The Active team has spent the summer networking at various industry events.Covering topics from sit-stand desks through to remote working, and successful change management implementation, in this blog we're going to share with you what we've learnt.
The office is changing – keep up!
The workplace continues to change. By 2020, it is expected that up to 50% of the workforce will be working remotely. As the Office for National Statistics reports, there was an unprecedented 12% increase in flexi-time working between 2013 and 2016. The popularity of trendy coworking spaces and technological advances suggests that this figure will only continue to rise.
The traditional office as we know it is dying out, as employees look to leadership for
greater variation in their working environments. It is therefore paramount that business
owners investin the incoming changes and adapt to the varying nature of people's
preferences.
Sit up, stand up
Those who do still work in typical offices need variation – simple. Noone wants to be
sat in one position, staring at the same screen, in the same seat, all day long. It's
unhealthy, its counterproductive, and it's actually dangerous to your physical wellbeing
in the long term. Standing up and walking for two minutes every hour can reduce your
change of physical health problems by an enormous 33%, as recently reported at a Herman
Miller workplace event. So, invest in variation – sit-stand desks, private working pods,
phone booths, creative breakout areas – to keep your staff productive, healthy and
active.
Invest in workplace ergonomics
A recent survey found that workplace productivity can increase by 10% if workplace ergonomics are invested in – and crucially, if staff are then trained in the appropriate uses of it. There is little-to-no point in fixing a sit-stand desk into an office and then not demonstrating the benefits of said desk to staff. A major part of making workplace change successful, is to lead by example. If managers pay for a new workplace tool and then don't use it, chances are their staff won't either.
At Active, we believe that every single workplace is different. From SMEs to large corporate companies, every office has unique needs. From workplace relocation and minor construction through to design, IT support and wellbeing guidance, we specialise in offering bespoke services to workforces over the country. Interested in learning more? Get in touch below…