How to Create a Workspace that Works for Every Employee

Did you know the right workspace can transform employee disposition and overall job performance? If you’re looking to boost employee happiness and productivity, we recommend invigorating your office with the latest trends in office design.

Provide Flexible Workstations

Most employees are unhappy with at least one aspect of their physical workspace. Often, an uncomfortable workstation is to blame. The culprits? An office chair that is not designed to meet employee needs can cause discomfort over long hours at the office. A sedentary workstation is also to blame.

To counteract the negative effects of uncomfortable offices, incorporate more flexibility into your employee workstations. First, equip every employee workstation with an ergonomic office chair. This type of chair will allow individual users to adjust the seat to meet their needs.

Next, consider providing height adjustable standing desks. You may also consider an active seating option such as a ball chair or leaning stool for additional support. Giving employees the option to move around throughout the day will not only help increase productivity, but it’ll also improve overall employee health.

Incorporate Touchdown Areas

Incorporating touchdown areas throughout your office is an excellent way to facilitate collaboration between coworkers and encourage employees to get up and move. Touchdown spaces can be added to any open area of your office and are ideal for holding casual meetings or chatting. We recommend utilizing touchdown areas with soft seating or chairs around a coffee table to create a more relaxed, homelike feel in your office.

Offer Privacy

Not only should you add open, collaborative spaces to your office, but consider incorporating common private areas. Many employees report that not having a private space to work would make them unhappy at the office. If your employees work in an open concept area, consider adding a designated quiet area such as an office library for focused work. You may also incorporate a private wellness room for employees who are not feeling well or a breastfeeding room for nursing mothers.

Allow for Telecommuting

Telecommuting has become standard for many office workers. Although you may not be able to offer employees full-time work-from-home positions, permitting telecommuting where possible will do wonders for morale and productivity.

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Employee Wellness

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Private Offices & Workstations

Office Design and Job Satisfaction: How the Physical Workspace Affects the Mental Workspace

Did you know that 92% of American workers say that when their physical workspace is lacking, their mental well-being and productivity can suffer?

According to a research study conducted by Kelton Global, the physical workspace affects the mental workspace a lot more than you may realize. The study surveyed adults aged 18 and older who are employed full- or part-time and measured which elements influence employee mood, performance, and overall job satisfaction. The following physical elements were shown to have the greatest negative effect on employee mental well-being at the office.

kelton research study

1. Cluttered Work Area

62% of survey respondents reported that a cluttered workstation would make them unhappy on the job. Upon closer examination of the results, it was revealed that a cluttered workspace has an especially negative effect on women, of whom 70% said that having a cluttered work area would make them unproductive. By comparison, 55% of men felt the same way.

2. Outdated Technology

Using outdated technology was a close second cause of workplace unhappiness among study participants. 61% reported that working with outdated technology would negatively impact their mental state at work, while 1 in 4 said having multiple computer monitors is critical to workplace happiness.

3. Uncomfortable Workspace Ergonomics

More than half of survey respondents stated that an uncomfortable workspace would cause unhappiness at work. This includes not only the type of desk or cubicle the individual works at but the ergonomic features and overall comfort of the office chair.

4. Lack of Privacy and Workspace Flexibility

43% of employed Americans say that not having a private area to work would negatively affect their mental wellness at the office. Additionally, 1 in 4 survey respondents finds value in flexible work environments so that they may work away from their regular work areas when needed.

What Can Business Managers Do to Keep Employees Happy at Work?

The study results are clear—employee satisfaction and productivity decrease when the provided work environment is not up to par. To stave off the negative effects of a poorly designed workplace, consider the 4 major contributing factors when designing your employee workstations and common areas.

1. Offer employees plenty of storage and filing space at their desks and keep most files digital to decrease the amount of visual clutter in the physical workspace.

2. Keep technology as up-to-date as possible, and offer employees multiple monitors.

3. Provide ergonomic office chairs that can conform to individual users so that every employee can experience comfort at work.

4. Finally, provide privacy options intended for intense mental focus, and switch up your common areas to provide open collaboration spaces.

When making office design decisions, consider that women are more likely than men (60% versus 49%) to say that an uncomfortable workspace would cause them to be unhappy. Additionally, employees in the millennial generation are the most impacted by the physical workspace, indicating that younger workers may benefit the most from certain upgrades in office furniture and design. By making simple updates to your office's physical look and functionality, you’ll be investing in the future of your business’s workforce.

5 Perks Employees Appreciate

Looking for effective ways to boost employee morale and work satisfaction within your business? From starting new company initiatives to offering simple enrichment options, these are a few of the things we've implemented at the NBF office to help keep our employees healthy and happy.

How to Buy Cubicles & Panel Systems

Cubicles are hard to buy. A desk is a desk, and a chair is a chair, but panel systems come in a vast range of sizes, styles, and configurations. How are you supposed to know how many panels you need to make a 6x6 cube? Why should you have to consider every possible accessory and wire management option available? That's what NBF account executives and design services are for, so don't sweat it—we've got you covered.

Before You Call

Before you call your NBF cubicle expert, gather the following information and write it down.

1. Determine Your Install Space. Your NBF account executive will need to know the exact overall measurements of the space you're looking to outfit. This will allow us to correctly determine how many cubes of what size you can comfortably fit within the area.

2. Consider Your Team Size and Usage. Not only will your account executive need to know how much space you have to work with, but he or she will also need to account for how many employees will be using the space. For example, if you need to fit 6 employees in a given space, they may each be able to have large workstations; however, if you need to fit 10 people in that same amount of space, the size of each workstation may be smaller. Usage will also help your account executive determine how open or closed concept the cubes should be.

3. Select Your Styles and Colors. A good first impression is everything, and we want to help you make one! Get a good idea of what you want your new workstations to look like before you call so that your account executive can best support your wants and needs.

4. Set a Timeline. Short or long, your timeline is valuable. Determine exactly when you want your new cubicle installation to be completed so your account executive can adequately time when the order must be placed for it to meet your needs.

5. Work Out Your Budget. Your account executive won't be able to begin the process of finding the perfect workstations until he or she knows your budget constraints. Talk with your team ahead of time and determine the amount you have to work with so that you're prepared to discuss affordable options with your designer.

Let Us Handle the Work

Now that you have all the information you need upfront, you're ready to call National Business Furniture for a quote and complimentary space plan. To get started, call us at (866) 422-5873, and we'll pair you up with an account executive in your area or with one of our in-house project managers. Our team of account executives is scattered across the country to provide in-person assistance to customers in nearly every state. With years of experience in space planning and industry expert knowledge of the best commercial furniture options, an NBF account executive is the best possible tool for outfitting your workspace with the furniture you want at the price and in the timeline you need. Check out our space planning page to learn more about our free design services.

Sit Back and Enjoy

The size and customization of your order will determine how long it takes for your new cubicles to be shipped, delivered, and installed. Fortunately for you, we'll take care of it all. Once you have a dedicated NBF account executive handling your project, we'll be in constant communication with the status of your order.

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National Business Furniture’s team of experts is dedicated to helping you create a better space to work. We’ll help you find the best information. From office planning and furniture guides to sustainability and workplace trends, we’re here to help.