What could your office do to improve your working day?

[Biancadelriosback]

I've recently been given an office building to run. I have some relevant experience however it's always been as part of a brand with brand standards. Now I actually have freedom to do things. So I'm looking for some inspiration.
The building will be occupied by different companies and will be premium. So I'm looking at things like free networking events, high-end tea and coffee facilities, free fresh fruit etc so yeah! Just after some ideas :)

Toaster!! I work in nice plush London offices and we recently got a microwave, but no toaster due to "health and safety". 🙄. Space to chill out (we have very little and it gets used up quickly). We have phone booth rooms which are good for private calls.

Lots of plants!

Also, different areas for people who work quietly and people who talk and laugh loudly all day like total bastards. (Not speaking from personal experience at all...)

I've just done a workplace stress survey and the things people would like to see improved are car parking and IT, especially access to printers

Offer breakfast / treats once a month this could be from a local cafe bacon butties type thing or perhaps some local bakery of pastries doughnuts.
( yes I know all supposed to be being healthy but a treat once month would be ok )
Or if you do want to be healthy there's lots of small independent companies around that would deliver fresh fruit to your office.
If you have enough space in a break room dart board would be good tho H&S may have something to say about this or simple games like Connect 4 and Ludo help people bond and have a laugh during lunch a company that I used to work for had a connect four league it got surprisingly competitive

Dogs

We have office dogs, they are great.

gah, just a desk near my team would be nice! we have to book and we don't have enough in our team area for everyone. I'm last in so end up missing out.

Parking spaces!

Currently, natural light, ventilation, heating and a roof that doesn't leak. Basically I work in a leaking concrete bunker. We have been promised a move but nothing is moving forward...

In an ideal world, clean toilets with naice soap, lots of plants, desks that are actually big enough

Definitely agree about the nice toilets and fancy soap etc. Makes a HUGE difference.

Look to get the basics bang on straight away - fast, reliable internet, decent phonesets, sizeable desks and a good chair. Lockable drawers for everyone too.

Then look at your highend coffee and tea but if you're thinking nespresso types - do you have the budget to keep them constantly refreshed? Are you going to have daily milk deliveries? How about a step further and get newspapers and magazines delivered?

Lone working areas and phone booths arw a great idea. Can you invest in soundproofing?

Networking events, monthly socials with free beers etc. Random "events" such as free hot chocolate with cream, marshmallows, flakes etc one day in the winter as a little treat surprise. Similarly with ice lollies in the summer.

Fire alarm tests out of office hours.

We have
Nice soap. Free tampons and pads I actually supply them but nobody knows
The odd Starbucks
Ice lollies in summer
Bagel Fridays (we bring in bagels and variety of toppings)
Sweets
Free tea, coffee, milk
Nice kitchen and break room
Incentives on targets
Long running monopoly game (we get a roll for doing various things)

Showers, lockers and a secure bike shed.
Standing desks

Really good chairs are my absolute favourite thing. Second to that, a fridge and hot water for tea, rather than a horrifying machine that spits out pretend tea ready made. Ideally a toaster and a microwave as well. Third is windows and natural light. Place to take calls are really useful in the age of open plan, I've spent many an hour sat an an emergency exit stairwell due to having nowhere to take a call.

Things like fruit and newspapers are nice to have.

I'd prefer good basics over fancy stuff. So decent desks and chairs, nice big screens, clean well supplied loos and kitchen, plenty of parking.

Free sanitary products in the loos

space to get away from your desk for lunch / break. clean fresh toilets with soap and stuff. yo yo desks so you can stand or sit to work. organised walks at lunchtime, table tennis table, canteen / cafe with salad bar and fresh food, a ban on cake for everything... encourage other treats instead and charity events that aren't cake bakes.

No plants, no animals, for the love of god.

Give me a work space i can call my own, so i don't have to hotdesk everyday.

Make sure you've lots of plugs, printers that are simple, comfy chairs, windows that open with blinds, nice flooring and aircon.

Space to sit away from the desk and a fridge, kettle, microwave and toaster.

Reliable IT.

I love my office. We have:
Fresh fruit
Free coffee and tea
Comfy chairs
Air conditioning
Nice soap
Birthday cake every month
Christmas to New Year off

Lunch take naps

*lunch time naps 🤔 I live a nap and have such a lag at my desk around lunch time, I reckon a quick nap would be amazing

More likely to happen, decent coffee, nespresso do a monthly subscription service for offices, that would be the dream in my office 😍

My boss installed a shower for us, so we can cycle to work and run in our lunch hours. With dark mornings and evenings, if you work full time it’s hard to stay fit, and this really helps. Plus lockable bike racks.

Whatever you do don’t try and recreate google with pool tables on the floor etc

My very corporate office did this and it was so fucking annoying to hear the balls knocking about the place all the time

For me, what makes the most difference is being able to have parcels/shopping delivered, because getting to a postoffice by the house, within the hours can be really hard - BUT I know some people can take the mick with that, so you need reasonable people/policies.

Outside of that, lazy sod that I am, I like it when there's someone who officially cleans the kitchen, because otherwise it's just never done properly. In fact, when I worked in asia we had an office 'auntie' who cleaned up, and had a little budget for snacks, had breakfast porridge made for those that wanted it in the morning and would take the directors tea a couple of times a day. That was lovely, having someone you trusted who made you feel looked after.