As a business owner, renting out or buying an office space is a huge step in the right direction. Once you have a place to base your work, you will be able to hire more people and your business will be able to grow and thrive. 

It is important when you find your perfect office space that you make it accessible as well as suited to your employees. A healthy work environment is the key to a successful business and many small businesses have found in the last few years that investing in the happiness of their employees is more crucial than ever. We want to help you understand ways in which you can create a good office space for everyone in your business this year.

Here are some of the things you can do to ensure your office is the right working space for everyone in your office this year. 

Make it accessible

One of the most important things you must invest in when you build your office space is accessibility for everyone who works for you. This means ensuring that there are ramps and lifts for those in a wheelchair, as well as buying a wheelchair such as https://www.scootersnchairs.com/blogs/electric-wheelchairs/best-elevating-seat-power-wheelchairs for the office for an emergency. Being inclusive as a workplace will not only be good for your employees, but you will be able to pick from a wider pool of candidates when you hire as you’ll not be singling out able bodied individuals. Those with a disability are often just as talented and could add something great to your place of work. 

Ensure lots of space between desks 

COVID-19 changed the way many of us think about working in an office, and for many people the idea of going back to the office after the pandemic is scary and unwelcomed. As an employer it is your duty to make your office as safe as it possibly can be for those individuals, and to do this you can space our desks further as well as add Perspex sheets between desks to help stop the spread of germs. Doing these things will help you to keep everyone in the office happy and it will likely decrease the sick days you have throughout the year because people won’t be spreading germs. 

Install hand sanitizer stations 

As well as ensuring space between desks for your employees – a permanent fixture in your office should be hand sanitizer. Giving people the option to sanitize their hands throughout the day is just another way to invest in their health and safety and you can really make a difference by doing this. 

Provide kitchen amenities 

When setting up an office space for your employees one of the things you’ll want to do is make sure you have a kitchen with all of the essential amenities for your employees to use. This includes appliances sic as a fridge, microwave, kettle and toaster – and ingredients such as milk, coffee, tea, sugar, and bread. By providing a kitchen that is well kitted out, your employees will have no problem making the food they enjoy and it will enjoy they work more productively. 

Create an outdoor break area 

If you have outdoor space such as a garden or a roof terrace in your office building – it is important for you to turn this into an outdoor break area for your team. Fresh air is so important and it can help to refresh your employee’s minds during their lunch break, allowing them to come back to work for the afternoon feeling ready to carry on working. Fresh air is also great for mental health and sunshine can make your employees happier and therefore more motivated to work. 

Add comfy seating to the office 

Investing in the comfort of yourself and your employees should be priority number one when managing an office. You need to invest in comfortable and supportive seating for all of your employees to ensure they don’t slouch or suffer from back issues as a result. Comfort is a big part of office morale and the comfier your employees are; the better they will work. 

Consider a chill out room 

A Zen chill out room is important for any modern office. Consider the immense stress of office life and how this could be impacting your employees performance at work. By creating a quiet room where people can go for some peace when things get too much; you will overall improve productivity in the office because your employees will be able to reset and compose themselves in a safe space before returning to their work – rather than becoming increasingly stressed throughout the day.

Invest in weekly exercise 

One thing you can do to really improve your office life is to invest in a workout session hosted by a professional once a week. On a Wednesday morning for example you can take an hour out to practice yoga or do a fun cardio workout that will keep everyone happy and get them pumped up for the day. Investing in the health of your employees not only benefits them but also you; because if they are healthier and happier they will perform better at work. 

Consider a communal desk space 

If you want to really bring that modern touch to your office this year; a great idea would be to build a café room with coffee machines that has plenty of seating with plugs where people can work away from their desk should they choose. Not everyone likes to be working at their desk all day, and giving them somewhere to go alone for some peace or as a team to work on a project is a great way to fuel productivity and inspiration.

Make the office space an open and supportive place for all workers.

Sometimes, the best way to design your office is to focus on the people. Office layout and structure is important, of course, but so is community spirit and open communication. You will likely have employees of different faiths, sexual orientations, beliefs and abilities – so by celebrating and supporting all of them, no matter who they are, you will create an office space that truly works for everyone. 

How can you support everyone in the workplace? Support badges and inclusivity seminars are a good place to start! A ribbon badge of solidarity, for example, is a cheap and easy way to show solidarity with a coworker. 

There are many great ways that you can invest in your office space to make it well suited for everyone on your payroll this year. Consider implementing some of these changes this summer and you will soon see that the office space you work in can have a marked impact on your staff performance.