How A Sustainable Work Environment Increases Productivity
Creating a sustainable work environment has become common within the corporate world as it offers businesses numerous
benefits
. One such benefit is an increase in the business’ overall levels of productivity. A company that operates at high productivity levels is more likely to retain loyal and satisfied customers, content employees, and expand its goal. So, how do greener options positively impact productivity? Here are a few ways.
- Improves cognition amongst employees
Cognition is the process of acquiring and processing information. This is crucial to improving productivity as it encourages basic comprehension, boosts memory skills, and sharpens one’s evaluation and problem-solving skills. A sustainable environment makes this possible as it eliminates the need for employees to work on time-consuming tasks that would lead to backlogs and stress.
For example, within a sustainable work environment, instead of employees spending time on debt management strategies, the business would hire solutions like Improved Data Services to take care of that on its behalf. This leaves employees with more room to take on courses and webinars to expand on their skills. This, in effect, would lead to an increase in productivity as they can work with minimum supervision and produce work of high standards. This is confirmed in the study conducted by Harvard University, which concluded that the cognition rates in a sustainable work environment had increased by 26%.
- Keeps the workplace safe
A safe workplace breeds happy, healthy, and productive employees. A sustainable workplace ensures that employees are comfortable and safe. Therefore a sustainable office will be designed with this in mind. For example, plants are placed in strategic areas to ensure good
ventilation
within the workspace. For light, windows that encourage natural light are used. However, these are strategically done to prevent glare and trap the heat generated by the sun.
Some offices have created rooms for employees to relax and meditate in, ensuring they work at optimum levels without stressing themselves. The furniture in such work environments is sturdy and durable, making it easy for employees to sit while they work comfortably. When a workplace offers sufficient comfort and safety, employees are less irritable and distracted. This allows them to stay focused on completing tasks in time- therefore, increasing productivity. It also increases productivity as it eliminates a reduced workforce’s chances due to health issues associated with the work environment.
- Improves workplace morale
When you create a sustainable workplace, you increase workforce morale amongst your employees. Research has shown that by creating a green and safe environment for your employees, you put the message across that you care. This, in turn, makes employees happier to be in the workplace and deliver as expected. A study conducted by the University of Exeter showed that a company’s productivity increased 15% because of the indoor plants in its office space. Happy employees are more motivated to complete and take on new tasks, which leads to increased productivity. It is time to take the right decision for your business and employees by ensuring you have a sustainable work environment.
