A lot of the time, when people run a business, they get incredibly tense about ensuring they are treating their employees fairly and making them feel comfortable when working. At the forefront of these concerns is how you, as a boss, behave. Yes, this is incredibly important, but something else that will massively affect your employees’ attitudes towards you and your business is the actual work environment.
A healthy working environment is essential for a happy and productive workforce; however, creating one is not easy. It can be difficult to strike a balance between too professional and too casual; plus, you need to assess what you actually have in your budget to pay for this better environment. Below is a list of some of the most effective ways for you to build a better, healthier work environment.
Choose a Careful Color Palette
The colors you opt for when it comes to decorating a workspace have an extremely powerful effect on the mood of your staff. Some common colors to try out are orange, red, and pale blue. All of these are easy enough on the eye to create a calm atmosphere without the harsh tone of white walls everywhere.
Make Sure You Have Working Amenities
This should be a no-brainer, but it’s surprising how many businesses don’t provide their offices with up-to-date, working amenities. Ensure you have running water and strong internet; plus, if you live in a hot area, make sure you have a working air conditioner. You can buy these for a relatively low price at PTAC4Less, which provides a number of used and repurposed PTAC Units.
Provide Healthy Food Options
When your staff are feeling low on energy, reaching for a chocolate bar or bag of crisps is an easy option. That being said, eating too much sugary or fatty foods will ultimately have a negative impact on your employee’s health.
Be sure you are providing your staff with healthy options such as fruit and vegetables. This will satisfy hunger but won’t have a draining effect on your employee’s health.
Encourage Movement
It is recommended by Public Health that adults should do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. This means that while you and your staff are working, you should also encourage them to get moving to improve their overall general health. There are a few ways you can do this, such as by introducing a cycle to work program, organizing sporting activities, and going for a walk during your lunch break.
Put on Music
A lot of workplaces seem to think playing music is distracting, but in fact, lots of employees find it the exact opposite. When you play music, you release dopamine, which is a feel-good chemical that puts people in a better mood.
Not only that, but music can also be a great motivator and concentration aid, especially if you are working in a busy, open-plan environment. You can even get your staff involved by taking album suggestions.
