Facilities management isn’t just about ensuring a workplace meets all regulatory requirements – it has a fundamental impact on the people who use the building day-in day-out, meaning its importance far surpasses that of a simple tick box exercise.
Alongside considering morale-boosting initiatives like wellbeing programmes and job benefits, businesses must view good FM practices as a core asset in boosting retention and productivity, especially in a world where budget constraints can mean fewer financial perks are on offer for staff. Managers may be unable to change external factors like the current economic situation, but this only heightens the importance of positive changes they can affect, which will drive up the happiness, motivation and loyalty of employees.
Physical surroundings and productivity
Our physical surroundings are intrinsically linked to our health, as anyone who has been forced to work in unsafe or unsatisfactory conditions can attest. Not only can poor lighting, ventilation or cleanliness levels cause a wealth of symptoms like headaches, fatigue and nausea, air circulation issues can also affect the spread of illnesses around the workplace, and existing conditions like asthma or allergies can also be worsened by the environment around us.
It’s clear how all of these factors can impact work rates, especially when sickness absences rise as a result, and academic studies back up the correlation: almost seven in ten employees report that poor lighting is among the issues which affect their productivity, according to Idox, and The Times reports that optimised workplaces could actually increase productivity by up to 7%.
Forward-thinking businesses will already have realised it is not just about keeping spaces maintained and clean. The design and layout of their headquarters has almost as big an impact: enabling productivity, for example, by providing different spaces for different functions. Incorporating quiet spaces for concentrated work; break out spaces for downtime; and places where teams can come together for collaborative work and meetings acknowledges the wide-ranging needs employees may have to complete all aspects of their job, and increases productivity by ensuring all of those requirements are met.