With so many offices experiencing tension and poor reviews in their workplace, there are lots of questions regarding happier teams and how to make the current team you have reflected on the one you are trying to build. Believe it or not, it comes down to investing in your employees and making sure they have the tools and resources they need both at work and outside of it. Below are ten secrets that will help you establish a solid team that is healthy, happy, and loyal to your company.
1. Adequate Breaks
As an employer, you have state mandates that you are given to give your employees breaks. It is important that, whether that be several-minute breaks, a 30-minute break, or even an hour, they are able to take that time to themselves and truly disconnect from the workplace in order to have a happier team. During these breaks, they should not be contacted about work-related issues, and have more than enough time to enjoy their meals.
It is a great idea to allow your employees the opportunity to break away with little games and things to keep them busy while they are on break. A few books by Penny Publications full of crosswords, word searches, and other little puzzles allow them to redirect their attention and relieve stress that may have built up from the first part of the shift. Being able to break away for a few minutes and reset your mind can encourage your employees to return to
2. Bonuses
Everyone loves a little boost to their income! Any time you have employees who go above and beyond in their jobs, it is a good idea to offer bonuses to show that appreciation and build a happier team. You can always base this on their salary when you apply a bonus, or give it a certain amount. Depending on the bonus policy at your company, you may have more flexibility to determine how much you want to give. If you gained this support from a team, make sure you provide bonuses for all team members.
Those who are earning bonuses are usually working later and taking on different tasks. Protect your employees with the help of a system like central station monitoring services. While your employees are working these additional hours, you can have a variety of different monitoring services protecting the data they are using, as well as the building. These bonuses encourage your employees to continue the willingness to work the undesirable shifts knowing they are protected while on the clock.
3. A Secure Work Environment
Building off of the monitoring system, a secure office will always supply a happier team. Not just utilizing fire alarms and other services, but a commercial alarm system monitoring system should be able to contact the local authorities if they find themselves in an unsavory situation. Depending on the shifts that you offer your employees, you could have them in and out of the building before and after normal work hours, meaning that additional monitoring may be required.
There are several types of security services you can opt into so that you protect your employees, including cybersecurity. Monitoring should also be considered a security concern. Not only is client data at risk, but so is your employee information. Make sure that all information is protected and secured when you opt for a secure work environment.
4. An Appealing Workspace
Taking pride in the place you work and being comfortable is essential for those who want a happier team. Those employees who are met with an aesthetically pleasing and clean atmosphere will work harder and perform better. Take the look of the office a step further by adding nice crown molding and a flooring end cap to each room. This gives your employees a sense of respect in your company.
Another way to make an appealing workspace is to provide your employees with nice colors and lots of lighting throughout the office. Depending on the design, you may not have enough windows to provide a lot of natural light. If not, make sure you paint the area a lighter color and offer lots of lighting options throughout the room. This is great for improving the workspace and making it a more appealing place to be. Darker colors can be depressing and make the room feel metaphorically cold.
Another great option is to have plants in the workplace. You first want to make sure that you don’t have any plant allergies with your employees. If so, opt for hypoallergenic options that can filter the air, making it a better place to breathe. Even if you don’t have great live plant options or have too many allergies, it is great to purchase faux plants and place them around the office. The greenery alone will brighten the space and make it more appealing.
5. Respect
Not everyone in your office will have the same background and culture. Demanding respect for your employees by others and administration is one of the best ways to encourage a happier team. Having an employment attorney on standby to protect your employees should they experience any disrespect from others in the office or customers outside of the office. Having a good resource and reference point is a great way to start building respect with your employees and letting them know that you think they are important and valued.
Another way to showcase respect for your employees is to make sure that all holidays that are celebrated by your employees are recognized. While most may celebrate the biggest holidays in the area, there will be some of your employees who choose to celebrate others. In these cases, make sure that there is representation across the board and any events that are celebrated for holidays should not be made mandatory.
6. Charitable Fundraising
Many of your employees have certain charities that are close to their hearts, and contributing to those charities can help establish a happier team. These charities can range from fundraising for patient advocacy groups that may personally impact your employees, or localized ones for hospitals and local organizations. Being able to support not just local organizations but those that directly impact your employees shows them a level of commitment that they may not have experienced with prior employers.
Keep in mind that you do not have to limit yourself to one charity when you do fundraising, but you can offer different fundraisers for different organizations throughout the year. Depending on the type of business you have, you could even offer friendly competition where your employees can do competing fundraisers within the office at once to help encourage charitable giving as a group and donate a single unit.
7. Plenty of PTO
Encouraging a happier team means that you are giving them the time they need for their personal days and life outside of the office. Having adequate work-life balance means that there is enough PTO time available when your employees or their dependents get sick, as well as vacation days. Being able to take a personal day because they need it or because something has come up is something that many employees worry about if they have too little PTO time. If you are providing enough days a year for employees to utilize, then you will establish a team that is happy to come to work and perform at their best.
It is ideal to offer at least 20 days a year for PTO time. While some employers separate PTO time between vacation and sick days, those who combine it into one pool should offer enough that gives employees the vacations they need and also time off for appointments, sick days, and other things that may come up unexpectedly. Not all events can be scheduled, and when PTO isn’t available, or if your employee has exhausted their hours, they may be forced to have their checks reduced because they did not get all their paid hours. This is a practice that you want to discourage as an employer.
Allow this PTO time that you award your employees to roll over at the end of the year so that any unused can be taken the next year, if necessary. Also, it is a positive thing to offer a sliding scale of PTO time, increasing the amount that is accrued based on the years of service.
It is a good place to store the first aid kit and supplies that you receive from the medical adhesive tape supplier in your area designated for employees. Under the sink or in a drawer of the kitchenette, you can put the supplies there for employees to access without them being utilized by others in the area. Any other supplies that your employees may need can also be stored in this area for safekeeping and convenience.
8. A Quality Breakroom
When it is time for a break, your employees need a space that is comfortable to relax and take that break. Just like the office space being appealing, the breakroom should be appealing to encourage a happier team. Having small things like the Penny Publications on the table is a great start, but you should also provide a fridge, microwave, and a coffee pot, giving them the essentials they need.
Having a door that can be shut, away from the noise of the office is ideal since it allows your employees to be distracted and have that time to disconnect from the job for just a little while. Large enough spaces should have a TV available for your employees to watch, as well as a couch and area where they can just relax for a few minutes. With technology being a large part of our lives, it is encouraged to also include a charging station for phones and tablets that your employees may use on their breaks.
Small things like condiments dispensers and other handy things that your employees can use while on break will make a difference in their experience. This goes back to respect and appreciation, letting them know that they matter and their breaks are important to the company as a whole.
9. Good Parking Spaces
With so many employees having to commute to work by vehicle, offering good parking spaces will quickly make a happier team. Some businesses believe that the best parking should be available for the customers, but that is not necessarily true, as you need your staff to be available and ready to work when you need them.
If your employees have to park in areas that are not as great, they may suffer more car damage. With domestic or European car repair, your employees may need to take additional time off work that they would otherwise not need to because of good parking. The parking lots you designate for your employees should be maintained and secured at all times for safety purposes.
10. Excellent Health Insurance
Many employees review benefits first, and excellent health insurance is a great way to encourage a happier team. Having access to services like oral surgeons with quality insurance can make all the difference in their personal health care and for their family members. Excellent health insurance should include medical, dental, and vision options in the plan. Also, there should be substantial coverage with these services including prescriptions. You can expect to have healthier employees if they have good health insurance.
Moving Forward With A Happier Team
When you take advantage of these ten secrets at your job, you can be sure to establish a happier and healthier team. These different tips will encourage your employees to remain loyal and continue working efficiently for your business at all times. This type of loyalty and hard work will only continue to encourage positive production and how your company is portrayed to the local community and is a win-win situation for everyone who is involved. Get ready to have a happy team that produces great results for your company!