Healthy Office Environment Means Happy Employees

For every business, keeping employees happy and motivated is one of the most challenging and important tasks. These days, more companies are utilizing resources to create a healthy office environment to achieve the goal of creating an healthy and happy environment for their employees.

You need something more than health and safety rules with some amount of budget. Lets take a look, how you can improve your office designs for the sake of your employees’ health.

Fresh Air and Sunlight

A recent report published by Health Government says that these days 75% people who start their day early in the morning and end up late are deficient of Vitamin D. Research from the World Green Building Council also confirms that air quality plays an important role to make people feel good and productive. Low concentrations of CO2 and high ventilation boost productivity by around 8% to 11%. Not only that, people who spend maximum hours without getting exposed to Sunlight in four walls are tend to be more depressed. Having a shared office space with sunlight in all the most of the team areas is difficult, but it is important to keep the teams shuffling.

•   Plan to change the team areas in every 6 months

•   Encourage one on one discussions outside the building, if possible

•   Create comfortable sitting areas around windows and where sunlight reaches easily

Go Green

A study in the journal – Water, Air, and Soil Pollution confirmed that plants help in combating ‘sick building syndrome,’ where shared work space has ore contaminants than outdoors. On the other hand, it is found that plants in offices can provide a self-regulating and sustainable system for indoor air pollution. Plants also help in improving human well-being and productivity.

•   Plants capture dust, mould and bacteria from the air

•   Soften the hard angles in the interiors and add a splash of color

•   Make the office a nicer place to work

•   Reduce ambient noise levels

Cleanliness

Maintaining the cleanliness in work space is of utmost importance for employees’ health. Sick employees not just affect the deliverables, but also affect the work of their peers. Hence, to keep the germs at bay and office clean should not ignore. Have you ever thought that the same air-conditioner which provides you better air and keep you warm can also spread germs! To avoid such possibilities, make sure that the toilets/break areas are stocked with hand-sanitizer and tissues.

Take Machines for Cleaning

To make the work environment less clumsy, companies put coffee machines and other food dispenser, which stores many types of liquids and food items. We generally pay attention only when we get to know that employees are facing problems with these machines.

These machines require human attention on a daily basis. You can also get rid of the vending machine and replace it with fruit bowls and fresh juice for the better health of employees.