Happy Work Spaces Make for Happy Employees

Studies show that employee morale has a direct impact on productivity levels. Of course there are many contributing factors to employee happiness - everything from management style to salary to home life. But it turns out that office layout is a huge contributing factor too.

The Trends

The Data

How to Choose the Right Design for Your Office

- Monitor presence

- Monitor noise levels

Many elements contribute to overall employee happiness in the workplace; salary, management style, company culture, and physical office environment are four of the biggest factors that impact happiness.

​Having happy employees means more work gets done. One of the easiest ways to impact morale is with updates to physical work spaces. A physical environment that fosters productivity can be achieved by implementing some of these suggestions:

Steelcase Conference Room

Office Layout

The ideal office includes a range of physical spaces that allow for personal work, collaboration, privacy, and relaxation. Whether you're a large or small office, it doesn't make a difference. Provide employees with their own area to work, this could be in a cubicle or open desks depending on your desired workplace culture. Meeting rooms to be used for group collaboration or a place to have a private talk are key. Spontaneous meeting spaces (open sets of tables and chairs) are becoming increasingly popular in today's workplaces. Lastly, don't underestimate the power of having somewhere separate from desks for employees to relax and unwind. Employees who leave their desks for a break or to eat lunch have time to socialize and rest so they can focus better when they return.