An office space in downtown New York City with a complimentary coffee bar staffed by baristas is a reality I experienced for a couple years. I also experienced the reality of an undesirable office space located in a dangerous area an hour outside of the city housed in an office complex built in the 1970s. Guess which one I prefer?
My preference is only natural, and it also ties into the ability to maximize completed work and plan for longevity at a company.
Maximize Productivity
When you have a conveniently located office that is well appointed and comfortable, staying later than 5 p.m. is not so bad. That means work gets done a day earlier rather than being pushed to the following morning. When your office space is not conveniently located, and is in a rough area, who wants to stay past 5 p.m.? You start packing up at 4:45 p.m. just to make sure you are walking out the door when the clock strikes 5.
The Importance of Natural Light
I read an article from 2020 in Forbes by Amol Sarva that highlights the importance of not only a comfortable workspace, but one that has light. Rather than having employees feel they are working in a dark tunnel, offices that maximize natural light give workers a literal window to the world.
“According to a Harvard study, the results of wellness programs like in-house yoga or movement classes are unimpressive in the short term. What we know employees find truly impactful on their well-being is access to outdoor space and natural light, and being able to control basic elements, such as temperature, in their workspace,” Sarva writes.
Urban offices in places such as New York City usually are not capable of providing a quaint garden where employees can gather in nice weather, but large windows are a possibility. Where large windows are not a possibility—you usually must work with the space you are able to lease—you can arrange the workstations so everyone has a view of a window from their desk. You also can make having a window workstation merit-based, as a way to thank an employee who has done a great job. In that scenario, workstation assignments would be reevaluated on a yearly basis, so that where you’re placed—how close you are to a window and maybe how large your workstation is—is determined by how well you did in your last performance review.
Choose Your Workstation
Yet another, and perhaps easier, way to make it possible for everyone to experience natural light, is to have no workstation assignments at all. The workstations in this arrangement would be first come, first served. Employees would have lockers to keep their things. They then would just take their laptop and hook it up to a power source and monitor at the workstation of their choice that is still available by the time they get to the office.
In addition to giving everyone an equal chance at a workstation with a view, having no assigned workstations gives employees an incentive to get to the office on time, or even early. Who wants the small workstation far from any window and across from the bathroom, right?
Take Work and Meetings Outdoors
If your office is based in a city with many parks, like New York City, you can offer employees the option of working as a team outdoors. Laptops now have the technology to connect online without a nearby WiFi network, such as by using your phone as a hotspot. You also could encourage managers to hold meetings outdoors.
Even better? Reward workgroups for having walking meetings outdoors from spring through fall. Workgroups would get rewarded based on how many steps during the week they each take according to pedometer readings.
That way, you achieve two goals at one time: Employees can get a big dose of natural light and exercise, too.
When you have office space and work arrangements that provide exposure to natural light while maximizing comfort, employees are willing to give you more. That early morning meeting or extra hour past 5 p.m. is not such a big deal.
When you designed your office space, did you consider the importance of natural light and comfort? If not, why did you NOT feel it was worth considering?