Did you know that poor air quality and a lack of light contribute to illness which leads to more sick days being taken?
The layout and design of an office space can either help or hinder productivity. The goal is to create an office design that embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. When a workspace is more inclusive and focuses on the wellness of its employees, it not only lowers tension but raises morale.
Keep reading to find out which steps you can take to increase workplace inclusion.
Ensure Your Office Is Accessible
Making sure everyone can access your office and use the space without assistance is important when planning an office. Some adjustments you can make while planning your inclusive office design can include:
- include ramps and elevators in addition (or instead of!) stairs
- use levers instead of doorknobs
- install multi-sensory safety alarms
- invest in adjustable ergonomic equipment
- eliminate obstacles where possible in the hallway
- include natural light and views of the outdoors where possible
Offering equal opportunities is a must, so consider how you can make the space accessible to everyone.
Create Quiet Spaces
By offering quiet spaces to take work calls or just decompress for a few minutes you will be making your space more inclusive. Some people require more quiet time to recharge and others might just focus better away from noise and distraction.
Managed Sanitary Bins
It is important to include sanitary, bins that get serviced regularly, in your office design. Just putting out bins isn’t good enough as the products need to be professionally disposed of.
By having sanitary bins in place you are not only destigmatizing the use of sanitary products, but you are also fostering a more inclusive workspace for everyone.
If you are looking for sanitary bin hygiene services for workplaces, you can click here for more information.
Discuss Language
The language used in the office is a big part of what makes inclusion work. Having discussions with all staff members to determine what language is appropriate is needed if you want to make everyone feel at ease.
Simply discussing how “people” can be used instead of “guys” when referring to a mixed group already fosters a more inclusive atmosphere.
Giving people the freedom to approach you regarding the language used in employee contracts, meetings, and in the office, in general, will go a long way to building a cohesive team.
Workplace Inclusion Made Easy
Ensuring you consider workplace inclusion when planning an office space should be one of your top priorities. By making the space more inclusive the staff will not only be happier but enjoy using the space more. So make the change today to ensure your space is more inclusive and accessible to all.
If you enjoyed this article, please go take a look at our blog for more content you might like!
