After months of COVID-19 restrictions, many offices are now beginning to reopen, and employees are slowly returning to the workplace. In these trying times, it’s important to make your employees’ work environment as comfortable as possible to keep up morale and encourage a happy and productive atmosphere. Of course, money is tight for a lot of employers in the current climate, so it’s understandable to be reluctant to start spending your budget on costly office upgrades. Fortunately, there are many cost-effective solutions on the market that can help improve your office environment, as well as your employees’ comfort and productivity, without breaking the bank.
Lighting: more natural light and soft artificial light
Lighting is a vital and often ignored part of creating a hospitable work environment. A study by the American Society of Interior Designers found that a huge 68 percent of employees disliked the lighting in their offices. To create a more comfortable and productive environment, try to maximize the amount of natural light that reaches your employees in the office. A completely free solution to this is moving workstations nearer to windows. Or, if natural light is severely lacking, and you can afford it, consider installing new windows or skylights. Determine which direction your office faces to work out where natural light will come from at different points during the day. It’s also helpful to review your artificial light situation. Many offices have harsh, overly bright strip lights that create a somewhat bleak atmosphere. Consider investing in softer, warmer lighting to create a more pleasant work environment.
Get the temperature right
Another crucial aspect of your office environment is the temperature. Many offices do not get this right and end up with employees complaining that it is either too hot and stuffy or too cold. Both of these issues will affect your employees’ productivity. Industrial Portable Evaporative Coolers are an environmentally friendly way to cool your office down if you find it often gets too warm. These types of cooling systems don’t use too much energy, so you won’t have to worry about your electricity bill spiking up. If you find your office gets too cold, consider investing in a remote-controlled heater that your employees can operate and turn on as and when needed.
Recreational areas
We all need to blow off a bit of steam every now and then, particularly in these stressful times. Recreational areas that employees can use during their breaks, with amenities such as ping pong tables, can be a cheap and easy way to make your staff feel a little more relaxed, and therefore more productive when they return to work. These areas also encourage teamwork and bonding among your employees and help to foster a fun, contented atmosphere in your workplace. Depending on your budget, you could opt for something as simple as a few board games and some beanbag chairs, or if you want to invest a little more cash, you could purchase some high-tech games consoles.
