A real office – a non-obvious benefit for employees
A desk and chair are not everything!
Most offices, those from the ’90s and later, were designed according to the same scheme: in a large, open space, employees sit at small desks, separated only by blends. The walls are usually uniform and smooth, and the cramped kitchen and sterile white toilets placed at the end of the corridor. Here and there, artificial palms from IKEA are dusting up instead of papilla straight from the Polish People’s Republic. It is all bathed in glaring, artificial lighting and dry air from air conditioning. Every employee “assigned” is permanently for a specific desk, which forces him to work in certain conditions and always in the same position – for 8 hours, every day. All business belongings are placed in a container under the counter, while telephone conversations carried out at the same time generate noise comparable in intensity to the concert of a metal band. Sounds familiar?
Is this place conducive to creative work? Is it easy to have good relations with colleagues there? Or original, creative action? Perhaps the employees, accustomed to such a standard, no longer pay attention to it … However, it is worth offering them a place of work to which they will want to come back every day. A place where they can transform their energy and ideas into fantastic projects, implemented for the company with a smile and commitment. The first office space, deviating with appearance and equipment from the classics we’ve known, presented Google about 15 years ago. From that moment, there is a fashion for non-standard solutions, stylish interiors and employing designers whose skills go beyond the basic measurement of distance from the desk to the wall.
Office in the BASIC version – workplace ergonomics
Adapting the office to the diverse and unobvious needs of employees is today the subject of many conferences, trainings and publications. It’s not just a corporate trend, but must have of modern employers! The absolute minimum of a real office is ergonomic work stations that will ensure the safety, efficiency and prevention of workers’ health.
Take care of:
- Adequate lighting – tailored to the work to do, to reduce the eye strain.Ideally, when there are several light sources in the room, including at least one, which easily allows you to direct the stream of light to a selected place. Due to the varied natural lighting throughout the year and during the day, it is also priceless to regulate the intensity and temperature of artificial lighting.
- The correct monitor setting –giving the user the best possible comfort, which means that they do not reflect the light and allow the natural setting of the back and head. For reasons of data security, it is also important to ensure that the information displayed on the monitor is not visible to people entering the room.
- Comfortable, adjustable chair –which will enable you to maintain the correct position during work and relieve the spine. Necessarily with the possibility of adjusting the height of the seat and backrest, the depth of the seat and the position of the armrests, which provide support for the arms, e.g. while typing on the keyboard. Today’s seats also allow you to adjust the angle of the seat and headrest, and even vibrate gently to stimulate the circulation of the seated. An additional convenience will be a footrest, facilitating the maintenance of a correct posture, especially lower employees will appreciate it!
- 5-minute break – an employee is entitled to a 5-minute break after every hour of work in front of the monitor.Ideally, if it can go out into the fresh air at that time (but not for a cigarette!), Or at least drink coffee in another room.If this is not possible, let him use his 5 minutes for work other than computer – order on the desk, conversation or viewing documents. Let employees peek through the window – natural light and view of nature or even the sky are very soothing for tired eyes!
Office in the PREMIUM version – a space that stimulates creativity
A properly designed computer station is only half the battle. Depending on the type of work we do, we spend more or less time at the desk, but rarely full 8 hours. Our entire environment influences our effectiveness and mood – interesting solutions that facilitate work, relaxing space and places of small conversations can fantastically support the implementation of our everyday duties. Therefore, one of the most interesting trends in designing is the “domestication of offices”, i.e. creating such spaces that with their climate and equipment are almost indistinguishable from our apartments and houses. Employees feel “at home” in them, they are often invited to co-create these places. Such a place helps in building a friendly atmosphere and definitely promotes good moods as well as effective and creative work. Of course, the nature of the office should match the type of work, but it is worth to leave outdated schemes and open up new, interesting possibilities.
How can you domesticate your office?
It is good if the impressions were pleasant from the threshold. Just like at home – the entrance should be functional and friendly. A hearty smile at the reception is the key!When organizing the space, let’s also remember about different seasons, about coats and umbrellas – the wardrobe should be large and roomy. Above all, however, let’s not forget about the guests we wait for maybe a comfortable armchair and fruit or company candy.
“Know something from the kitchen” is an old saying that works great in companies!After the kitchen you can see the culture of its users – do they care about cleanliness and place dishes in the dishwasher? Do they segregate rubbish?It is worth providing the employees with a distributor with water and an express machine that will prepare the best coffee. In order to drink it in the company of colleagues, it will be useful to have comfortable chairs and a large table for those who like to eat breakfast or lunch at work.And, individual bar chairs for people who need a moment of loneliness.
Common spaces in the office should be a place of rest and good fun, just like a home living room. Office designers pay special attention to creating zones to relieve stress – so-called “chillout rooms ” from play station, table football or billiards allow you to break away from your duties for a moment, and thus help you return to work with more energy.
In our homes, the bedroom plays a key role – it is there that we regenerate and gain strength for a new day. And although it is difficult to imagine a full bed cushion in the central point of the office, so-called. „ Silent room”, where employees in silence, or with delicate relaxing music, can take a nap for a moment on a pouf or in a hammock. As research shows, 20 minutes of naptime during the day can significantly increase the efficiency of your work!
Office as a benefit for employees
Providing employees with the necessary office equipment and work safety, we implement a minimum, without which they will not want to start work at all. However, arranging a real space that suits their diverse needs, which allows them to break away from complicated tasks and supports original and creative work, giving them a unique benefit. And while it is difficult to measure the direct impact of office space on the efficiency of individual employees, you can simply ask them – if they like their office.If they do not have an opinion, or simply say “no” – it’s worth thinking about what to do to change it. Maybe a few small things will change the harsh room into a dream office? Employees who like their office appreciate them and look after them, talk about it and return to it every morning.As returning home!
And you? How do you take care of your employees?
