Health plays a major role in employee morale. Having the workspace as a place that improves lifestyles, improves well-being, and inspires people to get up from their desk and do things together can bring various positive effects to your space. Transforming your office into a healthier workspace affords you with several benefits that goes beyond improving health. Emphasizing wellness can reduce absenteeism, improve employee retention, and increase productivity. Here are some initiatives you can take to transform your work environment toward these benefits.

Design for Wellness in a Healthier Workspace

In some offices, workers may spend more time on the clock than at home. For many of these workers, that means sitting at a desk longer than sleeping in a bed. Within these conditions it’s quite possible for employees to miss stretching and down other exercises associated with keeping a body healthy. This is a cultural issue that can be combated at the forefront of the workspace by having the design and décor in the right place.

You can start by addressing the comfort factors in the office. It’s been reported that over 80% of workers in the United States experience discomfort from their office furniture or their equipment. To combat the growing discomfort amongst the workforce, many Coworking offices and healthy workplaces have incorporated adjustable height desks, monitor stands, as well as ergonomic chairs and keyboards. Doing so creates a healthier workspace by curbing the risk of back problems and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Another issue harming the wellness of the workspace is the onset of eye strains caused by looking at screens. By increasing your emphasis on the lighting of the workspace, increasing access to natural light, installing light dimmers, and automatic shut-off controls, you can prevent damage to the eyes of your members.

Encourage Physical Activity

Encouraging members to stop camping at their desks is a great initiative to help promote wellness in the workspace. There are a few steps you can take to get your members in motion and raise some kinetic energy. You can start with something simple like promoting stretching breaks and discouraging members from eating lunch at their desks, and then work your way into organizing yoga stretches and group exercises.

One way to encourage group exercises is by making this part of a community building exercise within the workspace. You can also promote team sports as a bonding experience that boosts morale and encourages stronger bonds amongst coworkers.

Engage Your Community Outside the Workspace

It doesn’t have to be “out of office, out of mind.” In many cases one’s lifestyle outside of work could be equally as inactive, if not more, than the lifestyle in the office. One of the rising trends to promote wellness and employee morale is having group trips and company retreats to encourage team building and community. It doesn’t have to be limited to trips and outings, though. There can be events for families, social gatherings, or volunteering for a cause such as Habitat for Humanity. Depending on what common interests unite those within your workspace, you can organize adventures with your coworkers to help boost morale and a healthier workspace.

The best way to transform your shared office into a healthier workspace is to find what brings your members together. Get original if you must, but always keep increasing morale in mind. Remember that the less forced that it feels, the better. Get to know the members of your shared office and their interests, and in turn, focus on improving the experience. If you can make your shared office a place that improves the health and morale of the members, it will go a long way in improving member retention and making the overall experience more enjoyable. For more information on how WUN can transform your shared office, please click the button below.