In 2020, the home office reigned supreme. But this year, things will probably return to normality, and workers will return to now-empty office blocks, filling them up once more. 

 

At times like these, it’s a good idea for companies to ask themselves what their employees really want from their office setups. Arguably, they want more than just a place to do work, but also somewhere they feel that they can live their lives. 

 

In this post, we take a look at some of the things that employees actually want from their office environment. Many of these are comfort-related, but some also help to improve their quality of life in other dimensions. 

 

A Place To Be Spiritual

 

In the West, we don’t like talking about spirituality. We’re all about efficiency, productivity, and “getting the job done.” But no matter how materialistic we become, we can’t escape the call of the spiritual.

 

Companies should include the possibility for employees to practice at the office. It doesn’t matter particularly what kind of space you offer. It just needs to be somewhere that people can go to express that aspect of themselves during the day. You don’t necessarily have to segregate work from more expansive aspects of the human experience. 

 

Better Climate

 

 

We’ve all worked in office buildings that are too cold in the winter, and too warm in the summer. That’s why many modern offices are investing in the types of systems that sites like https://dmi-kc.com/services/mechanical-construction/ discuss. The idea is to maintain a constant internal environment within the building, no matter what’s going on with the weather outside. 

 

Lower Noise Levels

 

When asked, employees reported that they wanted lower noise levels in their offices, according to https://www.workspacedesign.co.uk/664-2/.

Wh? Well, the main answer given was that it helped employees focus more on their work. But researchers also suspect that it has to do with stress levels too. Employees exposed to continual noise and chatter don’t enjoy their working environments as much as those with quiet spaces. 

 

A Place To Have Fun

 

 

An office is a place of work. And work and fun aren’t the same things – or, at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. 

 

But many innovative companies are trying to look beyond this paradigm by creating fun workspaces. The idea is to get employees to associate going to work with having a good time. The more that work feels like something that they want to do (instead of something that they have to do), the more likely they are to give the best of themselves. 

 

WiFi In The Toilets

 

This is a bit of a weird one, but having WiFi in the toilets is also something that employees say that they want. Partly, this is so that they can continue checking their emails while going to the bathroom and remain productive throughout the day. More power to them. 

 

So, which of these ideas will you implement in your office environment? Do you think any of them are good ideas?