Keep your office productive in summer
Koryn White • June 22, 2018
It's no surprise that levels of productivity can tend to dwindle in the summer months, with heat, sunshine and longer days all playing a part in how employees maintain focus.
In fact, studies have shown that a shocking 25% of people felt less productive in the office throughout these summer months. However, there are still plenty of ways your company can bring the summer excitement indoors, and use it to invigorate your team.
There are many modern offices that boast of bean bag chairs, hammocks and faux grass throughout their office space – some of which are simply there for show. In fact, clever design for offices is something that many organisations miss, getting lost in the white noise of quirky trends. Creating a modern office design
that really does work well for business all year round lies first and foremost in understanding each organisation separately and finding the best way to address their distinctive requirements.
With this in mind, there are still a few simple ways you could be getting the most out of your team in the sweltering summer months.
Customisable space
Every employee is different – which is why having a "one size fits all" approach to how they work can lead to problems. Summer is the season for variety and activities, particularly amongst younger employees and because of this, your office space should reflect this mentality.
There are a range of interchangeable workstations that allow your staff the option to sit, stand and have different desk heights for their work area. It's a great way to get your team more energised and focused as they are able to adapt their workstation to their mood, day in day out.
Acoustic Solutions
Noise can be both positive and negative to office environments. It can add a buzz around an office, and create a sense of collaboration; however in the process in can get in the way of focused work. Summer is the perfect time to implement some creative and thoughtfully designed acoustic solutions so that your team can continue to work in whichever environment they choose, in relatively close proximity.
With a range of furnishings that can offer sound-proofing throughout your office, including acoustic panels and soundproof glass partitioning, we can supply a variety of solutions to best suit your working environment.
Solar Shading
Blinds and solar shading offer effective light reduction properties that can create a more focused work environment. Maintaining both style and functionality in an office, they offer a cost effective way to stop the summer sunshine getting in the way of a productive workforce.
Additionally, using solar shading gives your office a wide selection of designs and styles to suit your company brand and office interior. From Roman to Venetian, these designs are second to none, and offer a stylish solution to bright summer days. Being able to control the amount of light you allow into your office space isn't the only benefit of installing solar shading; it also allows a sense of privacy, which comes in handy for offices located in busy city centres.
Ambient Temperature
It will come as no surprise to many that an "ideal temperature" is subjective to each individual. In fact, a 2015 survey found that 42% of people felt their building was too warm, while 56% believed it was too cold! (2% were in the Goldilocks Zone!).
In the summer months however, most offices find that without blasting the AC, the rise in temperature reduces the levels of productivity.
At Glenside we have the experience and expertise necessary to overcome many of the causes of excessive changes in temperature (within a building) at the planning stage. By looking at the structure of a building and how it is positioned, and taking into account the number of team members, their roles and the sorts of spaces they need to operate in, we come up with office designs that ensure a comfortable ambient temperature is easy to maintain.
If a building is already in use and a refurbishment is not planned for the near future, we can still look at workstations and areas where staff are experiencing discomfort due to excessive heat (or cold) and retrofit solutions to ensure a more consistent ambient temperature.
These are just some small ideas you can take forward to improve your office environment for the summer months. At Glenside we take the time to understand you, so that we can provide you with the perfect solution bespoke to your organisation. If you'd like to find out more, don't hesitate to get in touch today.
Sources: Huntress Survey, CareerBuilder.com, "Effect of Temperature On Task performance In Office Environment", Olli Seppanen, William J Fisk, QH Lei, OSHA (Greenbuilding.com)
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