The way you design your office lounge sends a loud message to your employees. If it’s generic, lackluster, and begging for amenities, they’ll take notice.
You might consider the function of this space more than its form, but have you stopped to consider ways to make it both attractive and useful?
Investing in a fully equipped office lounge area is one business expense that can deliver a significant ROI. Designed well, the area could serve as an extension of your office, encouraging productivity, inspiring new ideas, and building team morale. Today, we’re sharing how and why it’s time to transform this space as soon as possible.
Optimize Team Health
It only takes one long day in an office chair to know that eight hours in front of a computer isn’t ideal for anyone’s health. Not only can it strain your neck, shoulders, and lower back, but it can also affect your vision. When you install a lounge area at work, you give them a safe, comfortable space where they can take a much-needed break.
In a lounge, employees can rest their eyes for just a minute, as well as stretch their bodies. This is why it’s smart to equip yours with soft, cozy, and comfortable seating! If you’re shopping with an industrial or corporate furniture company, ask to see their soft seating range to make sure you’re choosing the plushest pieces, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box a little.
In addition to standard couches and chairs, also consider unique options such as cube seats, modular couches, angled seats, and more to give your workers plenty of spots to relax and recharge.
Improve Productivity
By installing or prioritizing an office lounge at your facility, you might think you’re encouraging your team members to indulge in too much downtime. After all, if there are comfy couches and cozy armchairs just around the corner, who will want to spend much time in their cubicle? This question may be especially prevalent if you’re looking into office furniture like the kind from
In reality, the opposite can hold true. In one study, researchers presented employees with images of four different work environments: an open-floor workspace, a cellular office, an office lounge, and a variety of different natural areas. The lounge ranked near the top as the employees’ most preferred workspace, which they rated as an optimal space for both individual and group work.
If you’ve been looking for a way to encourage your team to think outside the box, engage in collaborative projects, and focus more intently on their job-related tasks, creating a comfortable and convenient lounge area could be the way to go.
Avoid Burnout
An exhausted, overworked employee can’t contribute anything to your organization. Over time, they could even become resentful and unmotivated, turning the workplace into a toxic environment that affects others around them.
It’s worth the time and money it takes to pour into your workforce, encouraging them to find a work/life balance and avoid stretching themselves too thin. Burnout can have physical, mental, and emotional repercussions.
Physically, it can lead to fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, appetite changes, headaches, and other health effects. Other symptoms can include concentration issues, depression, withdrawal, and anger. While a lounge space won’t fully eliminate the potential for burnout, it can go a long way toward showing your employees that you care about their overall wellness, not just their sales numbers.
Encourage Teamwork and Socialization
When employees have to go all the way across the office to work with one another, they may be less likely to collaborate. A well-equipped lounge can serve as a central meeting space, especially if you install workstations and laptops for communal use.
In addition, they may also be willing to use the space for more informal conversations and catch-up sessions. Brief moments of socialization like this are critical to maintaining high workplace morale. They allow employees to form bonds and connections, and find common ground. As a business leader, you want to motivate these types of relationships, and a lounge is a great place for everyone to coordinate.
Provide More Relaxed Meeting Spaces
Let’s face it: Boardrooms can be stuffy, no matter how well-designed they might be. The same goes for conference rooms and all-purpose meeting areas. This is where a great lounge space comes in. If you can make yours feel both relaxed and functional, you’ll strike the ideal balance.
These spots can serve as substitutes when a designated meeting space feels too formal or uninspiring. Who knows: Your team members might think up their next brilliant idea while spending time together there!
Install Ergonomic Furniture
Now that we’ve talked about why you need a fully-equipped office area, let’s dive into a few ways you can get yours there. Whether you’re building a brand-new space or you’re re-designing an existing room, it’s important to start with the right furniture.
As mentioned, you want yours to be cozy, but you need to keep ergonomics in mind. In short, ergonomic office furniture places the person’s body into natural alignment, alleviating muscle pain and aches associated with other types of furniture. In other words, you don’t want chairs and couches that your employees will literally sink into, no matter how comfortable they might look.
Look for Double-Duty, Tech-Savvy Pieces
Want to encourage your employees to spend time in the lounge once you fix it up? Look for pieces that make productivity possible. Increasingly, this means looking for tech-equipped furniture, such as seats with charging sockets or benches with built-in outlets.
When you go this route, employees will have the option of hanging out and conversing in the lounge when they want a break from their office. Or, they can use it to get their work done.
Don’t Forget Branding
One last thing to keep in mind as you deck out your new lounge area? Keep your branding front and center! You don’t necessarily need a vinyl logo on the wall, but think about ways to incorporate your company colors through small accents such as throw pillows, seat covers, tabletop accents, and more. This gives the space a sense of identity and can build team spirit and loyalty.
A Fully Equipped Office Lounge Area Pays Off
As you invest in training, technology, and learning opportunities for your team members, don’t forget to look at their surroundings, too. A fully equipped office lounge area might not have been too high on your list of facility upgrades, but these reasons show why it should be an important consideration.
When workers know they have a space to recharge just a few feet down the hall, you may be surprised at the uptick in productivity and morale you notice. Sometimes, just the knowledge that such a space exists is enough to encourage collaboration and promote more frequent teamwork.
Investing in your most important asset — your people — will pay dividends down the road. Make the first move and put these steps into practice today!