There is a proven direct link between an employee’s office set up, and their productivity, focus, and well-being.

With many more employees working from home than ever before, it is critical that you ensure your remote workforce have a work set-up that supports efficiency and effectiveness.

We highly recommend that you speak with each of your employees individually about their home office set up to ensure that it is appropriate and identify whether there are any resources you can provide them, or support them with, to increase their productivity and focus levels.

Here are a few things you can check in on when you are speaking with your employees:

Clutter and organisation

ASK: How organised do your employees feel when they work? What can you do, as a business, to help them with this?

University of New Mexico’s Catherine Roster and colleagues (2016) conducted a recent investigation on clutter and well-being, and found that clutter contributes to personal distress and feelings of displacement and alienation. Further, a study by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) found that respondents who were organized and productive said they felt more calm/relaxed (55%), in control (46.%), fulfilled, at ease (42%) and successful (28%).

NAPO also found that being organized will save you an amazing 60 minutes a day! Imagine how efficient your team would be if they could find all the things that they were looking for, and didn’t get distracted?

Natural light levels

ASK: Is there a good level of natural light where they are sitting? Is there a better place they can work from? And if they don’t have any natural light, are there any office alternatives you can consider?

Recently, research by Eco Business showed that workplaces with good daylight saw an uplift of between 5 and 40% in productivity and sales.

Increase fresh air

ASK: Do they have any fresh air where they are working from? Is there a better place they can work from? And if they don’t have any fresh air, are there any office alternatives you can consider?

There are many studies that have demonstrated that the amount of ventilation (fresh outdoor air brought inside), is a critical to our health. Better ventilation reduces sick building syndrome symptoms (a set of symptoms such as eye irritation, headaches, coughing, and chest tightness), cuts absenteeism, and reduces infectious disease transmission.

Recent studies from Harvard and Syracuse Universities found that employees in rooms with good outdoor air ventilation and reduced levels of CO2 were 61% better on cognitive tasks that those in a room that was not well-ventilated and had higher levels of CO2.

Desk Set-Up

ASK: Do they have a specific desk set up or home office to work from? Or are they working from the kitchen bench or a local coffee shop?

The most important part of a home office set up is the desk. Not the kitchen table or coffee shop couch – an actual desk, where you can sit properly and set it up so that you have access to everything that is needed during the day. It is important that, as a business, you are monitoring the person’s physical abilities to the tasks, encouraging appropriate ergonomics, encouraging employees to regularly exercise and eat healthy foods, optimising the employees workstation or home office set-up, or changing the tasks to be performed.

Embrace the greenery

 ASK: Do they have any greenery or plants around them?

If not, buy them a plant for their desk! A 2010 study by the University of Technology, Sydney, found significant reductions in stress among workers when plants were introduced to their workspace. The study found plants resulted in a 37% decrease in reported tension and anxiety; a 58% drop in depression or dejection; a 44% decrease in anger and hostility; and a 38% reduction in fatigue.

In this study, the researchers concluded that just one plant per workspace can provide a very large lift to staff spirits, and so promote wellbeing and performance. This finding was supported by Dr Chris Knight and his team from Exeter University (2014), who also concluded that it was “important was that everybody could see a plant from their desk, [because] if you are working in an environment where there’s something to get you psychologically engaged you are happier and you work better”.

What now?

If you haven’t asked your employees where they are working from, and what their set-up is like – we suggest you do it today! Why nnot get them to take a photo and send it to you. Work out what your company expectations are for those working from home and communicate it broadly and transparently. We have worked with a number of companies now to create a tailored “Guide to Working from Home” or “Working from Home Checklist” relevant to their organisation.

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At Common Goal Consulting, we partner with Operational Leaders, CEO’s and Directors, HR Managers, and other Consulting businesses nationally, to develop broad people strategies that support the delivery of strong operational outcomes.

Chat to us today about creating a tailored “Guide to Working from Home” or “Working from Home Checklist” for your business – projects@commongoalconsulting.com.au, or call Nikki Jenkinson (Director) on 0472 545 584.

www.commongoalconsulting.com.au