Why good office furniture increases motivation
Office furniture primarily has a practical function: For eight hours and more of a working day, you sit at your desk and on your desk chair. More than a third of the day! Not only healthy sitting, but also concentrated work often fails because of the wrong office furniture. We explain how to increase productivity, concentration and well-being at work.
Ergonomic office equipment increases productivity and concentration by 20%.
Back in 2014, “Office Settings” determined the connection between office equipment and employee satisfaction, well-being and motivation, which should not be underestimated. As before, these very aspects fail to furnish an ergonomic workstation, although it is precisely this that is one of the most important motivating factors and guarantor of relaxed, concentrated and, above all, discomfort-free work.
Ergonomic office chairs with individually adjustable back and armrests, (electrically) height-adjustable desks and adjustable, space-saving monitor mounts are part of the basic equipment of an ergonomically furnished workplace. The best possible back support, occasional standing up and the avoidance of rigid, prolonged sitting make it possible to work without complaints. The consequence: office workers work about 20% more concentrated and more efficiently than in permanently tiring sitting postures.
Bad sitting habits and unsuitable furniture cause an average of three days of sick leave.
Techniker Krankenkasse states that German employees miss an average of 2.91 days of work per insurance year due to musculoskeletal disorders alone. It is estimated that back pain causes economic damage of around 49 billion euros. Therefore, it is the wrong approach to be stingy in the selection of ergonomic office furniture in order to save supposed costs.
Tension, posture problems, musculoskeletal disorders, obesity, high blood pressure and even depression – all these are consequences of sitting too long on the wrong office equipment. In order to avoid long-term sick leave of your employees, the installation of an ergonomic workplace is therefore the be-all and end-all and an investment of 2,000€ per employee in the right office equipment is not a utopian sum in the long run.
Use psychological tricks to create a sense of well-being at the workplace
A motivating factor that should not be underestimated is also the decorative furnishing of a workplace. “Happy employees,” Stepstone found, bring with them higher employee engagement, less absenteeism, lower turnover, higher profits and greater market share.
The right colors provide concentration and relaxation
A study conducted by the University of Applied Arts and Sciences examined the effect of colors in the workplace. It showed that color psychology also applies to the workplace: blue has a calming and relaxing effect, and supports accuracy, concentration and clear thinking. Used sparingly, yellow can promote concentrated work and relaxation. As a splash of color in the decoration, the color red has a stimulating, energizing effect.
Furthermore, plenty of natural light, fresh air, a pleasant temperature and bright office furniture are not unnecessary frills, but another aspect of ergonomic furnishing of a workplace that not only ensures well-being among your employees. The targeted interior design further causes your employees to be more alert, focused and effective at work.
Promoting good feeling with environmentally conscious office equipment
The topics of sustainability and environmental awareness are becoming increasingly important. More than 140 companies such as Philips or Herman Miller manufacture technical equipment, office furniture or other products that function according to the so-called Cradle-2-Cradle principle. This involves the recyclability of objects and products, as they are at best remeltable and reusable in all their individual parts.
With environmentally conscious furnishings, you increase the well-being of your employees on a psychological level. Paying attention to aspects of environmental friendliness – for example, recycling, reusing office materials or active energy and water-saving measures – makes for a better feeling in the workplace.