Aztec appreciate the importance of workplace wellbeing as it is the very essence of a functional office. Both physical and mental health are the products of wellbeing and can be severely affected by the environment and culture of an office. Successful businesses need to support and enhance the wellbeing of their workers in order to maximise productivity and motivation, but also to generate the best quality work from their team.
Office hours generally range between 7-12 hours, with the vast majority of that time being spent indoors. The office becomes more than a place that you come to work to undertake a desk orientated task. It becomes a community, a social hub of great significance that the people who use it on a day to day basis. The workplace can offer many benefits to an organisation more than just a physical destination to house staff. It can: –
- Reduce absenteeism
- Increase presenteeism
- Increase productivity
- Increase sustainable practices
- Improve personal relationships
- Increase personal morale
- Enhance company culture
- Improve employee retention
- Attract top talent
- Continue to help Improve the quality of workmanship
Workplace Well-being – Ways to Improve?
There are many steps that can be taken to improve wellbeing in your office – some are surprisingly simple and cost effective:
Equipment – ensure your team has the right tools to do their role effectively and productively. Small desks, uncomfortable furniture and dated technology can be frustrating and cause physical health problems. Aztec have a furniture specialist in-house to guide you through the latest technology and products available, market wide as we are not exclusive to one individual supplier as well an in-house electrical division to ensure that your IT equipment and infrastructure is helping you achieve your best work.
Environment – Temperature is a ‘hot’ topic within every office. There seems to be no happy medium. Aztec will ensure that your office has the correct heating and ventilation equipment both from a compliance and technical perspective. Light and noise and are considered one of the top concerns around mental health according to office workers. Our electrical team are on hand to make sure that office lighting is set to the correct standards reducing eye strain and headaches in line with current building regulations.
Culture – free fruit, coffee or Friday drinks are simple yet effective ways to improve wellbeing through morale and a better work-life balance. People become more than colleagues, they become friends thanks to interactions that take place within the workplace.
Health & fitness – introduce a gym membership scheme or a bike rack in your office to encourage a more active lifestyle. Endorphins can increase focus and the quality of work. Aztec are seeing a huge increase to the communal facilities on offer by landlords, with more showers and personal storage areas that are designed to encourage people to cycle to work. With traffic in all of the UK’s major cities coming to a standstill most mornings, it makes sense to utilise pedal power. The results show that employees come to work energised and less frustrated than when they try to make their way through one traffic jam to the next.
Managers – Employees who have strong relationships with their line managers generally stay longer with the same employer. This keeps recruitment costs down and generally wages more stable as the employer doesn’t need to increase the salary to try and file the role with unproven new talent. Employees who feel valued are also proven to be happier within their role within the organisation. Listening as always is key!!
Workplace Wellbeing – What’s next?
Aztec appreciate that wellbeing is a topic that will continue to hold huge importance in office design with more employers appreciating the benefits of higher morale and its positive effect on productivity.
What do Aztec expect to see in the near future when it comes to Workplace Wellbeing? Aztec expect to see more remote working strategies taking place to allow team members to work with more flexibility. Companies that focus on performance over presence will reap better rewards from their employees, putting greater trust in their ability and organisation skills.
Workplace design may also develop to accommodate practices for enhanced wellbeing. Sleep pods and meditation and nap rooms are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace, providing opportunities to escape the working environment and return once refreshed. Nearly a third of UK office workers said they would use a sleep pod if they had one in their office.
Wellbeing should be considered in the top three considerations of a business alongside clients and profitability. Employers should be focussed on creating a workplace that supports their team and promotes wellbeing throughout the space.
If you feel your business would benefit from having a chat with one of our workplace consultants. Feel to drop us a line. We can offer light touch solutions that are easy to implement and monitor through to full organisational remodelling. Ensuring that your employee’s wellbeing and happiness is at the forefront of the process.
For more information please contact Paul Ashmore on Tel: 0151 255 0850 or e-mail paul.ashmore@aztec-limited.co.uk