There are many factors presently for business owners, Facilities Managers and office managers to consider when looking at the office of workplace interiors, with a view to trying to keep all staff and departments happy, healthy and comfortable. 

Such topical factors, issues or talking points include wellbeing in the workplace and supporting and managing team members on long term sick/long covid to high absenteeism levels presently and granting menopause leave as well. Therefore, what can you do to enhance the space you have to find a happy medium? 

 

On average, we spend a third of our day at work, so it makes sense that our environment at work should be just as welcoming and inviting as our homes. Not only that, according to a survey done by Office Genie, a well-designed office can make you feel up to 33% happier ... 

Whatever your role in your business and in your workplace, you will no doubt spend some or a lot of your time in meetings! These may be in person meetings in a dedicated meeting space, online call meetings at your desk or 1 to 1’s in private spaces. According to research, the average employee participates in at least eight meetings per week. That’s more than one meeting every single day and only increases with seniority. Wow! 

A new poll from MoreySmith (as featured in Mix Interiors) has revealed that half of British employees want specially designed areas in the office for socialising if they are to stop working from home. The survey of 1017 UK adults (in full or part time work) commissioned by the leading designers asked the public about their new expectations of work, following 14 months of COVID restrictions and working from home. 

This has been a trend for a while now of offices and working space wanting and demanding to be more homely in look and feel. Of course the space still needs to remain functional and productive to work in, but the social aspect of working is prevalent still. Another Mix Interiors article from April suggested that companies needed to take steps to consider what the future office looks like. It won’t be pre-pandemic in style and layout, but it will need to incorporate new ways of working. The article and other articles on this subject also say that wellbeing in the workplace is becoming more vital and needs to be factored into the work setting. 

So, how can working spaces and breakout areas be designed for open plan working as well as space for those needing privacy?