Office Morale
Regardless of the solstice, summer is upon us full-force. More than ever, workers are distracted. Whether it’s longing looks out the window or distracting co-workers, most people are not firing on all cylinders these days. Rather than get frustrated about it, micro-manage them to death, or worst of all ignore the problem completely, why not be creative in your problem-solving?
There are actually a variety of reasons your employees are not working to their full potential- let’s look a few common office hindrances.
Common Office Hindrances
- Annoying co-workers and office noise in general
- Repetitive Stress Injuries, such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Ill-fitting desks and chairs
- Disorganized work stations
- Back, shoulder, and neck pain
While office noise is quite obvious in most cases, most of the rest of these problems are largely unnoticed until it’s too late. Thus, valuable hours of productivity are lost every day, and no one seems to know why. I’d like to offer a few solutions, ergonomic and otherwise.
Ergonomic (& Other) Solutions
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Good ergonomic posture: monitor is eye level, back and feet are supported, arms are neutrally positioned.
Install a sound masking system. The use of low-level white noise will cover intrusive noise, thus allowing each worker the freedom to do “distraction-free solo work.”
- Do a quick ergonomic refresher, reminding workers how important it is to take care of themselves. Points to be emphasized: never over-extending to reach and neutral body positioning, especially for backs, necks, shoulder, arms, and wrists.
- Encourage workers to adjust their chairs and desks for a better, more comfortable fit. Raising or lowering arm rests can help workers keep their arms and wrists in line, as well as enable workers to sit more comfortably and relieve pressure on their backs, etc.
- Institute a Friday afternoon “Re-Org” hour from 4-5pm. No one works well at 4pm on a Friday. Why not allow your employees the freedom to get their desks reorganized and all their ducks in a row for next week?
Many times, just changing their habits will keep employees in better shape and therefore more productive. As for management, it might be time to consider office-wide solutions, such as sound masking and better ergonomic products (adjustable chairs and/or desks, ergonomic keyboards and mice, etc.).