How to Keep Your Employees Comfortable and Happy at Work

Workplace environments have a significant impact on employee productivity, efficiency, overall mood, and wellness.

A dark, uninviting, and unwelcoming workspace demotivates everyone who works there and gives the impression you’re unconcerned about their emotional well-being.

Creating a pleasant and comfortable work atmosphere is doesn’t require a significant investment of time or money, especially when compared to the costs of continuously recruiting and training new employees.

Here’s how to transform your workplace into a place where your employees are comfortable and happy.

Offer Outside Areas

Make sure your employees have access to outdoor space, fresh air, and natural light throughout the day so they can feel good and stay focused. Remember, they still require a sheltered location on chilly and rainy days. If you don’t have an outdoor workspace, such as a construction sire, temporary structures can give them access to somewhere outside while still staying warm and dry. 

Give Them Regular Breaks

Taking regular breaks away from our desks to eat and unwind helps us be more productive and efficient. By not providing space to take breaks, your employees will remain at their desks all day and be less productive. Have a clean and comfortable break room with a place to relax, a place to store food, and a place to prepare food and drinks.

Have Enough Space to Work

Ask your employees if they need more different furniture, more space, or a new layout in the office. Do they need bigger desks? Would an ergonomically built chair be more comfortable? Do they need additional storage space? Is the printer conveniently located? These issues can be resolved quickly and easily and can make a significant difference in employee happiness.

Make Sure the Group Gets Along

Your team members don’t need to be best friends, but employees must work well together and balance each other’s skills and shortcomings. Handle disagreements and encourage employees to resolve their conflicts. When hiring new employees, examine whether or not they’ll be a good fit with your existing team.

Provide Natural Light

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterized by feelings of melancholy and depression brought on by a lack of natural light. Make use of as much bright, natural light as you can in your space, or install artificial lighting designed to simulate the natural light to improve your employees’ well-being.

Listen to Them

Pay attention to what your employees say and have an open-door policy where they can come to you with any difficulties. Put suggestion boxes in places where they can suggest new ways of doing things, and implement those ideas if their suggestions are reasonable. Your employees are best able to tell you which strategies are working and which ones aren’t.