Workspace design matters for wellbeing Wellbeing matters for productivity

Optimal productivity is ultimately what we are all seeking as employers, making the most of our investment in people to turn the wheels of business growth. However, if our growth ambitions don’t include the ultimate goals of employee wellbeing and sustainability, raising productivity levels is likely to fail.

Our duty of care as employers requires we do everything we can to create people-centric environments to develop employee wellbeing, essential for the health of our teams and thereby our businesses. So how do we achieve it and what are the some of the elements in the workplace that might contribute?

The Right Conditions

Creating the right physical conditions and the right tools to do the job well is essential. How are we going to tempt staff back into the workplace after covid if our office workspaces aren’t significantly better than our home-working spaces? Employees are demanding flexibility and a better experience from offices so employers have to make our office spaces a worthwhile destination by providing at least same level of comfort and flexibility that employees experience at home, but with more productive and collaborative benefits. The role of the office and employee expectations have changed - offices now have to compete with all the other places employees prefer to work.

Recent research has shown the primary reason employees come to the office post-Covid is for purposeful interactions with their team. 33% of employees in the UK go to the office to be part of a community and share in-person work experiences with colleagues. Common spaces for bigger teams now play a more central, highprofile role in creating that sense of community. Furniture typologies and layouts go a long way in encouraging the sharing of knowledge and experiences, contributing to that sense of belonging so crucial to wellbeing.

Working Together

The role of office design therefore in bringing people together to collaborate and build productive relationships with their colleagues cannot be overlooked. It goes beyond just creating social spaces and silo team-based units to developing different furniture typologies that promote an open desk policy and a sense of everyone working together towards the same goal.

“Most clients know that they now have to reimagine the workspace completely. Pre-Covid, so many clients were shoving breakout spaces under some stairs or on a corridor. Consideration of wellbeing requires a much more holistic approach. It’s almost flipped upside down. Breakout spaces now come first. Items like desks and workstations are instead put in quite intentional areas and in smaller groups, rather than being the whole space with everything else tucked in,” says Susan Hann, Head of Sales and Marketing at JPA Workspaces.

Across the Generations with Inclusive Design

Catering for individual work preferences across a variety of needs and generations is another core element for wellbeing and productivity. Younger generations for example are looking for faster connection and a sense of belonging in the workplace, which can only be provided by others with legacy, experience and the help of good office design. Adequacy of inclusivity is one of the top driving factors for employee retention but also offers the widest talent pool for employers so it makes sense to adapt workspace design and furnishings accordingly.

Workspaces have consequently grown more adaptable, with the flexibility to cater for hundreds of people where necessary, but also for half a dozen different-sized groups at other times. Giving employees an element of control over their workspace e.g. adjustable seating, individual lighting and increased flexibility over how and where to work through provision of different workspaces settings will boost comfort, wellbeing, performance and productivity.

First Impressions

Office furniture is the often the first thing that people notice when they step through the door of your offices. It can create a sense of wow, anticipation and excitement also giving an immediate indication of the how that business values its staff and the standards they can expect. Feeling valued by your employer is another step towards wellbeing. Investment in good quality will help create a great working environment, increase staff sense of worth and may also reduce other costs related to non-engagement of staff including high absence rates, low staff retention, recruitment fees and lost opportunity costs of training time.

Sustainability

It goes without saying that good design brings inherent environment and social value through the supply chain via product longevity and circularity, renewable materials, low chemicals which affect air quality, recycled content and design for end-oflife decommissioning. Responsible procurement will also consider supply-chain impacts such core labour rights and fair pay across the various tiers of manufacture and dovetail with ESG reporting.

It’s reasonable to ask suppliers to evidence in advance how your designs and refurbishment projects are planet conscious but not at the expense of user wellbeing.

A proven sustainable approach to all aspects of business activity is fast is becoming an important consideration in talent attraction with professionals leaning towards companies that can demonstrate robust commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Caring for Employees through the Workspace

Employees are likely to be far more engaged with organisations who show they care for their people by providing great workspaces.

At JPA Workspaces, we aim to build lasting relationships with clients through exemplary customer service. Our flexible workplace solutions help clients’ meet their business objectives via a thriving, productive workforce and the attraction and retention of top talent for business growth. We provide post-installation support, working in partnership with client to optimise both financial and carbon investment, modifying layouts and furniture against evolving company needs.

Our sustainable office solutions are based on product longevity and circularity, specifically reducing carbon and waste, finite resources and biodiversity impacts. Project reports include data that is important to our clients including the inherent environmental and social that JPA bring to each piece of work, as well as product specific data. Data feeds back into client ESG reporting and shared with all stakeholders.

Contact us today to consult on all the workplace solutions we can offer to help your company improve wellbeing, comfort, performance and ultimately productivity.

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