Should Your Office Be Fun?

The question as to whether or not the working environment should cater to both work and play is something that has inundated companies for years. When it comes down to it though the decision as to whether or not the two should be connected lies solely with the business owner. There are some companies that would prefer their employees to come to work, do their 8 hours and leave having fun for outside of the office. There are however those who believe that incorporating the two is important for maintaining a healthy working environment where workers feel motivated and relaxed.

We of course believe that the working environment should be a place where employees can have fun without taking advantage. Unfortunately balancing work and play can be more complicated than you might think as you will need to determine how much leeway an employee should be given. How far can employees go before being told that they need to quieten down, get on with some work or be told that their behaviour is no longer acceptable? As an employer you want to be easy to talk to, easy to get along with and easy to have fun with. You also want to be respected and taken seriously and having all of these qualities can be more difficult than you think.

There is no need to go overboard when it comes to having fun in the office. Simple things such as being able to talk amongst yourselves whilst working goes a long way in an office. Being able to listen to your music and being entitled to sufficient breaks can all make employees feel at ease in the work place. A separate lunch room allows staff to get away from their desk and enjoy some quality time with colleagues as they eat their lunch or have a coffee break. Providing entertainment in the break room such as a pool table, radio, and television or games console can help employees to wind down before getting back to work. Office furniture to sit comfortably on whilst reading a book or beanbags to squash into can also be beneficial. As long as your staff know that once their break is over they need to get back to work and can’t continue to fool around.

Some businesses provide a lot more entertainment than this for their employees. Google for example provide their staff with themed rooms, hubs for meetings, they bring the outdoors indoors, have slides to get from the top floor to the bottom floor and much more. This of course is extremely expensive to achieve and not practical for a lot of business.

The point however is that the office doesn’t need to be dull and boring and that adding some fun to the environment is beneficial for all who work there.