The wrong office environment can affect the way the staff feel and how productive they are. Research has shown several times that happier workers are the most productive, and that starts by having a place they feel comfortable in.

Colours

Colours can have a huge effect on the moods of your workers. Dark colors or ones that are too bright can be depressing and when they have to spend all day in the office, that is the last thing they need.

More neutral shades are better, with a few pieces of art or some plants to add a bit of color.

Lighting

The wrong lighting can be a huge problem as it can cause headaches, eye strain, and stress. Of course, natural daylight is the best of all, but failing that the next best option is LED lights. These are very flexible to use. The level of lighting can be altered very easily, as can the areas that are being illuminated. Make sure that you search for the right ones for different areas. You may want to take a look at ones with a b10 4.0w filament, as these are primarily used for ceiling lighting as well as pendants, so you can have a mix of light sources.

As an added bonus, they are much cheaper to run than traditional lighting and the bulbs last a lot longer. They are also more environmentally friendly when they are disposed of.

Noise Levels

When a lot of people are working in the same open-plan office, the noise levels can get rather high. This is not just people chatting, but there are the printers and other pieces of equipment to consider as well.

Some people cannot work with a lot of noise around them and they become much less productive. This is one of the reasons that large open-plan offices are becoming less popular, and now the trend is to have just a few people in a smaller workspace, which can be quite expensive. However, this is a problem that can be easily countered with the installation of a few acoustic screens that block noise. Since they are installed on a desk, employees who like the noise don't need to have one, and those who struggle can

New Office Space

There are some offices that no matter what you do to them they will never get the best from your staff. If this is the situation with your office, the time has come to think about finding new business premises, something PropList can help you with.

To some people, this might seem a bit extreme, but if you want your employees to be as productive as they can be, it might be the best solution.

Furniture

Remember that the same chair will not suit everyone. With differences in height and weight alone, different furniture can be needed for different employees. Additionally, you might want different furniture for different sections of the office. In the break room, a comfortable sofa will be desired but for desks, ergonomic chairs are the way to go. Everyone likes some uniformity in their office furniture because that looks better, and that is still possible, you just need to buy it in different sizes to suit the workers' needs.

Say Thank You

To keep your workers happy and working to their full capacity, there is more required than just a pleasant office to work in. You need to let them know that you appreciate their efforts.

That could be with some sort of incentive scheme, with extra training, which shows you value them, or even a simple thank you. You will be surprised what difference a show of appreciation can make.

If they have a complaint or an idea, listen to what they have to say. Working in the office sometimes lets them see things that you are noir aware of, so what they want to tell you could be vitally important.