office.

For more details on our office cleaning solutions, you can find your local ServiceMaster Clean and contact us here.

 

You may be interested in another one of our blog posts A Clean Office Gives a Good First Impression.