It can be extremely difficult for office-based employees to balance their home life with time spent at the office.
It can be extremely difficult for office-based employees to balance their home life with time spent at the office. The average employee spends between 30 and 60 hours per week at the office. Adding spaces that help employees relax a little will increase their productivity, and help them not feel so pressured to spend long hours at the office.
Bring the Family Kitchen Feel to the Office Cafeteria
Even if your company employs hundreds of people, you can still make the cafeteria feel a bit more like home. Your staff will appreciate your use of more comfortable furniture that can help them relax a little. In a cafeteria that is usually a loud, large open space, the use of acoustic furniture can help get rid of some of the echoes that are usually present in such spaces. This creates a great place for your staff to have a cup of coffee and a conversation.
Of course, no family kitchen would be complete without a table where everyone can congregate. Along with the quiet areas, you should also have large tables where everyone can talk if they want to. Large, long tables are also good breakfast or lunch meetings that don’t have to be quite so formal. Save the conference room for the important, professional meetings. If you don’t have much space in your eating area, maybe small round tables would work better for you.
Create a Quiet Space
This isn’t to say that you should encourage napping during work hours, but you should incorporate areas that help lower employee stress levels and are free of noise and other distractions into your office design. These spaces can actually increase productivity. Just 15 minutes in a sensory-deprivation area can help improve cognitive function in all sorts of ways.
Work Time Playtime
Working in an office is a largely sedentary job. Even with standing desks, there aren’t many opportunities for employees to move around. Regular movement increases blood flow, which helps every other system in the body. Design a space where staff can get up and move, even for just a couple of minutes. The results may surprise you.
Ready to Transform Your Office Design with Some New Furniture?
American Design Associates, Inc. is a furniture dealer and design firm serving clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. We strive to ensure that every customer ends up with the office design and furniture to help their business run for years to come. We have the expertise and resources to help you get your move off to a great stress-free start. Visit us online to see what we can do for you, or give us a call at (410) 823-5500. To see examples of our work and get more advice on furnishing your office space, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+.