Achieve Wellbeing at Work with an Office Space in Brentford

The Mille is a recently refurbished landmark building situated on the Great West Road. Offering an onsite gym and shower changing facilities, free Brompton bike hire and covered cycle racks, it ticks every box for employers seeking office space in Brentford to help them support workforce well-being.

But what should employers look for and what actions should they take to improve employees’ wellbeing at work?

Wellbeing effects on employees’ performance

In 2019, some 17.5 million days were lost to sickness absence due to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and stress.

Research commissioned by Investors in People for Stress Awareness week towards the end of 2019 revealed that 79 per cent of people had experienced stress at work, and most of them admitted to being less productive when they felt under stress. Whilst pressures tended to be caused by tight deadlines and heavy workloads, it was also reported that poor working environments were also to blame.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) through its campaign, Shine a Light on Work-Related Stress, is pushing for employers to take a proactive rather than reactive stance when it comes to managing work-related stress. What’s more, courtesy of other campaigns, the HSE is encouraging employers to promote health, safety and well-being generally. In Britain, some 28.2 million estimated working days were lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal injuries in 2018-2019.

There are a number of steps employers can take to promote staff well-being, including mental health well-being, and there are numerous benefits in doing so.

The benefits of promoting staff well-being

A healthy workforce is a productive workforce and one that avoids too large a volume of sickness absence. It makes good financial sense therefore for employers to invest in workplace well-being.

An active stance when it comes to supporting worker well-being is also a good driver for staff retention. What’s more, a policy that sees employers providing staff with incentives that help them enjoy a healthier working environment is a known way to attract good talent into a business.

According to research by mental health charity Mind, three in five employees said that if their employer took action to support the mental well-being of all staff, they would feel more loyal, motivated, committed and be likely to recommend their workplace as a good place to work.

How to support workplace well-being

What can employers do to promote and support workplace well-being? Some simple strategies can be easily adopted. Others may call for a little more investment, but the results will be worthwhile.

Simple strategies

It doesn’t take much to put the following in place, but the effects will be widely appreciated:

Providing access to counselling helplines and distributing mental health resources
Promoting an open and supportive culture
Ensuring managers are trained to identify and deal with mental health issues
Appointing a workplace mental health first aider
Educating staff on the benefits of stress-reducing activities such as sports, spending time in nature and getting plenty of sleep
Encouraging staff to take regular breaks, to leave on time and to make sure their leave allowance is fully taken
Offering flexible working hours and the opportunity to work from home

Physical activity

Good physical health helps to promote positive mental health, so promoting involvement in sport and fitness activities is a good tactic.

A physically fit and healthy workforce is also less likely to take time off sick. What’s more, exercise boosts the ability to undertake tasks such as problem-solving and multi-tasking and also improves memory. It also increases deep-sleep time, which helps to fend off disease and stress.

Here are some strategies employers are increasingly adopting:

Provide an onsite gym – when choosing office space, consider whether the building offers an onsite gym. This can be an incredibly attractive pull for incoming new talent, and a big plus for staff retention, on top of the health benefits.
Provide gym memberships or subsidised passes – if you can’t provide an onsite gym, consider a free or subsidised gym membership as part of your staff benefits package.
Offer bicycle hire facilities to make the commute a healthier one. Showers and lockers are a good add-on here. Secure storage so staff can use their bicycles is a good compromise. For those who don’t commute or where it’s not possible to travel in by bike, try promoting the benefits of a lunchtime ride-out.
Go green – the benefits of spending time in nature are well-proven, especially when it comes to promoting positive mental health. When considering where to rent office space, think about proximity to green spaces so that staff can take time out during their breaks. At very least, bring nature into the office by introducing plants or even a planted wall. Give staff the responsibility to take care of the plants too; it’s a great way to give them something other than work to focus on, and gardening is a known stress reliever.

Ticking all the boxes with office space in Brentford

Brentford in West London is a renowned business district that offers an array of attractive benefits to workforces and employers alike. It also ticks many of the boxes for businesses looking for office space in London that will allow them to support the physical and mental well-being of their staff.

Green spaces

Brentford has a reputation as one of the Capital’s greenest zones, presenting a variety of appealing outdoor spaces. Syon House, for example, boasts a nature reserve and park as well as a spectacular mansion. Boston Manor Park is a large public space made up of woodland and open space that spans 28 acres of Natural Conservation Area.

The Grand Union Canal is a notable landmark. Here staff can take pleasant canal-side walks, go wildlife-spotting and cycle around Brentford Gauging Lock.

Cycle trails

Both Syon House and Boston Manor Park, together with nearby Richmond Park, feature on Brentford’s numerous cycling trails. The Richmond Park circuit takes in some particularly interesting sights, including numerous refuelling stop-offs!

Gyms

Brentford features several gyms that employers could consider as staff perks. It’s good practice to make sure staff feel they have sufficient time to use the gym though, so perhaps offer an extended lunch break to anyone using the gym, or an earlier knock-off time. Remember though that an onsite gym will always be a preference, so if you can, check whether your potential Brentford office space offers one.

It’s clear to see that for businesses looking for office space Brentford does offer the backing employers need to promote workplace well-being.

The Mille - Office Space Brentford Employers Value

Want to learn more about renting office space in Brentford? Why not talk to one of our sole agents to arrange a viewing at The Mille.