Bu~ For your team’s wellbeing. For Living

Boost wellbeing with a slick offce setup.

Here, we’ll look at how a well-designed offce can make a difference between good and poor wellbeing. It’s no longer just a ‘nice to have’ for employees.

How healthy is your office space?

From huge corporations to small start-ups, businesses seem to be thinking about offce design more than ever. You can see this from the many job adverts that list comfortable, modern work spaces with great facilities

as a major perk of the role.

As technology has changed over the decades – allowing us to work in a much more agile way – offces have changed too, facilitating a greater freedom of movement and collaboration. Turn to a glossy magazine article about Silicon Valley offces, for example, and you will probably see open spaces, inviting meeting areas and colourful decorations that inspire creativity.

Different industries and companies will have different goals in mind when they arrange their work space. But despite these variations, there are still some core concepts that are at the heart of creating a good environment for employees.

Boost wellbeing with a slick offce setup. bupa.co.uk/wellbeing

Layout There are different theories about what works best in terms of offce layout, and it can really depend on the team and business.

Open-plan offces are very common nowadays. Some interesting (but slightly conficting) research has looked into how this layout might affect health. One study of

Studies of workers in Scandinavian countries have found that open-plan offces were associated with increased sickness absence.

The researchers suggested that factors such as greater exposure to viruses, greater noise levels and lack of privacy may have had an impact on employee health and wellbeing.

On the other hand, the results of a separate study of US workers indicated that open-plan offce workers are more likely to be physically active at work, and less stressed than those working in cubicles or their own offce.

There may not be a solid conclusion from the evidence available, but whatever your layout, it may be worth thinking about the potential benefts and issues for your team.

Chair and desk setup Most offce workers spend a number of hours every day sitting down. If our chairs are uncomfortable or not set up right, it can easily lead to shoulder, neck or back pain. Here are a few refreshers about getting your posture and position right.

J The chair should be close to the desk.

J The height should be adjusted to ensure your feet are fully on the foor.

J The top of your computer screen should be level with your eyes, and about an arms-length away.

Remember to check if your team needs any equipment to stay comfortable, such as foot stools or back rests. It may also be worth thinking about standing desks, which can help people to avoid being too sedentary throughout the day.

1/2 of all UK offces are open plan. Steelcase. Global report: engagement and the global workplace. info.steelcase.com, published 2016

Even with their chair set up correctly, people can become uncomfortable. It’s important to encourage your employees to stand up, move and stretch regularly.

Boost wellbeing with a slick offce setup. bupa.co.uk/wellbeing

Light, noise and temperature

It may sound simple, but getting the lighting right in an offce can be a big deal. Dim lighting can cause tired eyes, and it may also affect people’s mood. Letting in some natural light, wherever possible, is a good idea, especially in the darker months.

Noise and temperature are important considerations too. Extremes of either can increase stress and discomfort for employees, potentially affecting productivity.

It may be worthwhile giving people the ability to adjust the level of lighting and temperature in their offce; some studies suggest this control can even improve job satisfaction. Equally, one person’s cold is another person’s perfect – so putting the onus on staff to adjust these settings might sometimes lead to confict.

More fexibility and control Giving employees access to a range of spaces can help them feel more in control of their working environment, which may in turn help them to feel more engaged. There’s evidence that workers in the UK often don’t feel relaxed or calm at work, so creating more spaces to relax or fnd some privacy could help to alleviate stress.

64% of workers have access to private spaces in their offce. Steelcase. Global report: engagement and the global workplace. info.steelcase.com, published 2016

Allowing people to work fexibly, where appropriate, can be valuable when it comes to people’s health and wellbeing. Among other things, it can allow workers to strike a better work-life balance and juggle their personal and work lives better.

Sources Neilsen MB, Knardahl S. The impact of offce design on medically certifed sickness absence. Scand J Work Environ Health 2020. www.sjweh.f, doi:10.5271/sjweh.3859 Lindberg CM, Srinivasan K, Gilligan B, et al. Effects of offce workstation type on physical activity and stress. oem.bmj.com, published 2018 Health and Safety Executive. Human factors: Lighting, thermal comfort, working space, noise and vibration. www.hse.gov.uk, accessed November 2018

This information was published by Bupa’s Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals. The information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice nor is it intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment. Published March 2019.

Boost wellbeing with a slick offce setup. bupa.co.uk/wellbeing BINS 00566