Imagine the ideal workplace. Employees are happy, healthy, and productive, and they love going to work every single day. They have a good relationship with their colleagues, they are open to their leaders, and they are able to apply their passion to the work that they do. Creating the ideal workplace can be tricky given all the many different factors at play, but it’s not impossible.

In this post, we talk about what we believe as one of the most important concepts when it comes to designing a great workplace—space. This includes physical space, but it goes beyond that. It’s about creating a healthy space for your employees, all while allowing them to create their own space where they can thrive.

Creating the Right Space to Develop Happy and Healthy Employees

Space is where people move, where they think and create and grow. Part of this, we can control, and we’ll start with that—the physical space.

Lighting

Something as common as light has power to set a mood and create energy, and this is very important in the workplace. Bright, natural light can create high energy and focus. Studies show it can also make people feel warmer regardless of the temperature in the room. Natural light is best, but light coming from lamps and fluorescent light is better than no light at all.

However, one thing to remember is that too much light can also be harmful. For instance, glare can cause eye strain and fatigue, so it needs to be minimized. You can do this by properly positioning the screen away from direct light, or creating angle adjustment so that light does not reflect on the screen and into your eyes.

Ergonomics

Another thing to consider in your office is the design of the space. Does it encourage employees to move freely? Does it allow them to change from one position to another so they don’t remain seated for the entire amount of time they’re working?

You can invest in the right office equipment and design your space for optimum ergonomics. Consider your office your desks and chairs. The keyword to remember is “support”. Your office equipment and furniture need to be able to support users fully so they remain comfortable and in their natural state as they work.

Get fully adjustable ergonomic chairs that will allow employees to move freely while giving them support from head to toe. Pair this up with a desk of the right height so laptops and monitors will align properly with the users. You can invest in standing desks to encourage your employees to stand while working so they can break away from their sedentary habits. These can have long-term benefits both for your employees and also for your business.

Now that we have looked into physical space, let’s move to mental space. This is as important and can determine the difference between happy, healthy employees and stressed, burnt out workers.

Autonomy at Work

Do your employees have space to manage their own work at their own pace without their leaders breathing down their neck? Are they able to make certain decisions on their own without needing approval at every single step? Empowerment is such a powerful thing, and it can make or break an employee (and an employer, in that regard).

The happiest employees are those who are able to feel ownership of their work and able to make certain decision about how to manage the work they do and the outcome. Employees who are given autonomy are generally more engaged, more participative, and more productive.

Equal Work and Play

Work-life balance has become such an important issue in the workplace. Much of this is within an employee’s control—what he does after office hours, how he uses his passion to pursue something productive for his own growth… However, as an employer, you can create space for fun to help your employees get to know each other better, strengthen the relationships they have with each other, and give them a break from the day-to-day grind at work.

Some of the things you can do is to give occasional ‘unplug’ time for employees where you take a break from work and engage in something fun such as a game night, a team building (face to face or virtual, depending on your current work setup), or a movie hour where the only rule is 'no work'. This is helpful for your employees’ wellbeing and will likely translate to more engagement and productivity.

Flexibility in Work Schedule

A part of the space your employees need is a space to adjust their work environment as needed. This is especially true for parents with younger kids or those with more responsibilities at home. If the type of work allows, giving your employees some flexibility in performing their work can be a big help to them. This can include allowing them to work from home at certain days or allowing them the space to deviate from a usual 9-5 schedule.

Employees who are given privileges like this end up more grateful and more willing to go the extra mile and give the extra effort in the work that they do, something beneficial to all parties involved.

They say there is no ideal workplace, and this is true. But, you have power to create a ‘good’ space that your employees will come to love. We hope the tips above have been helpful and will help you create a happy, healthy space for your employees.

About Us

MotionGrey is a Canadian standing desk company that specializes in ergonomic furniture. We supply and install only the best quality standing desks and ergonomic chairs in the country.

Our products are designed with wellness as the focal point. From our electric standing desks to our office and gaming chairs, we deliver best value by putting your health, safety, and comfort as top priority. Boost your creativity and level up work performance. We want you to create great outcomes so we’re providing you only the best tools to make them possible.
 
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