We all know that a happy workforce equals a more successful company, as happy employees are more likely to be motivated, creative, and productive. However, for small businesses or those without a lot of leftover capital to spend, finding ways to improve the workplace on a budget might leave you scratching your head.
Improving your working environment does not have to be expensive, in fact it does not even need to be anything drastic or major physical changes. Therefore, here are some easy ways to improve your working environment without breaking the bank.
1. Change up your environment with a flexible workspace
A flexible workspace can help you to change up your working environment whenever you feel like you need to. With flexibility for 1-1000 desks, all-inclusive pricing, and short-term contracts, this will give your workplace the flexibility it needs to grow.
With a flexible workspace, you can also benefit from customer support, super-fast internet connection, and a variety of different collaborative and personal workspaces, all without breaking the bank.
2. Introduce natural light wherever possible
Eyestrain is very common in employees who have to work behind a computer screen all day. In order to combat this, Healthline recommends the 20-20-20 rule. This is when you shift your focus away from your screen, towards something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
Another way that you can improve this, whilst also improving the general overall environment of the workplace is by letting in natural light wherever possible. Natural light will affect the eyes much less than artificial blue light, and a well-lit office will make employees happier and more energised.
3. Declutter and clean
Research has proven that having clutter in the home and work environments leads to increased levels of stress and anxiety. By decluttering the office environment, this can lead to a better ability to focus and process information, which in turn will lead to greater productivity.
4. Emphasise the importance of mental health
According to the Office of National Statistics, around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021 (27 January to 7 March), which is a 2% increase since November, and more than double than the levels before the COVID-19 pandemic, which stood at 10%.
For this reason, it is extremely important to emphasise the importance of mental health in the workplace. You could do so by operating an open-door policy, or by promoting mental health services and helplines.
5. Have set quiet and collaborative spaces
Different people prefer to work in different ways – some prefer complete silence, whilst others might prefer to work collaboratively with their co-workers. Therefore, one way that you could improve the working environment is by setting designated quiet and collaborative spaces.
In doing so, those who wish to collaborate can work together as loudly as they like (within reason), whilst those who prefer silence and independent work can carry on undisturbed.
So, if you intend to improve your working environment on a budget, just follow these simple tips to increase employee comfort and satisfaction without breaking the bank.
