Employers from all industries and sectors have been taking steps to improve their working environments for the benefit of their workforce for many years. Some of the reasons for doing this may be to comply with certain statuary requirements. For example, in the US, all employers must abide by the OSH Act of 1970. This occupational safety and health legislation ensures that workers have a safe environment to conduct their daily tasks and are protected by all reasonable means to limit the possibility of accidents occurring.
It is important to remember that an excellent employer will also take steps to change the working environment so that it is also a place where employees thrive during their working days – and it’s no different in 2023. More than ever before, the health and well-being of staff at work are of paramount importance. This article explains three ways in which an employer can improve the working environment.
Safety considerations
Every employer should take reasonable steps to ensure that the workplace is a safe environment for all its staff. These safety considerations will vary depending on the sector or industry of work. One example is in a factory environment. Here, employees may have wide fitting safety trainers provided for them by the employer so that they stay free of injury if a heavy object falls on their feet and can actually be on their feet for most of the day much more comfortably.
If they are expected to handle chemicals or products that are hazardous to human health, they may also be required to wear specialist protective clothing. Some employers are currently using drones to carry out inspection tasks in environments that are hazardous to human health. This can be an extremely effective way to safeguard the wider workforce.
Employee wellbeing
In many of the leading tech firms, it is common to find recreational facilities in the workplace. These can include table tennis equipment, video game consoles, or spaces where a worker can take “time out” and relax and reflect for a few minutes during the working day.
These types of facilities can dramatically improve employee well-being in the workplace and can serve to motivate the workforce more effectively. In addition, many leading offices may have free healthy snacks and beverages that are available to staff as and when they want. This can help to promote healthy lifestyles both in and out of the workplace. All in all, a healthy and vibrant workplace is one that helps to retain staff, motivate them, and can reduce employee churn – and staf well-being plays a huge role in that.
Remote working opportunities
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of employees have experienced remote or hybrid work models for the first time in their careers. For most workers, this was seen as a distinct improvement to their working lives as it helped reduce time lost to commuting and enabled employees to improve their work/life balance.
Today, the main restrictions that were put in place due to the pandemic have mostly been lifted. However, it can still be hugely beneficial to offer employees the option of hybrid or remote models of work for the reasons outlined above. In fact, many leading employers offer these models of work to prospective applicants as it can be a crucial way to recruit and retain the best staff.
