Like most entrepreneurs, you’re probably focused on looking for more potential clients, increasing sales and revenues, and addressing customer concerns as quickly as possible. These steps might be crucial, but they are not the only ones that can improve business. To ensure long-term success, you must also take good care of your employees and ensure their health and safety while at work. By achieving these goals, you’ll reduce the rate of workplace sickness and injuries, which create a more pleasant work environment for everyone. You’ll also help boost the morale and well-being of employees, which can lead to more productivity and lower staff turnover rates. Ready to overhaul your office and make it safer and healthier?
- Schedule regular cleaning
There are numerous people who come and go at your office, so it’s not surprising that dirt, dust, and germs would quickly accumulate in the carpets, desks, chairs, and in every nook. While you can’t prevent your office from getting dirty, you can prevent it from becoming a problem through regular thorough cleaning. There are reliable cleaning companies that specialise in commercial cleaning. So hire them to tidy up your workspace on a daily or weekly basis (depending on your needs). Of course, ask your employees to pitch in by keeping their individual workstations clean and tidying up after themselves in common areas.
- Eliminate safety risks
Take a few hours to inspect each area of your office and identify any potential safety risks. Do you have loose tiles or unsecured rugs and carpets that can cause people to trip? Are there any wires and cables that are strewn about the floor and creating a trip hazard? Has any of your employees complained that your electrical outlets are sparking and arcing? Identifying these risks is important since it allows you to resolve safety hazards right away—before they can cause serious injuries to you or your staff.
- Improve your office ventilation
Working in a poorly ventilated space can cause headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, and fatigue, making it difficult for workers to concentrate on their tasks. It can also lead to eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation and increase the risk for respiratory infections. To protect your staff from these health issues, inspect your office and find out if it’s properly ventilated. If it isn’t, you’ll want to work with your landlord or property manager to improve the overall ventilation of your work space.
- Encourage regular hand washing
The pandemic has taught everyone how important hand washing is, but you should still remind your employees about it every now and then. Place high-quality hand soap in all of your toilets and purchase alcohol-based wipes and sanitisers for every workstation as well as for your lobby, staff kitchen, and other common areas.
- Install adequate lighting
Having good lighting is important in commercial spaces since it lets you and your employees clearly see what you’re doing and prevent mistakes and injuries from taking place. It also helps you minimise glare, which causes eye strain, blurry vision, and headaches and makes it harder for you to focus on your work. Assess the lighting system in your office to determine if it’s adequate or not, and don’t hesitate to modify it or add more lights when needed.
- Utilise ergonomic office furniture
Sitting down for hours can negatively impact the body’s musculoskeletal system and lead to backaches, neck pains, shoulder pains, and other painful conditions. So it’s better to switch to office furniture that has been designed with ergonomics in mind. Consider investing in standing desks that give your staff the option to work standing up or sitting down and can be adjusted depending on the user’s height. It’s also recommended to get a high-quality ergonomic chair for each of your employees so they can stay comfortable and pain-free even when they’re working for hours.
- Bring the outdoors inside
Studies have shown that indoor plants are a great addition to commercial spaces since they create a relaxing atmosphere and help employees stay calm even when undergoing stressful situations. So, if you haven’t yet done so, purchase several potted indoor plants and place them in various parts of your office. Choose plants that don’t need a lot of sunshine and water and can survive even with minimal care, and ask your office custodian if they can include plant watering to their To-Do list.
The road to a safer and healthier workspace isn’t easy since it usually comes with numerous challenges. But, by using the tips listed above and taking other helpful steps, you can successfully transform your office and create the ideal work environment for yourself and your employees.
