The Work Environment

• Ergonomics – is an attempt to look at the office environment, and its impact on the individual.

• As a result many organisations have re-designed the work environment, placing more emphasis on factors such as health and work productivity – poor office layout, ventilation, lighting and even décor.

Office Layout

• There are 2 main types of office layout:

Cellular Open Plan

This type of layout consists of individual offices

An open-plan layout can be totally open – without any kind of partition of space at all

Or ‘landscaped’ which uses plants, furniture and partitions/screens to create work areas within one large space

Cellular Layout

Advantages Disadvantages

Status

Quiet – can close the door

Difficult to supervise activity

Can regulate heat/light to suit own needs

Wastes space

Cannot share resources eg printers

Privacy

Employees may feel isolated

Uneconomic eg lighting/heating

Open Plan Layout

Advantages Disadvantages

Easy to supervise

Can be designed to suit workflow and work groupsResources can be shared eg printer/copier

Staff do not feel isolated – social layout

Can be noisy

Lacks privacy

Less wasted space

Does not give status of ‘own office’Cannot regulate heat/light to individual needs

Work Flow• No matter what office layout is chosen, it

must ensure the correct workflow.

Workflow describes the flow of people and paper around the office

If the layout leads to unnecessary movement around the building and results in delays, hold-ups and frustration then there is a problem of design

Good Design Principles

• Locate associated work areas together eg sales and marketing

• No unnecessary physical barriers to get from A to B

• Common services/equipment sited centrally for all to use

Design should meet employee needs

• Open-plan layouts should be landscaped to ensure the disadvantages of this kind of layout are minimised and the advantages maximised. For example,

Built-in private areas

Use ergonomically designed furniture to allow privacy (desk dividers, modesty panels

Locate group workspaces to house teams/sections together

Ergonomic Environment• The working environment should take account

of individual needs, including health and safety issues.

• Features of a good ergonomic environment include:

Systems furniture – desks/chairs that adjust to fit work, equipment, individual requirements

Wall colours which are relaxing, minimise glare, and please the eye

Lighting – non-glare, desk-top lamps where appropriate

Ventilation – good circulation or air, but no draughts

Noise control – appropriate choice of glazing, walls and floor coverings to reduce noise

Workstations which ensure privacy and ownership of space

Protective equipment for use with ICT eg wrist-rests, anti-glare screens

• A well-designed, well laid-out ergonomic work environment reduces the risk of ‘sick-building’ syndrome and has a huge impact on both the individual and the organisation– Improves morale and motivation and helps

productivity– Ensures effective flow of work– Promotes health and safety at work– Gives a positive image for the organisation– Can be cost-effective as a result of the above