Top Office Amenities to Add in an Office Renovation
When people talk about employee benefits, the first things that typically come to mind are things like vacation time, insurance plans, and options for saving for retirement. But if you’re looking for other ways to make your company more desirable to work for, don’t underestimate the value of your office space.
Office amenities aren’t things that are simply fun or nice to have around, they can be a very effective way to attract new talent and keep your current employees happy. The job market is extremely competitive and anything extra that can give the impression that your company is a positive company to work for can help win over people who are evaluating their career options.
If you’re thinking of redesigning your offices, don’t forget to think about some of the amenities you could create at the same time. Need some ideas? Here are some of the most popular types of office amenities we’ve been seeing lately.
Mother’s Rooms
Women play a significant role in today’s workforce. According to the Department of Labor, 57% of women participate in the labor force, which includes 70% of women with children under the age of 18. With so many working mothers out there, lots of companies are trying to make it possible for women to have both a career and a family.
Welcoming a baby to the family can be very stressful, especially if the new mom will be returning to work after maternity leave. To make their workplaces more accommodating for new mothers, we’ve seen a big trend of companies offering mother’s rooms for nursing mothers. These private spaces offer things like comfortable seating, a refrigerator, a sink, and countertops so that mothers can provide nourishment for their children without leaving the office.
Fitness Centers
Promoting employee wellness is extremely beneficial for employees and companies alike. Company wellness programs have become hugely popular in recent years, but for a lot of people who work full time, finding time for fitness can be a real challenge. Once people leave the office for the day, it’s easy to get wrapped up in other things and people often don’t want to have to fight rush hour traffic to get to the gym.
On-site fitness centers make it easy for people to take care of themselves and get their exercise in. Companies that offer fitness centers often have high participation rates because of the convenience they offer. Not only is it nice to have the option of being able to workout without having to leave the building, people like not having to deal with the membership fees like they would at other gyms. People who normally don’t exercise regularly may even start to get into it if they see other people using the gym.
Convenient Food Access
We all need to eat, but sometimes, people don’t have time to go out on their lunch breaks. And even if people do have the time to go out, they might end up coming back late because of traffic or slow restaurant service. To encourage people to stay on site during their lunch breaks, a lot of companies are upgrading their cafeterias. Rather than leaving employees completely on their own for lunch, lots of companies are opting to include food service in the cafeteria. If the company has a wellness program, a cafeteria menu can be planned to offer healthy but convenient lunch options.
Even if offering food service isn’t an option, consider creating an on-site convenience store where people can quickly pick up snacks, drinks, and other essentials they need without having to head to the corner store.
Outdoor Spaces
We’ve all had those days when the weather is so nice that it’s easy to feel cooped up in the office. Creating outdoor spaces for your office gives people a way to enjoy the nice weather while they work or take their lunch break. People love having the option to take their laptop and enjoy a little fresh air and sunshine. Having that change of scenery can help spark new ideas and drive productivity. Outdoor spaces are also a great way to encourage socialization and build relationships between employees.
Windows
Windows might seem like a basic office feature, but so many offices lack windows that an office with lots of natural light is bound to be very attractive to people who are interested in working for you. It’s important for people to feel connected to the outside world during the day and natural light is extremely beneficial for employee health and productivity. Studies have found that, on average, people who don’t get enough natural light in the office tend to sleep less, which can lead to problems like depression and difficulty concentrating.
If you’re ready to upgrade your offices, contact Premier Construction & Design. With years of experience creating commercial spaces in the Metro Detroit area, we’ve worked on creating a wide variety of office amenities. Browse our portfolio and case studies to see more examples.
