Health Is the New Wealth in the workplace

The changes in the work mindset and the new ways of working as a team have triggered many companies to rethink their way of understanding the distribution of their offices and the work modalities to be offered to employees. This change is an opportunity to renew the company’s culture, as well as to improve the health of their associates and reinforce their work identity. However, to make it happen, it is not enough for companies to give staff the choice of where to work. In addition, companies have to provide resources and support to ensure the quality of these options at home, in a shared office or elsewhere.

The importance of Listening 

Traditional offices had three space divisions: private areas for executives, team areas with individual workspaces and common areas, such as meeting rooms or the dining room. However, everything is evolving into an "open plan" or open work area, where we find the concept of hospitality, since people don't have an assigned place and can move within the entire space.

We recognize that economic, social, political and public health issues impact our lives with force. The phrase "health is the new wealth" creates a deeper and broader awareness of well-being and the purpose of establishing talent attraction strategies for new employees to the organization.

In Herman Miller's article Diseñando un mejor mañana (Designing a Better Tomorrow), he compiles a series of statistics  regarding how employees feel about working from home and how their companies supported them to adapt. The study revealed that 71 percent of employees are not satisfied with the amount of flexibility offered by companies. This shows us new possibilities for  other schemes, hybrid or flexible, that consider schedules, transportation time and the lifestyle of associates. In addition to team members needing time alone to shape their thoughts, ideas and creations, they require spaces within the modern workplace where they can achieve deep and productive concentration while staying in communication with their company. This article also highlights the importance of having an adaptable and comfortable workspace, where chairs, tables and accessories promote body care and social interaction.

The hybrid model is an opportunity to improve people's work experience and reduce pressure at the office, freeing up space to shape the work environment and  it. Many leaders were surprised at how productive their employees working from home can be but the lack of casual encounters and spontaneous face-to-face conversations has led to the unraveling of both strong work connections and  "weak ties," the proposition that workplace acquaintances or co-workers are likely to be more influential than close friends, which are essential for morale and long-term well-being. Egalitarian experiences are related to the environments where they are integrated, when the workplace strategy places everyone on the same level to be productive and successful; when spaces are designed to address the needs of a wide variety of people, they are being utilized in a much better way.

There is also an awareness of the emotional part of the associate’s experience but we have also realized that we are consumers of everything: functional spaces, experiences, products and services. For example, when you arrive at a new space you start to feel and observe the color palette or the quality of the furniture; it is a physical reaction. “We feel, before we think,” — this is what happens in an office where employees will spend most of their time and it is better that you listen to what your team needs in order to encourage their return to the office. Because of traffic, the discomfort of being in the building or with the furniture, people will not want to return to the office. 

This type of support also has an impact on the comfort of workers. Within the aforementioned article, workers who felt supported during the pandemic were 2.5 times more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and two times more likely to stay in that company for more than two years.

Now it is the turn of the companies to adapt their spaces to accommodate the return of their employees, providing zones that encourage interactions with our extended networks. The modern workplace should restore a sense of community, creating a space that belongs to the teams and lends itself to individual and shared development, generating an immersive team experience that improves the quality of work. What is the best option for you and your company? The definitive return to the office, home office or hybrid?

About Herman Miller

Since 1905, Herman Miller has been guided by a commitment to problem-solving designs that inspire the best in people. Along the way, Herman Miller has forged critical relationships with the most visionary designers of the day, from mid-century greats like George Nelson, the Eames Office, and Isamu Noguchi; to research-oriented visionaries like Robert Propst and Bill Stumpf and ground-breaking studios like Industrial Facility and Studio 7.5. From the birth of ergonomic furniture to manufacturing some of the 20th century’s most iconic pieces, Herman Miller has spent the last century pioneering original, timeless design that makes an enduring impact.