• PRODUCTIVITY

Flooring and wellbeing

January, 2020

 
This article shares some ways that your office flooring choice is linked to the health and wellbeing of your employees, and how making the right selection is good for your business.

There are so many unexpected ways that employee health and wellbeing can be affected negatively or positively by the job they do and the environment they work in. And when it comes to flooring and wellbeing, both design and safety are important for the overall welfare of your staff.

1. Allergies
 
Currently, the UK is one of the top three countries in the world for allergies. Over 21 million adults suffer from some kind of allergy, meaning every single workspace has the responsibility of keeping their flooring and other furnishings clean enough so that dust doesn’t build up.

Offices ideally should be cleaned daily to prevent dust mites, common causes of asthma and other allergies, from accumulating. So you want to choose a floor that is made from an easy-to clean material. Ultimately the floor of an office can easily affect the quality of that space’s air. We have provided tips on cleaning vinyl flooring and carpet tiles in our previous practical design articles.

2. Feeling safe
 
There’s also the physical safety of your employees. You need to choose the right material for the amount of footfall you will be getting in the office. Whether you go for vinyl flooring or carpet tiles your priority must be safety and you must be committed to maintaining the flooring you choose.

We have written a detailed article on the subject of commercial flooring for high-traffic areas. It is worth considering Carpet tiles are ideal for businesses that require noise insulation, and they can help to keep workspaces warm as well. Certain areas may demand the use of safety flooring, if you need advice on how to assess the risk this article might help.

3. Mental health
 
While you should never simplify mental health, its causes and its triggers, it’s worth thinking about how the office environment impacts the people who work there.

With the UK expecting to pay £8.4 billion a year due to mental health-related absences, it’s a huge issue affecting both people and businesses. It means companies are adapting their attitude towards mental illness and looking for ways to help their employees.

The feel of the environment may seem small but it can have positive and negative impacts on our moods and our mental health. So think carefully about the design, colour and material of the flooring you use from this perspective. We have mentioned it before but colour has an immense effect on productivity and wellbeing in the office.

4. Productivity
 
On the subject of productivity – do you ever hear someone say they ‘can’t work from home’. This probably has to do with their environment. Perhaps their house is very cosy, making it harder to get into the work mindset. A clean, bright and fuss-free office or workspace will certainly foster a positive working environment that can lead to increased productivity and improved staff morale, which again is directly linked to wellbeing.

Going beyond that and considering how different people work within a specific environment or even considering Activity Based Workspaces is where flooring can really come into its own here. It shows consideration, which should positively effect how staff feel about an organisation.

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