Why Amenities in the Workplace Matter
Amenities in the workplace can make the difference between a happy, productive staff and a tired, disillusioned one. You would think that any amenities in the office would be better than none, and that’s probably true, but it’s worth it to give this idea some thought so you can tailor your choices to your team.
Office space in any city comes at a premium, so you want to make the most of your square footage. What can you afford to install and what’s out of reach?
Fitness Centers and Exercise
Metro Offices understands the importance of physical and mental health. Depending on the location, you'll find access to hiking and biking trails, as well as state of the art fitness centers and health spas.
A fitness center is a highly prized amenity that's popular with many employees. Fitness centers help employees and employers in many ways.
- They keep employees healthier, so they miss fewer work days due to illnesses.
- Exercise helps the mind stay focused better for longer periods of time, so employees produce more.
- The center is in the building where they work, so there is no time wasted in the employees’ day going back and forth to another location, parking, etc. Even if this saved time is personal and not work time, it’s still an appreciable benefit.
Games and Recreation
Whereas exercise is proven to be helpful to mind and body, breaks and diversions of other kinds are also advantageous. Amenities that have been growing in the workplace in the last 20 years include the addition of games in the breakroom, like table tennis, pinball and video games.
Managerial wisdom in the 20th century dictated that providing employees playtime made them less productive, but we now know that the opposite is true.
Nourish Their Souls
If you are in temporary office space or rented office space and you have no room for pool tables and the like, one amenity that most employees appreciate is free food.
You don’t have to go overboard with this — even something as simple as a fresh fruit, popcorn, or a platter of sandwiches will demonstrate that you appreciate your employees. What you provide doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you provide it.
Amenities in the workplace can attract more employees, and help retain top talent. All other things being equal, would you prefer to work in a building that has a fitness center and provides free coffee, or one without?
Ultimately, your workers’ happiness will rely mostly on your management style and corporate culture. But a few amenities won't hurt!
Metro Offices provides rented office space and temporary office space to large and small companies throughout Washington DC, MD and VA. The convenient locations are only the start of what we have to offer.
Not only do we have the space and equipment you need to run your business, we also include helpful amenities. For example, our Farragut office includes a rooftop terrace and a state of the art health and fitness center. Our Metro Center location includes a fully equipped health spa and you'll find an on-site restaurant at our DuPont Circle location. Browse our locations to learn more about all we have to offer!