A good office environment is crucial whether you work from home or somewhere else. So use these tips to ensure creativity and productivity in your office space… wherever it is.

If your team members work within the office every day, it makes sense to make it a good office environment. This means a productive, comfortable space that is welcoming and inviting, for both employees and clients.

When your employees work in a happy environment daily, they are naturally more creative. They enjoy higher job satisfaction and feel like an appreciated, valued member of the team.

What’s more, as a business owner, you get loyal staff who genuinely like being in their work environment, further decreasing the amount of staff turnover.

If you are looking for ways to improve your current space or create a pleasant office environment, the following tips will guide you on this journey.

A Good Office Environment: Lighting

The right lighting is vital for helping staff not only see what they are doing but also for their health and well-being. You need to try to make use of as much natural light as possible, especially in areas where staff take breaks.

However, it may be necessary to cover windows to some extent at workstations to avoid glare on computer display screens.

A Good Office Environment: Temperature

For employees to be performing at their best, you need to provide a comfortable temperature to work in.

When the temperatures soar, working in an office can become unpleasant, even if you have electric fans. High temperatures can even affect working relationships, as tempers are more likely to flare when people are hot and bothered.

Keep your staff happy and productive by installing industrial cooling, to keep the heat at bay in the office.

If you are in a cool climate, then you need to have adequate heating throughout your premises to keep staff comfortable.

Take care to eliminate drafts where possible, as they may create spots that can make people feel cold, and can even cause aches in the muscles and joints.

A Good Office Environment: Layout and Décor

How your office space is arranged can make work easier or more difficult. For example, having a desk next to a shared printer may be distracting for the one who works there.

Try to keep areas that are often used and where staff congregates to chat, such as printers, photocopiers and water coolers, away from desks.

The décor of an office also has an effect on the feel of the place. A bright, modern office with art and a few potted plants creates an atmosphere where people are more likely to feel motivated, rather than a run-down office with peeling paintwork and messy cables.

When you have a welcoming office environment, your staff will find it a place where they enjoy coming to work every day.

Providing staff with a bright, comfortable place to be is a way to increase staff loyalty and create a happy team.

So, if you have been wondering how to improve the environment in your office, ask your staff what changes they want to see.

It might be a new coffee machine, the introduction of standing desks, or simply just arranging the layout differently. Make small changes, to begin with, and you will see a difference in how your staff feels about their office.

Need Help With Office Design?

Plush Design Interiors is an award-winning Adelaide interior design business. Please contact Penelope on 0421 043 505 or e-mail penelope@plushdesigninteriors.com.au.

Yes, this is my blog and Plush is my business. I’d love to help you 🙂 See http://plushdesigninteriors.com.au for more information.

Header Image: Photo by Carl Heyerdahl on Unsplash