The Vital Importance Of Comfort In Office Productivity

Even though we live in the age of flexible hours and work from home options, the office is still a vital place to be. An uncomfortable office will only bring about disgruntled employees who can’t get their work done on time because the atmosphere is not encouraging them to. An uncomfortable office is basically a traditional one with cramped cubicles, artificial lighting, poor ventilation and non-ergonomic office furniture that often leads to physical discomfort. These aspects can deeply affect an employee’s mood thus preventing from being productive.

Many employers and business owners today are recognizing the need of a comfortable working environment due to the amount of hours one spends in the office. A comfortable working environment actually puts employees in a good mood and increases productivity. Below are some very important aspects to create the right amount of comfort in the office for maximum productivity.

Design and concept are a priority

Many things contribute to an uncomfortable working environment that you wouldn’t have thought actually mattered. Take into account the layout of the office and invest in an office space that will promote productivity and an overall positive mood among your employees. When designing your office and you want to go the modern route, think of coziness and comfort instead of cold and professional. Sleek doesn’t have to be lifeless and professional doesn’t mean everything is black, brown or gray. Colors play a key role in influencing your employee’s productivity.

Choose calm and inviting colors that will make them feel at home; you need a space that doesn’t neglect the fact that humans work there. Establish a space that will recognize their needs by creating communal and lounge areas where they can socialize or work away from their desk, an efficient meeting room that will lead to inspirational brainstorming sessions, and a break-room that will truly offer them an escape for a few minutes. Even accessorizing with fun and motivational posters or plants will elevate your employee’s mood. You would be surprised at how much positivity and productivity an office layout can create.

It’s more than office furniture 

Many offices don’t have the office furniture as a priority and even choose cheap desks and chairs that are very uncomfortable to use. The office furniture shouldn’t be a budget saving task because it affects your employees’ work mood; comfort doesn’t have to mean expensive. There are many affordable office furniture that aims to increase employee comfort and productivity.  Today, many conscientious organizations have opted to choose comfort over budget to avoid employee physical discomfort, and with the help of furniture industries, the concept of comfort is widespread. The Office Oasis is one furniture design company that provides solutions for common furniture issues that cause physical strain on an employee’s body.

They provide an endless variety of comfort that will make your place of work a ‘feel-good’ office. Studies have shown that if the employee is uncomfortable physically, it leads to distractions and low productivity. Ergonomic furniture actually reduces fatigue, physical pain and stress, bad posture or strain injuries and even saves you any health care liabilities. By opting for ergonomic furniture, employees can actually adjust their seating to their needs and will be motivated enough to work without distractions.

Create an inviting work station  

When it comes to where the employees will actually spend most of their time the most, the workstation is something you need to pay attention to. Health specialists have claimed that a neat, organized, inviting and ergonomically workstation will benefit the employee greatly and prevent any mental or physical issues. The design of the workstation is an art form, it needs to be comfortable but functional, organized but efficient, personal but productive. You want to create a workspace that will be the employee’s work haven.

Windows and lighting are a necessity

Believe it or not, lighting in the office plays an important role in affecting an employee’s well-being and motivation to work. You need lighting that isn’t as bleak as fluorescent lighting or as harsh. Bad lighting can cause eye strain, headaches and even depression. A properly lit office motivates employees throughout the day. One important thing to consider is natural lighting. If your office doesn’t provide enough windows, then invest in warm light bulbs instead of the bleak fluorescent ones. If there’s an option of opening up your space to allow for more windows, then this change is advisable. Offices with large windows that allow natural light to flood in actually stimulates high productivity levels and an overall well-being of your employees.

Temperatures that are controlled

Research has shown that office temperatures affect the performance of the employee. You don’t want them to work in an ice-box nor a hot sauna. A temperature controlled environment creates a comfortable atmosphere that encourages employee productivity. Maintain your heating and cooling systems according to the weather and establish an office that will suit different temperatures through insulation for example. Heating or cooling isn’t something you should skip on budget wise; a proper central system will give the employee a great atmosphere to work in so they won’t be distracted, look to cool off outside, or bulk on the blankets to get warm. There are many energy saving methods that will give the employee the perfect temperature he needs while maintaining your budget as well.

The office culture is one to aim for

Physical comfort is highly important; however, mental comfort should be given the same amount of attention as well. Mental comfort is reached when the office is not a playground that resembles The Hunger Games. Studies have shown that a stress inducing work environment causes a high percentage of turnover and brings about physical discomfort as well. Driven or corporate work environments are highly competitive where employees often follow the cut-throat methods or rat each other out to get ahead. This type of atmosphere is not only uncomfortable, but will definitely hinder growth within your company. Employees will end up being too stressed to function, not willing to discuss important matters out of fear of being ignored and will often develop work-related health issues as serious as heart conditions.

Establish an environment that encourages your employees to come forward by making them feel important and involved as well as a better communication system to prevent any misunderstandings. Your company must establish an environment that is big on sharing work to develop better and healthier working relationships. A company that improves bonding between its employees and employers as well, is a thriving company because it has invested in the most important resource: its employees.

Comfort is the way forward

A comfortable office is extremely vital to establish work productivity. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, he believes that the number one need, besides food and drink, is physiological needs. This means that a person needs to find comfort in their surroundings in order to function properly. When the basic needs of your staff are met, their levels of productivity increases, allowing a full-functioning and positive work environment.