Looking after your employees should always be one of your biggest priorities, as a healthy and happy team leads to a productive working environment that is inevitably going to benefit your business. So, if you think you need to make your office more well-being friendly, you’re in the right place. We’ve got a mixture of ideas here that can be applicable to any business, whether you’re a team of 5 or 500!
Have Specific Spaces For Breaks
Our first tip to help you make your office better for employee wellbeing is to have specific spaces for your employees to take their breaks. If you don’t have a specific break room or space, then people will be more likely to eat lunch at their desk, not giving them the vital mid-day break that helps the brain to re-set, so they will be less productive. Also, sitting at a desk for so long without moving much can be really bad for your health.
So, create a space in the office or utilise a room that isn’t currently used to its full potential for breaks. If you are limited on space, you could use the meeting room and make a new rule that people can’t book meetings between 12 and 2 so that the space can just be for people to take their lunch break. You could have magazines and books in there to encourage people to spend less time on their phone or laptop. In one corner you could invest in some bean bags with weighted blankets which are fantastic for helping to boost people’s mood and reduce the stress hormone cortisol, so they can fully unwind over their lunch break to feel refreshed and ready for the rest of the day.
The options are endless really, but the main thing to do is make sure you have a designated space for breaks and your employees will certainly benefit from it.
Invest In House Plants
If you think that your office space needs brightening up, then the best thing you can do is invest in house plants. You might have a few big plants around the office and then smaller ones on people’s desk. Assign a plant lover to water them every so often and you’re good to go!
Not only do plants look beautiful, but they help to improve air quality by removing harmful pollutants, they are known to boost people’s mood, increase productivity and reduce stress. This is a small investment that can really make a difference in the office, so it is definitely something to try. Choose plants like spider plants, Chinese money plants, Aloe Vera or monstera as they are very low maintenance plants! Make sure they have plenty of indirect sunlight and water them every 1-2 weeks in the summer and 2-3 weeks in the winter.
Buy Good Quality Chairs
One of the most important things you can do to improve employee wellbeing is to buy good quality desk chairs for them. When someone is sitting in the same place for 6, 7, 8 or maybe 9 hours a day, it is essential that they have a good chair to support them. This is so important for people’s posture and sitting correctly at work can help to reduce complications with the neck, back, shoulders and leg strain in the future.
So, look for a chair that is comfortable and can have the height adjusted, one that has lumbar support and high quality materials to keep them comfy. Perhaps order a few different chairs for people to try and then allow them to choose the chair that they would like! This can really transform everyday for your employees, so it is definitely worth the investment.
