People are the heart to any company, no matter what industry it’s in or its size. Research has shown that health and work behaviors are linked together. So, it should go without saying that ensuring that employee wellbeing is always satisfied must always be at the forefront of a business leader’s mind. Developing healthier employees will result in a more productive workforce.
One of the most important ways a business can keep its team happy is to provide the best physical work environment for their teams to accomplish their goals. Office benefits of the past have included things like on-site fitness centers, game rooms, and weekly massages. But in our current era of managing employees’ wellbeing in the workplace rising to the top of the list of priorities, employers will be forced to find new alternatives to create an environment that is safe, healthy, and satisfying to their team.
According to Work Design Magazine, “Health and safety were the top motives for sending employees home to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. And health and safety will be the driving factors for employees’ eventual return to the office.”
To ensure that fears and concerns from employees are addressed, organizations must consistently improve and advance how they show they care for employees’ physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing through practical methods of support.
What do these methods look like in the workplace?
Install Touch-free Technology
Limiting the need to touch things in the work environment and reduce exposure to germs is one way to address and mitigate employee concern after re-entering the workplace.
Advances have already been made to create more automation in public spaces with items like automatic doors, voice-activated elevators, no-touch badge readers, and garbage/recycling bins.
Create Quality Air Ventilation for Indoor Spaces
Employees aren’t just concerned about the space they’re returning to; they’re also thinking about the type of air that will be found once they’re inside of it. Consider installing state-of-the-art air purification and sanitation systems that display real-time air quality measurements on digital screens that will allow employees to stay informed.
If you’re leasing your space, work with building management to improve air circulation, filtration, and ventilation, in addition to confirming cleaning protocols.
Implement Space Division with Wellness Screens and Dividers
Space division has become very important in the workplace. While some are concerned that division will take away the collaborative culture that many companies have worked hard to create, some tactics can help with utilizing your existing products and blending new solutions into workspaces. Consider implementing space division with panel systems, privacy screens, dividers, partitions, or storage positioned to workstations to balance the need for privacy and protection within the overall feeling of the workplace environment.
Move from Shared to Single-Use Workspaces
Enable safe connection by creating dedicated work areas that are tailored to the type of work that’s being performed. Create a mix of your existing office products and new solutions into workspaces like wellness screens at desk, ergonomic seating, and additional storage for a clutter-free space.
Reinforce DIY Cleaning in Addition to Increased Sanitization Efforts
Following the initial introduction to COVID-19, many will be returning with increased awareness of specific hazards associated with surfaces and prolonged interactions with others.
Show employees that their health is a top priority by allowing teams to take cleanliness into their own hands and offering cleaning materials to each individual as well as a place to store them. Another measure is to incorporate more easily cleanable materials throughout the office and to reduce the need for shared non-touch free technology such as a mouse, keyboard, or headset.
Utilize Data to Make Future-Facing Decisions
Staying ahead of potential risks will be vital to ensuring team contentment. If it’s possible, make plans to commit resources to building strategies that support opportunities that can increase sanitization efficiency and enhance employee trust. Focus on technologies that help inform decision-makers with reliable data from integrated third-party sources through utilization sensors that track what spaces are commonly used, employee health for contact tracing efforts, and long-term spending on janitorial services and supplies.
While getting used to the current work environment, many factors will need to come into place to provide an office that’s similar to what teams once knew. While this is being created, CORT Furniture Rental is here to help in ways that genuinely make a difference in bringing office culture back to life while promoting a space that employees feel safe, healthy, and heard by their leaders.
