How to Create a Positive Work Environments in 5 Steps

While many see the work week as being 40 hours, the Bureau of Labor Statistics  indicates the average person in the U.S. actually spends closer to nine hours per work day on work-related activities. With such a significant chunk of time spent away from the comforts of home, work should be a place that complements the rest of an employee’s life. Unfortunately, the office is not always the positive work environment that leads to creativity and success like it should be.

Workplace Problems

Many aspects of a work environment create disgruntled employees. A lack of direction from upper management, minimal fun employee engagement opportunities with coworkers and no real loyalty or support make for a less-than-positive work environment. Consequently, these issues can result in high employee turnover rates.

Employees commonly leave  or pass over jobs for these reasons, along with constant micromanagement and lack of valuable benefits programs.  With unemployment down and job openings way up, companies need to stand out if they truly want to capture quality employees.

How to Create a Positive Work Environment for Employees

Luckily, there are many things employers can do to create a positive work environment. By promoting a place where workers can grow both individually and as a team, loyalty for the company will grow as well. Below are some traits of positive work environments that boost employee morale.

1. A Listening Ear

Employee input provides valuable insight into issues employers may overlook. By listening to employee comments and thoughts, a company can foster an “active and committed employee base,” as well as open the door to new profit-producing ideas.

2. Valuable Training Classes

Keeping up with cutting-edge business and technological practices has never been more important—or easier. Investing in online training courses gives employees the opportunity to expand their resumes while learning new topics at their own pace. Additionally, companies that provide classes also typically see higher profit margins due to more competent employees.

3. Team-Building Events

Arranging social events not only provides some fun in the workweek, it also nurtures department collaboration. People tend to view their department as a “tribe,” which can lead to conflicts and unnecessary tension. Breaking down those invisible walls and promoting a positive work environment leads to new ideas that benefit the company overall.

4. Healthy Work-Life Balance

Stress in the workplace has steadily grown over the past few decades, while employee health has rapidly declined. As we gain more information about the correlation between job stress and heart attacks, it’s become clear that there is a connection between stress and overall health. With this information in mind, employees now seek a positive work environment, where their health—both mental and physical—are properly valued.

Employers seeking to retain valuable employees can look into offering more services that better address a proper work-life balance. While most assume this means giving your employees more paid time off, there are far more ways to encourage a healthy balance between professional and personal lives.

5. Employee Wellness Programs

One of the best ways to nurture the mental and physical health of your employees is to offer some sort of employee wellness program. These programs often consist of corporate gym memberships and not only promote a healthy lifestyle, but can also lead to your employees being more present and productive at work as well. To top things off, businesses that offer gym memberships can deduct the costs of membership fees paid to benefit their employees.

Doing Well by Doing Good

Time is something that is quite valuable and easily lost. Treating employees with respect for who they are and encouraging work-life balance benefits the company as well as the individual. Remember, you are asking your team members to spend a significant amount of time on your company’s goals.  This is time they cannot spend with family, friends or doing as they please.  Find a good balance and you will have less turnover, a better reputation and a bigger bottom line.

Companies can succeed by making their employees’ needs a higher priority. Wondering where to start? Check out these tips for resolving workplace conflicts or take some online classes to become a better professional leader. The time to better yourself and your company starts right now!