_How are offices a crucial theatre in promoting employee mental well-being?

Although the office remains a core feature in our working lives, we are starting to see a greater emphasis on experience and not just the environment. Read to find out how the overall office experience matters.

November 23, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting global lockdown ushered in a great global workplace experiment. Although the office remains a core feature in our working lives, we are starting to see a greater emphasis on experience and not just the environment.

Employers can no longer attract the workforce simply on the basis of having a well-designed physical product - they need to consider the overall office experience, the level of collaboration and most importantly, the well-being of those who use the space.

Mental well-being is at the very heart of the workplace experience with global leaders ranking it as the third-highest strategic issue (37% citing it directly) in Knight Frank’s (Y)OUR SPACE report.

However, mental well-being in the office cannot be achieved simply by providing amenities such as healthy food and beverage and gym and changing facilities. Employers need to consider office design elements that can have a measurable effect on a workforce’s happiness, productivity, and health.

Demand for sustainability

‘ESG-friendly’ offices are already proving popular and valuable. Buildings with wellness features will attract stronger demand in the long term and hasten the development of more wellness-certified buildings. Stronger demand for properties that provide high-quality air, ventilation systems and other indoor environmental features will require landlords and investors to recalibrate their strategies accordingly.

Wellness certifications are pursued along the concepts of a healthy building which span ten to 12 criteria and can be applied to different types and aspects of development. Incorporating biophilia and natural light are two key design elements we see emerging in best-in-class office buildings today - offering direct access to green spaces, fresh air through the provision of gardens, terrace spaces and sanctuary areas that offer solace from Wi-Fi connectivity and allowing employees to focus or reconnect with themselves.

Natural light in the workplace is intrinsic to our well-being. This is supported by a study from Cornell that revealed employees exposed to natural light showed an 84% decrease in issues such as headaches, eyestrain, and blurred vision.

Similarly, a survey by HR advisory firm Future Workplace highlighted that natural light and views of the outdoors are the leading attributes of the workplace environment, outranking perks such as onsite cafeterias, fitness centres, and on-site childcare.

Physical well-being at the workplace

Considerations for acoustics and material choices are critical in ensuring employers can be productive whilst maintaining their well-being at work. Good acoustics allow for better focus and helps to demarcate free collaboration spaces from spaces where employees need for independent focus work.

Ergonomics and system furniture choices also factor into employees’ well-being at the workplace as the majority of office work is sedentary. It ensures employees can work in a comfortable setting with good posture and support to prevent long-term impact on physical well-being.

But why should employers invest in redesigning their office space when hybrid and remote work arrangements are the norms today?

Simply put, we’re not built for isolation. According to Microsoft’s latest research, 84% of employees said they would be motivated to go into the office if they could socialise with their co-workers, while more than 70% of employees said they would go to the office more regularly if they knew colleagues they often socialise with or if their team members would be there.

Re-imagining the workplace

With that in mind, employers need to re-imagine their workplace and offer employees the choice to decide their work preferences, and how they can seamlessly move from one setting to another, providing an element of psychological safety.

Below are some additional considerations for providing choice and flexibility at the workplace

Functional and flexible furniture such as high and low tables for different levels of comfort
Private, semi-enclosed and more open spaces for employees to choose the right environment for the task at hand, achieving the quiet WFH environment without the distractions
Informal soft seating area used as overflow space or for socialising
Removing the use of cell phones and limiting audio notifications in certain spaces to encourage focus.
Initiating flexible protocols that allow employees to choose when they start and end their work days, and where they work. This should be done through formal communications and leadership leading by example.

With ongoing worldwide macro headwinds, it would perhaps be logical to regard this as a frivolous endeavour.

Yet the well-being of employees has been amplified as an emerging leadership concern and businesses will be increasingly compelled to utilise the office to provide the quality of space and the range of amenities conducive to sustain a productive, enjoyable and ultimately, healthy workplace experience.

For more information, please reach out to Samarth Kasturia (samarth.kasturia@asia.knightfrank.com) if you would like to discuss with our team on bringing your workplace strategies to life.