Boosting employee productivity is a major concern for all businesses, and there are a lot of different ways to do that. We often hear advice about praising employees and recognizing their hard work, hosting team building events, and giving good benefits. These are all great ways to boost productivity, but sometimes, you need to think about the more basic practical things, like comfort. If your employees are uncomfortable in their work environment, that is a distraction and they cannot work productively.
There are a lot of factors that impact comfort in the office, and you need to rectify these issues if you want to improve productivity. These are some of the best ways to make your employees feel comfortable in their workspace.
Office Temperature
The debate about office temperature is always a cause of contention because everybody has a different ideal temperature. However, it is important that you find a good middle ground that works for everybody because the wrong temperature can be very distracting. In the winter, people are not going to be able to concentrate if they are freezing cold and in the summer, people will feel lethargic and tired if they are too warm. The optimum temperature for comfort and productivity is often considered to be somewhere between 70 and 73 degrees, but you may need to adapt this depending on how many men and women are working in the office.
Uniforms
If your employees are required to wear uniforms, you should consider the material that they are made from. If they are made from cheap nylon, they will be itchy and uncomfortable, and very warm in the summer. But if you switch to a more breathable material like Lyocell (you can find more information on Lyocell at https://www.tencel.com/b2b/product/tencel-lyocell your employees will be a lot more comfortable. It is also a more sustainable material so you can reduce your impact on the environment at the same time.
You should also consider the type of uniform that your employees wear in comparison to their duties. If they are on their feet all day long, you need to make sure that their uniforms are not restrictive because this just makes it harder for them to get on and do their job.
Office Maintenance
There are a lot of simple maintenance issues in an office that can stop it from functioning entirely, and reduce comfort levels. Things like broken lights or faulty heating systems, for example, make for a very uncomfortable office environment. You can avoid any of these issues if you invest money in regular maintenance. You will avoid downtime and the office will be more comfortable for your employees.
Better Furniture
This is probably the most important change that you can make. A cheap office chair will lead to a lot of back, neck and shoulder pain, and that is a huge distraction for your employees. Over time, it can develop into a serious health problem. But if you upgrade your office furniture and invest in ergonomic chairs and standing desks, you can avoid this problem. Visit https://www.bluespotfurniture.com/resources/blog/ for a great guide to help you choose the right office furniture.
These simple changes will help you to make the work environment a lot more comfortable for your employees and you will see an increase in productivity as a result.
