{"id":1709,"date":"2021-12-02T22:00:36","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T21:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/?p=1709"},"modified":"2022-02-28T03:45:03","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T02:45:03","slug":"creating-a-healthy-and-productive-working-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/creating-a-healthy-and-productive-working-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a Healthy and Productive Working Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1716\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/pexels-alexander-suhorucov-6457562-1-1-e1638498544880.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" \/>Eight hours per day, 4 or 5 days per week: the average office worker spends\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburg.edu\/news\/stories?id=79db7b34-630c-4f49-ad32-4ab9ea48e72b&amp;pageTitle=1%2F3+of+your+life+is+spent+at+work\">tens of thousands of hours at work<\/a>\u00a0over the course of their career.<\/p>\n<p>In our last blog post, we covered 5 ways to create a great office culture. Today, we&#8217;re building on these ideas and exploring some of the important steps that businesses can take to create a healthy and productive working environment for this culture to thrive in.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the significant amount of time that people spend at work, employers have a duty of care towards their staff. Among other things, this entails going the extra mile to create the healthiest possible workplace environment. Here are some tips to help employers build a more productive work environment.<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Adopt_a_holistic_approach_to_workplace_health\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> Adopt a holistic approach to workplace health<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Champion_positive_core_values\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> Champion positive core values<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Prioritize_mental_health\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Prioritize mental health<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Adapt_to_changing_needs\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> Adapt to changing needs<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Make_physical_changes_to_the_workplace\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Make physical changes to the workplace<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"Adopt_a_holistic_approach_to_workplace_health\">Adopt a holistic approach to workplace health<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Health isn\u2019t just physical; it has psychological components too. A holistic approach to health in the workplace means paying attention to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0Physical health: Health and safety, ergonomic furniture, wellness amenities, etc.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Psychosocial health: Relationships between co-workers, management style, communication, positive values, flexible hours.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Development: Providing professional development opportunities and incentives to be productive and set new goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Champion_positive_core_values\">Champion positive core values<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Another suggestion involves aligning the company\u2019s unique values with those associated with healthy and productive workplaces.<\/p>\n<p>Values are closely related to organizational culture, which plays a key role in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/johnhall\/2020\/03\/13\/company-culture-doesnt-just-impact-well-being---it-also-impacts-productivity\/\">creating a work atmosphere that\u2019s positive and conducive to productivity<\/a>. In other words, focusing on on well-being shouldn\u2019t be a one-off, but part of the organizational ethos.<\/p>\n<p>Some examples of positive core values that can contribute to a healthier and productive environment include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0Growth<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Flexibility<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Non-judgement<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Compassion<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Balance<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Respect<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Creativity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1717\" src=\"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/pexels-fauxels-3182824-e1638498665968.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><span id=\"Prioritize_mental_health\">Prioritize mental health<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Lack of motivation, conflict with colleagues, or a poorly arranged office layout can have negative effects on physical and mental health. It\u2019s important to remember that the changes and disruption to work routines caused by the pandemic have led to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/allwork.space\/2020\/09\/were-nearing-a-mental-health-breaking-point-heres-what-companies-can-do-to-support-workers\/\">higher levels of anxiety, stress, and mental health disorders.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, there\u2019s a growing awareness about the importance of promoting mental health at work and having plans to support employees who are struggling. Being supportive involves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0Making coping resources available (for example, informational sessions).<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Having a positive attitude that doesn\u2019t stigmatize mental health issues, but instead ensures privacy and support.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Being open to \u201cmental health\u201d breaks.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Partnering with mental health professionals in the local area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span id=\"Adapt_to_changing_needs\">Adapt to changing needs<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The tools and resources that employees need to be happy and productive at work change over time. We\u2019ve seen this happen recently with the implementation of work-from-home arrangements, which has brought to the fore new needs, concerns, and productivity blockages.<\/p>\n<p>As an employer, ask yourself the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0What tools do remote workers need to be productive?<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0What processes can improve motivation when working from home?<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0How can communication be improved to ensure that it doesn\u2019t lead to frustration or misunderstandings?<\/li>\n<li>How much is your business willing to invest in adapting to the changing health needs of employees?<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0What systems can ensure health and psychological well-being when returning to the office after a long break?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span id=\"Make_physical_changes_to_the_workplace\">Make physical changes to the workplace<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some barriers to productivity come from layout or design issues. In some cases, workspaces become outdated as more staff are hired or when different tasks and functions are added.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s useful to regularly assess how well your workspace fits current employees\u2019 needs. Some things to consider include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/study-natural-light-is-the-best-medicine-for-the-office-300590905.html\">Natural lighting.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/how-temperature-affects-productivity-1206659\">Indoor temperature.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Uncluttered spaces.<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciphr.com\/advice\/plants-in-the-office\/\">Indoor plants.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Limiting noise or creating quiet areas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The benefits of investing in employee well-being are many: healthier employees are more productive, more engaged, more loyal, and help create a positive brand image. Try the suggestions outlined in this article to improve the workplace environment and your business productivity levels.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Looking for more market insights? Click below to find some of our recent articles&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/january-2022-u-s-national-office-market-report\/\">January 2022 National Office Market Report<br \/>\n<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/cost-of-an-office-fit-out-or-renovation-in-the-usa\/\">Cost of an Office Fit-Out or Renovation in the USA<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/us-office-market-trends-2022-statistics-challenges-and-outlook\/\">US Office Market Trends 2022 &#8211; Statistics, Challenges and Outlook<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/5-ways-to-create-a-great-office-culture\/\">5 Ways to Create a Great Office Culture<br \/>\n<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/quick-glossary-of-commercial-real-estate-terms\/\">Quick Glossary of Commercial Real Estate Terms<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eight hours per day, 4 or 5 days per week: the average office worker spends\u00a0tens of thousands of hours at work\u00a0over the course of their career. In our last blog post, we covered 5 ways to create a great office culture. Today, we&#8217;re building on these ideas and exploring some of the important steps that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10,9],"tags":[471,442,485],"class_list":["post-1709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-advice","category-office-relations","category-office-talk","tag-471","tag-productivity","tag-workplace-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1709"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1714,"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1709\/revisions\/1714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}