20 Sep What employees want from their workplace

Creating a work environment that is inviting for your employees is a great way to ensure higher retention rates and a great culture. Studies have shown when employees are satisfied with their work environment 16% of employees are more productive, 18% are more likely to stay, and 30% are more attracted to their company over competitors (Aggarwal and Rozwell, 2018). A survey conducted by Harvard found that two-thirds of employees believe that if a workplace focuses on their health and wellbeing, it will make them more likely to accept a new job or keep the job they have (Song and Baicker, 2019). Based off these results, if a company is open to adapting their workplace wellness approach to employee-centric view, it will increase employee productivity and also the ability to attract and retain talent.

 

 Personalise when possible. 

Across our lives today, we can personalise and tailor our experience to suit our preferences and tastes with ease. Employees are starting to expect this level of convenience in the workplace. 42% of employees have expressed that they would rather be able to personalise their work environment than opt for unlimited vacation (Meister, 2019). Points of interest for personalisation:

• Workspace temperature: Nearly half want an app that will let them set the temperature in their workspace.
• Overhead and desk lighting: One-third wants to control their overhead and desk lighting, as well as the levels of natural light streaming in.
• Noise levels: One-third would like to “soundscape” their workspace.

While these seem like trends of the future, and who knows how far away these technologically advanced perks are, health and wellbeing in the workplace should be of the highest priority, in terms of staff morale and culture.

 

Create a holistic view of workplace wellness. 

When designing your workplace health strategy, remember that workplace wellness is not just about the physical health of your employees. Holistic employee health also encompasses physical, emotional, and environmental wellness. To create a truly healthy work environment, you must take all three of these areas into consideration:

• Emotional wellness: Improve exposure to natural light and quiet rooms where staff can comfortably focus on their work. Offer services for employees who are struggling emotionally, make a focus on mental health days like R U Okay? Day and Safe Work Month, so those that are struggling feel they have people to talk to.
• Physical wellness: Provide your employees with healthy food options, and ergonomically designed workstations. Encourage employees to get out of the office for at least 30 minutes during the day, a walking meeting is a great alternative to meetings stuck in an office.
• Environmental wellness: Make sure your workspaces have adequate air quality, light, temperature, and proper acoustics.

 

SiSU Health aims to help ease the effects of lifestyle-related diseases on global healthcare systems, by offering an affordable and accessible platform to help people globally live a healthier life. Our employee solutions help create healthy habits that matter, so employees can be their best at work and at home. To book a free consultation, contact us today!

 

 

References:

Aggarwal, A and Rozwell, C 2018, Make Your Digital Workplace Employee-Friendly With These Six IoT Best Practices’, Gartner Research, Published 20 August 2018. Available from: https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3887664

Song, Z and Baicker, K 2019, ‘Effect of a Workplace Wellness Program on Employee Health and Economic Outcomes’, The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol 321, no.15, pages 1429-1542. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2730614

Meister, J 2019, ‘Survey: What Employees Want Most from their Workspaces’, Harvard Business Review, Published August 26^th2019. Available from: https://hbr.org/2019/08/survey-what-employees-want-most-from-their-workspaces?