Both your physical and mental health can be affected by the standards of your work environment. The majority of workers spend most of their day at their workplace, regularly immersed within the conditions and people around them. In some cases, industries can have unsafe and unhealthy work environments. Unsafe environments can include poor workstations, lack of fire safety measures and unsuitable office equipment. On the other hand, anything from a high workload to bad communication can also contribute to affecting an individual’s mental health. It can also contribute to lower productivity and disturb worker’s morale. Here is a run through of some of the most popular work environment elements that can affect your health.
High Workloads
There have been many studies around the link between the increasing workload of an employee and their wellbeing. Many have found that when employees become overwhelmed with the increasing pile of work that they have, it can lead to stress, lack of motivation and decrease in morale to overcome the work ahead. This can make individuals become extremely anxious and concerned about the challenges they have in making sure all the work is completed. Physically, it can also take a toll on health as it’s likely to affect sleeping patterns and lead to fatigue and tiredness. This is why it’s important to discuss your skills and tasks with your manager so that tasks are able to be completed without too much struggle and stress.
Poor Equipment & Resources Provided
In every industry, there are certain requirements needed in order for employees to conduct their job at the highest of standards, safely. Considering the health risk and size of the equipment, companies within the industrial industry have the benefit of safety regulations being put in place to make sure that the equipment being used is safe for operators and doesn’t cause injury or harm. Individuals in office environments may need special requirements such as adjustable office chairs and ergonomic keyboards to maintain comfort and high performance for office workers. As this equipment is used on an everyday basis, poor resources and equipment can lead to many physical health problems such as long-term backache, serious injury and pain in limbs. This is why regular health & safety checks and procedures are put in place. To ensure the health of employees is good.
Ventilation
Indoor air quality is an important factor in a work environment to ensure the good health of your workers. There are several methods you can use to make sure that clean air circulates around your working environment, whether it’s naturally by opening windows to let clean air in or installing ventilation systems that can control odour and fumes. In doing so, it can help prevent harmful gases from entering the body which can stop long-term illnesses occurring in the future.
Poor Home-Work Balance
A good home-work balance allows employees to escape the stresses of their work environment, relieving tension that can build up from the pressures at work. Some organisations allow the opportunity for employees to work from home, or offer mobile working to allow this to occur. On occasions, however, employees may feel obliged to stay behind and work late hours as they would feel it’s “expected” from their managers. They may also feel that it can help with progression if they can show eagerness to complete tasks. However, staff should manage this correctly as there is a fear it could affect their mood and overall health. Late nights and early mornings can lead to tiredness and lack of concentration.
Taking into account these points can help to create a better work environment for your staff, potentially increasing productivity and the general atmosphere around the office.