Environmental Hazards: Three Things About Your Office That Might Be Affecting Productivity

There are plenty of things that can affect your productivity. Mood, tiredness, workload and more. But one of the things that affects workplace productivity that also gets forgotten is the environment. The environment that people are working in has an enormous impact on their attitude and productivity. A poor working environment can make people feel tired, sluggish and can negatively affect workflow in a big way. Fortunately, a lot of the things that you can do to improve an office environment are pretty quick and easy. Here are a few simple ways that you can make yours and your employees work environment a little more pleasant.

Lights

Lighting is one of the most significant, yet often ignored, elements of a workspace. Without decent light, people can become fatigued and unmotivated. It can make it difficult to focus, and dark environments have even been shown to cause depression. Make sure that your office is well lit and is also lit evenly across the entire space. Just make sure the lights aren’t too aggressive. Working in an over-lit and clinical environment can have just as much of an impact on productivity as low lighting. The key is getting a good balance.

Furniture

Nobody can concentrate when they’re uncomfortable. If you’re sitting in a chair that leans to one side or creaks every time you move, you’re just going to find yourself distracted and frustrated. It’s so important to make sure that your office has up to date, safe and comfortable equipment and furniture. This will not only improve the environment but can also help you avoid accidents. If a chair or desk collapses while someone is working then, productivity will be the least of your worries.

Layout

Sometimes a space just flows. You know the feeling. Everyone’s happy and working on top form. A lot of times this can come from the layout of the office. If you’re finding that your office space is creating a gloomy, unproductive atmosphere, then think about looking at its layout. Are you employees close in and isolated? Is there a decent amount of airflow through the room? Issues like this might seem small but can make a lot of difference to how people feel when they’re in that environment. Consider trying out an open plan office layout. It can create more space and light and will allow your employees to move more freely, feeling more comfortable and more productive.

These things might not seem like they’ll make a huge amount of difference but it really is shocking how much your environment can affect your work. Sure they’re not the only keys to improving your business, but a company can only function every part is working as well as possible. Provide yourself and your employees with a safe, well lit and comfortable environment. If you do, you won’t believe just how much the productivity of your business will improve.

We all feel the pressures of “speeding up” and are often being told to “optimize our productivity” and “maximize our efficiency”. How are we supposed to meet all of these demands? Surely, we can achieve it by first, following simple ways to improve work environment.