Boost Office Morale – Employee morale is the overall viewpoint of individuals in the workplace, including emotions, attitudes, outlook, and satisfaction level. It is the result of working conditions and attitudes rather than the cause. Good morale leads to positive, confident, and satisfied employees, while low morale can be observed in negative, angry, and uncaring employees who fail to maintain productivity and safe business practices.

As a business manager or facilities planner, you can take control over how your employees feel through interior design. To help you achieve your goals in the workplace, here are 5 ways you can use commercial office design to boost office morale. 

1. Make your employees feel secure and valued

Employee performance and engagement increase when employees feel valued. Boost Office Morale as many offices are homes away from home for staff and offices should provide the same security that employees feel at home. 

This can include familiar and attractive decorative furnishings and accessible amenities that employees are comfortable accessing. Appealing communal areas such as kitchens and hot drinks points can be utilised to provide benefits such as employer-supplied refreshments and food. 

As a bonus, kitchenettes and tea and coffee points also prevent staff from being sedentary, supporting their health and wellbeing. 

Employees should also be prepared to assess working areas such as desks and seating, ensuring that they are posture-friendly and meet the requirements of their staff. This will not only allow employees to work better but they will be more positive in their position.

2. Make it modern

There are so many different styles of interior available that knowing the correct approach can appear difficult. At Benchmark Products, we believe the ‘modern’ office is at the forefront to Boost Office Morale.

Open, brightly lit offices with obvious break-out spaces are highly favoured by staff. Open spaces encourage airflow and can remove that stuffy, tiring atmosphere and natural light, or suitable lux levels from human-centric lighting, will discourage poor health and lift the mood. 

A modern office layout also requires contemporary furniture that works with the layout and environment, rather than cluttering it and removing all the positive features. Good office design is all about working within the limitations of your space and maximising potential and Benchmark are here to provide solutions for just that. 

3. Choose quality furniture

There’s more than a singular reason to invest in high-quality office furniture. Not only will it last longer (reducing the need to replace individual pieces) but the quality is also measured by how well it benefits employees; this will assist in boosting office morale!

Before you source new products, start to understand the needs and preferences of your workers. The staff will be using the furniture, so you should be confident it’ll suit them. Not only will this show that their opinion is valued but it also displays personal care, vital for morale. 

Furniture will also depend on how your office functions. Are your employees assigned a permanent position? Is hot desking in place? High-quality products are important but meeting employee standards with the furniture is also essential.

4. Promote rest spaces

Rest periods in the workplace are closely linked to morale, productivity and mental health. Not only are breaks a legal requirement but they allow employees to step away from their assigned workspaces and engage their mind in other ways. Staying at a desk can be suitable for some but not taking breaks at work can end up having negative effects on physical and mental wellbeing.

Many offices breed a culture that leads to perceiving staff taking their lunch breaks at work as lazy or ‘slackers’. It’s important to change this mentality. To encourage down periods, consider revamping break rooms in the workplace. These transformed spaces should encourage employees to eat, talk and unwind. 

5. Collaborative spaces

Even in our high-tech, modern environments there is still a big emphasis on the importance of human connection. Collaborative work helps to generate and build ideas, driving forward projects and developing concepts. 

Collaboration spaces can be designed in many formats; whether that’s formal meeting rooms designed for working as a group or more informal social spaces. The main purpose is to encourage an atmosphere of discussion and teamwork, uniting employees together as part of the company.

Redefining your office for a safe return to work

As an added extra in these unprecedented times, office design is altering drastically to accommodate social distancing and welfare measures. As a current challenge that must be carried out to welcome staff safely back to the office, coming up with new interior layouts can be stressful.

A good way of making offices ‘safe’ and ensure your staff feel comfortable with their new set-up is to use furniture to divide up and segregate areas. Benchmark has got your safety in mind during the current crisis and always so contact us today for furniture solutions that fit your expectations and the new normal.

How does boosting office morale benefit your business?

It’s a wise investment to show your employees that you care about their happiness. An organisation is largely based on the productivity and work of the employees, and furniture plays a big part in encouraging good values, Boost Office Morale today with Benchmark Products.

If a brand-new office or an employee-centred renovation could improve your employees’ morale, contact Benchmark Products today by calling 01953 889 603 or sending an email to enquiries@benchmarkproducts.co.uk