Actionable Ways to Improve Office Work Environment

An office environment can have a huge impact on productivity, morale, and overall health. If your employees are unhappy with their workspace, they won’t be able to perform at the highest level possible. This article will cover five actionable ways you can improve your company’s work environment:

Allowing team members to work remotely

A great way to improve your office’s work environment is by allowing team members to work remotely. Remote employees have all the same responsibilities as if they were in the office but can choose when and where they want to do their work. If you feel that this might make your employees feel isolated, a great way to work collaboratively is to host a virtual vision board party and host an online call. This emulates the office based team working atmosphere whilst removing all the distractions of being in the office, which makes it easier for them to remain focused on their tasks throughout their day.

Another reason why it’s essential for companies and managers alike not only allow but also encourage employees from working outside of traditional office spaces is that this gives them more flexibility over their schedules and allows them more freedom when trying new things such as having meetings online instead of face-to-face or conducting interviews via Skype instead of actually meeting someone at an interview site (which may require travel).

Start a mentorship program

Mentorship programs are a great way to help employees improve their skills. In addition to formal mentorship programs, you can also use mentorships as an informal way to develop and grow your team members’ skills. 

Mentorships are especially effective when it comes to helping employees learn new skills, improve their performance or gain more experience. For example, if you have an employee who’s been working in your office for several years but has never held an administrative role before, a formal mentorship program could be great for them. They’d be able to work directly with someone who’s had experience managing other people in similar roles before so they can get some tips on how the best practice works and how things should be done at the company level — which may not always match up exactly with what happens down here in Accounting (or whatever department he/she works in).

Bring in healthy snacks and drinks.

Next, you should consider the snacks and drinks in the office. While junk food might be easy to grab and eat, it isn’t good for you. These foods can make employees feel sluggish and tired, which is not what anyone wants for their workday. Instead of providing unhealthy foods like chips, chocolate bars, etc., provide healthy alternatives such as fruit or vegetables that are also filling enough that they can last through most people’s lunch breaks when dining at their desks.

Provide opportunities for collaboration and communication.

When employees are able to work together and communicate effectively, the results are often more efficient and productive. To help encourage collaboration in your office, consider providing a few different spaces where employees can gather:

• A conference room with whiteboards or dry-erase boards – For meetings, brainstorming sessions and other collaborative efforts
• A library – Employees can read up on the latest trends and best practices in their field in order to improve their own performance as well as that of their team or department
• A break room – The break room should be equipped with comfortable seating (if possible), a television and some simple entertainment options like board games or magazines

Create a fun environment.

A fun environment is essential for boosting office morale and productivity. One of the ways to do it is to encourage team bonding. Host events or activities to help your employees get to know each other better and feel more connected with the company. These could be anything from game nights to charity fundraisers, such as purchasing greeting cards from cards for causes. As long as they’re not too stressful, group outings are also a great way to boost morale by giving people an opportunity to blow off steam during their downtime.

Make use of the corporate compliance training

Corporate compliance solutions and compliance training refer to the process by which employees learn about workplace laws and regulations. The goal of this type of training is to ensure that your workers are aware of applicable rules and regulations in order to avoid breaking them. You may also want to consider using this tool if you want to make sure that your company stays at least somewhat compliant with all applicable laws, including those related to discrimination, harassment, or sexual orientation (among others). For employees who are dealing with workplace issues or disputes, seeking guidance from a labor attorney LA (or anywhere else) can be essential to protect their rights and concerns. Equally, it’s also important that your employees understand their rights as workers – which means they should know what behaviour will be tolerated and what behaviour won’t be tolerated by management.

If done right, compliance training programs can save employers money down the road. For example: if an employee files a complaint against you for violating labor law due to negligence on your part regarding harassment prevention policies or equal employment opportunity standards, then that person could win damages from the court case. However, if you were properly compliance trained beforehand, they would not have to make such an accusation in the first place because the situation wouldn’t have ever occurred.

Listen to employees’ concerns and suggestions.

The most important thing you can do as an office manager is to listen to your employees and truly understand their concerns and suggestions for improvement. It’s a matter of open communication within the office so that anyone can feel comfortable voicing his or her ideas without fear of being ridiculed or ignored. It is not uncommon however to find some staff are less comfortable discussing issues they have with work processes or the office. Implementing a 360 Review feedback system can help to collate complaints or difficulties staff are facing which can then be addressed by people in management or director positions. The use of a feedback system may make some colleagues more comfortable sharing issues that they would previously not feel comfortable sharing vocally. Furthermore, an alternative method of voicing concerns for some people could potentially increase their morale as they have a productive outlet for their concerns compared to before.

The easiest way to improve morale at work is by listening—and then acting on what you hear! If an employee feels that there are problems with the company (or with how he or she is being treated), those issues need to be addressed openly and honestly by management; otherwise, they will fester until they reach critical mass and explode in some form of negative behaviour that may be hard to control later down the road.

Conclusion

The workplace is a place to work, but it can also be a place to play. It’s up to employers and employees alike to make sure that their work environment is one where everyone feels comfortable, engaged, and happy. This means paying attention not only to the physical aspects of an office space—like ergonomic furniture or natural lighting—but also making sure that employees feel like they have opportunities for growth within their company culture.