After the events of the last few years, it's more important than ever to ensure that your work environment is sustaining your health and wellbeing. Working in a healthy workspace will not only keep you safe but can also boost your productivity and happiness.
For employers, the need to create a healthy working environment for teams is even greater, with an estimated 38.8 million working days lost due to work-related ill health in 2019/20. By cultivating a culture of wellness and positivity, employers will see a great return on their investment, with highly engaged business units seeing a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity.
Sickness is an inevitable part of working life, but there are plenty of ways to help reduce and limit stress and ill health amongst your team. At Plus X, our buildings are constructed with health and wellbeing at the forefront by following the WELL Building Standard, and fostering a beneficial culture for our members.
Whilst most workspaces have improved their health and safety as a reaction to the pandemic, additional steps can be taken to ensure businesses are going above and beyond to protect both the physical and mental health of their teams. So, what makes an office building healthy?
Fresh Air and Fresh Space
A premium ventilation and airflow system will supply offices with fresh air and works to remove stale air. This helps to remove impurities and gives illnesses less opportunity to spread - great for when you're sat in the same spot for the day. Airflow also helps to regulate temperature, so no more stuffy office meetings or cold kitchens.
A change of scenery can do wonders for fresh thinking. Having plenty of different options from private office space to quiet zones to open plan coworking areas to work from can help stimulate creativity and reduce stress. At our Brighton Plus X innovation hub, members take regular breaks from their desks and take in some fresh air by visiting our rooftop terrace - perfect for meetings, events, or lunch breaks!
Keep it Green
Employees want to work for a business that they can be proud of, with 6/10 UK employees stating that they investigate a potential employer's environmental impact as part of their application process. Our members can rest easy knowing that we take our environmental impact seriously by using green electricity and solar panels, and keeping a zero-to-landfill policy through partnerships with local eco organisations.
But keeping your building green isn't just for the outside. Studies show that workplaces that follow biophilic design can see improvements in psychological wellbeing amongst their employees.
Plants and greenery help to absorb noise and remove toxins in the air and provides your team with a way to reconnect and interact with nature while working. Healthy offices that incorporate natural elements in their spaces reported a 15% higher wellbeing score and a 6% higher productivity score than employees whose offices didn't include such elements.
Healthy Minds and Healthy Bodies
A study from HSE found that 'stress, depression or anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders accounted for the majority of days lost due to work-related ill health in 2019/20'.
Workspaces that help to encourage the health of our minds and our bodies keep teams fit and motivated. At Plus X, we want to create a positive impact on the mental health of our members. Our entire team is Mental Health First Aid trained, and we offer yoga and breathwork workshops several times a week as part of our members' events programme.
Wherever you decide to lay your laptop for the day, you should feel comfortable. A recent report by Digby Brown Solicitors found that a substantial proportion of the estimated 600,000 workplace injuries recorded every year in the UK could be connected to outdated and unsafe office furniture.
To minimise the risk to your team and to help create a safe and healthy office environment, it's well worth investing in ergonomic furniture that will help keep the user's body in a safe and upright position throughout the day.
Being mindful about what you're putting into your body while you're working is crucial to your wellbeing. Find a workspace that provides healthy and mood-boosting options, so that you're not tempted by quick fixes.
We've also partnered with Bird & Blend Tea Co. to create ProductiviTEA, an exclusive fusion of yerba mate for alertness and productivity, lemon balm for stress reduction and rosehip and ginger for immunity and digestion.
To find out more about how we could help your workplace feel more healthy, book a tour to see the space for yourself.
Plus X Innovation Brighton
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