Employee Wellbeing: A Workplace Trend That Is Here to Stay
It’s evident that one of the most significant office trends of the 21st century is just beginning to unravel. Employee wellbeing is no longer a trivial workplace “bonus,” it’s become the new standard. It is essential to creating an effective, productive, and happy team. This office design trend used to be seen as a lofty benchmark, it is now expected by the emerging workforce.
Why Consider Employee Wellbeing in your Commercial Investments?
Ensuring your property investment lends to a physically and mentally work environment is important for all parties involved. From building owners to company management to employees, all serve to benefit from designing buildings and workspaces that prioritize wellbeing.
Employee retention, as well as the recruitment of new staff, is directly affected by the workplace environment. Generally speaking, if employees are happy, they’re likely to stay longer. New recruits, many of whom joined the workforce when wellbeing was already common, have already developed this expectation.
A growing sense of – and obligation to demonstrate – corporate responsibility has also given way to increased standards of wellbeing in the workplace.
Finally, it has been shown to financially benefit the company, for a variety of reasons. Excellent environmental conditions tend to attract great employees, reduce staff turnover and boost productivity through improved physical and mental health.
How to Design Your Building for Workplace Wellbeing
Back in the day, workplace wellbeing might have meant replacing uncomfortable chairs and giving your eyes a break from the screen. Now, however, the standard for office wellbeing is much higher. Here are a few ways to ensure your office building meets 21st-century standards of workplace wellbeing:
- Natural light: large windows let sunlight, which goes a long way to improving mood, among other things.
- Plants and outdoor space: bringing the great outdoors inside can be an easy and effective way improve workplace morale. Have a few houseplants at reception, a few tables outside in a shared courtyard, or install a green wall in the building for all your tenants to enjoy.
- Choice: create a space that encourages choice in the workplace. Whether it’s sitting at a desk to write a report, generating ideas over coffee with coworkers, or having a private, one-on-one meeting, teams tend to function better when their employees have regular changes of scenery. It also encourages people to move around more, giving them an opportunity to partake in physical activity throughout the day. As a property manager, you can help make these spaces reality by encouraging designs outside the closed-doors and cubicles of the past.
If you’re looking to invest in or build office spaces, hire our South Florida commercial real estate attorney services to help you along the way. From building design to dotting the I’s and crossing the t’s, an attorney can help as both your consultant and paper filer.
