Introducing nature into the office and creating spaces where employees can take a break from their computer screens are just some of the ways companies are fostering a sense of wellbeing in their employees. Indeed, many companies are putting their own twists on these concepts.
Staff in the Wisconsin HQ of healthcare software maker Epic can hold meetings in the treehouse conference room, located in the midst of black cherry trees and red pines. At Sky’s new head office in London, broad flights of steps were designed to encourage staff to linger and converse. And universities from Berkeley in Los Angelesto Edinburgh are following the example of Ben & Jerry and Zappos in introducing quiet zones and sleep pods.
“Employee health and wellbeing needs to be ingrained into the vision of the organization – and creating positive experiences in the workplace will require companies to rethink their real estate and strategic direction,” says JLL’s Ana Stanojevic, Associate Director, Workplace at JLL. “Today’s workplace is more than space; it’s where people and organizations achieve their ambitions.”