Workplace wellness – you’ve likely heard the term, and with the frequent changes happening in the workforce post-COVID, workplace wellness is more important than ever. But what does workplace wellness mean? This overarching term can encompass a variety of factors, including the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of employees and tenants. While company leaders play a significant role in workplace wellness, facilities managers, in collaboration with management, can significantly impact workplace wellness for all. Today, our team of enterprise logistics software experts here at SCLogic discusses how facilities managers can impact employee and tenant well-being through physical facilities design and employee resources to create a complete sense of well-being amongst your organization for future success.   

Mental Well-Being Through Facilities Construction and Collaborative Spaces

There is no doubt that the current workforce has had a significant amount of stress compared to previous generations, and this doesn’t seem to be going away. According to the American Institute of Stress, 94% of workers report feeling stress at work, with almost a third reporting their stress levels as unusually high. Furthermore, Indeed’s 2021 study states that over half of respondents experienced burnout in 2021, up 21% from pre-COVID surveys. While a variety of factors play into this, including work-life balance, job responsibilities, and more, there are ways that facilities managers can make a lasting impact on the workplace and current employees. 

Facilities design plays a prominent role in improving the mental well-being of tenants and employees. Consider this – you have just gone back to work in-office full time, but your office is outdated, with little to no natural light and the inability to communicate easily with co-workers. Instead, you are cooped up in a small cube with minimal resources or space to get yourself in a different mindset. This would exacerbate stress for any employee, which is why facilities design is so important. When designing your facility, creating a building that focuses on various spaces and work styles can be a huge benefit for employees.

Having small, private spaces for important meetings and large, collaborative spaces gives employees the flexibility to work as needed. Additionally, prioritizing areas for them to unplug and decompress during the workday can make a world of difference. These recharge rooms can range from meditation and nap rooms to game rooms or tech-free rooms and should be catered to your tenants’ demographics. That is why our software, Intra, offers hot-desking options through our Workplace Services Workgroup to ensure that your employees have easy and organized access to all relevant rooms in your facility. 

Physical Well-Being Through Modern Design

Outside of these factors, other physical factors have increased in popularity and will continue to do so in the coming years. Sustainability has been a massive factor in job choices for Gen-Z, and facilities managers can implement areas of sustainability through physical development. One of our favorite ways to create a modern office space is through biophilic design or design that creates a harmony between architecture and the natural world. According to Human Spaces’ “The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace” study, workplaces with biophilic design elements resulted in employees having a 15% higher level of well-being and a 15% increase in creativity. Biophilic design does not have to be a complete overhaul of your current office construction plan but includes meaningful changes that can make a big difference in employee and tenant well-being. For facilities managers working through the development and construction process, this includes prioritizing access to natural light, outdoor areas such as roofs, balconies, or gardens, and embracing color and natural features within your facility such as wood, stone, and plant life. 

Emotional Well-Being Through Innovative Office Spaces

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a facility manager occurs when there is little to no organization within your current office space. As a result, your team is left scrambling to support current tenants and employees, all with increasing frustration as your employees work reactively to solve the issues. A robust facilities management system brings emotional well-being for all and allows tenants and employees to feel welcomed and comfortable in their everyday office space. With Gen-Z set to make up a third of the workforce in upcoming years, catering to their needs and desires is a must. It is important to note that a safe, welcoming, and innovative office environment help your team and tenants and promotes recruitment. 

When you think about recruitment, you may be thinking about the traditional sense of reaching out to potential candidates to grow your business. But, with the power of technology that Millennials and Gen-Z harness, social media and word-of-mouth continue to be catalysts for business growth. Companies like Airbnb, Shopify, and Adobe have incredibly innovative and functional office designs that turn heads. While you may not be managing a giant business conglomerate, there are still plenty of ways to work in the construction and maintenance of your facility to foster an environment that people want to post about. According to Forbes, good company culture can result in a 4x increase in revenue for your business, and the University of Warwick found that happy employees are considered 12% more productive than unhappy ones, leading to a 3% rise in GDP and economic growth. As a facilities manager, your job is often behind the scenes, but know that you are an integral part of company success. You are keeping buildings running smoothly, working through the entirety of the design, construction, and management process with well-being in mind. 

See How SCLogic Can Drive Company Growth Through FM Solutions

Facilities management is a broad field and often overlooked by those who have little familiarity with it. FMs are more than just maintenance or mailroom workers; they are the building blocks for the entire in-office workforce. As facilities managers, we know that it can be difficult to remain organized and continuously monitor all areas of your facility, which is why we created Intra. Our enterprise logistics software solution has been implemented at Fortune 500 companies and medium-to-large-sized businesses, and we’ve seen some incredible results. Investing in a new logistics software can be overwhelming, but the benefits of automation, improved collaboration, and more will surely outweigh the initial change. We are here to help guide your facility into the future. To learn more about our enterprise workgroups, email [email protected] or schedule a demo with one of our team members today.