Woeful Workspaces

Burgundy carpet, forest green wallpaper and velour curtains over non-existent windows.  An indoor Renaissance Fair, you ask?  No, this is not a fair at all…this is the description of my workspace at a previous employer.  I wish I had taken pictures of it to reminisce, but it’s probably best that I didn’t…I also wish it came with the fried dough that you can get at the fair, but that did not happen either.

While the physical space you work in might seem trivial in comparision to other aspects of your job, it  is not.  Research is constantly showing the correlation between work environments and employee engagement, creativity and retention.  And it’s not just about appearance (although it would be hard to find many who would appreciate velour curtains!)— standing workstations, appropriate lighting, and good air quality all are shown to play a vital part in creating an environment that encourages productivity. 

  

  

I’m not even sure how you get into this thing,

but talk about ergonomics!!

A study conducted by the Commission for Architecture & the Built Environment and the British Council for Offices found that even simple things such as good interior lighting and adequate daylight can reduce absenteeism by 15 percent and increase productivity by 20 percent.  “Businesses that ignore the design and layout of their workplaces are failing to optimize the full value of their human capital” (Beautyman, 2006).

Even if it is not an initiative currently supported by your company, there are many things you can do on your own to improve your workspace…check out 5 Great Ways to Create a More Productive Workspace or how to De-clutter and Refocus here.

What small (or big!) changes have you made to your workspace to improve your working environment?