What is the most important factor to create a successful company? The answer is simple: you need happy, motivated and productive employees, who instead of counting minutes to leave, would actually love coming to the office every day. This can be reached by maintaining a suitable work environment.
Firstly, we need to know what an office is. The Cambridge definition of an office is a room, set of rooms, or building, in which people are doing business or professional activities. The systematic arrangement of office equipment (e.g. desks, chairs, cupboards) within the available floor space, providing the best opportunity for efficient work flow, communication and supervision is called office layout. The office layout must be professionally planned and designed, because it has a big impact on the staff’s concentration, productivity, mood, and health.
Management should make sure that the workplace meets these mandatory conditions:
Spacing.
The room must have enough working and storage space, and must allow employees easy access to equipment
Suitable equipment.
Employees should be able to use the correct facilities and be provided with desks, chairs, storage units, required devices and other office supplies
Lighting.
Too dim or too harsh lighting may save money for electricity but simultaneously reduce employee productivity
Ventilation & temperature.
The right temperature and good ventilation system which provides enough fresh air in the room can improve concentration and reduce stress levels
Restrooms & toilets.
Right amount of toilets and sanitary products (easy to order at Janitorial Direct).
Changing rooms.
In cases where offices are connected to manufacturing halls, offer special changing facilities. Ensure that office employees are entering the manufacturing halls wearing safety shoes. Engelbert Strauss offers a large section of safety shoes & clothing.
Beverages.
Water, coffee, and tea, as well as basic kitchen equipment such as dishes and utensils, coffee machine, fridge, and microwaves should make employees feel comfortable and belonging to the company.
For more requirements, check Unison (UNISON is one of the UK’s largest trade unions; they serve more than 1.3 million members in the United Kingdom).
