What makes your Office a nice place to work?

[Kbear]

I've been challenged with making our office a nice place to be, I've ordered fruit delivery and a water cooler, interesting teas and a new coffee machine but is there anything else your office does for staff, little treats etc that make it a bit nicer for those who are back in? Thanks for any ideas

Out door area to have lunch, get fresh air and just get away from the desk.

Dry shampoo and deodorant!!! NO! Surely if you exercise at lunch or can't wash your hair at home, you'd bring your own! I wouldn't expect or want my company to provide this!

Think about the walls too, we pay an external company for banners that display our company values/benefits etc. Even a few big logos around the office make staff feel more welcome.

Also staff notice boards including employee of the month, latest staff deals, newsletter etc all help with engagement.

Allocated desks
Printers / Photocopiers that work / are fast

I clicked before I'd finished.

OP- you will need to monitor this. Why not have an anonymous poll at work. Make suggestions and then free text available for staff to comment on what THEY would like to see? Yes, some people will put in- not work but get paid for full time etc, but you might see patterns of what staff do/don't want. You might need to amend with time what is offered. I personally, wouldn't be bothered at all by the various teas. At work, I would generally have a coffee 1st thing then water, but everyone is different.

A seemingly unlimited supply of ice.

A positive, fair minded boss, and lovely colleagues.

I don't care about gimmicks, but horrible colleagues can make life a misery.

A previous employer used to display posters of their values and motivational slogans etc. It caused a great deal of irritation as they did not live by those values it was all lip service.

Psychological safety. A culture where you can come back and admit to not doing a great job and colleagues and supportive and not judgemental.
We have cracks in the walls, a toilet where you hear everyone taking a puss, we had no fridge for 6mo because employer isn't required to provide one (you're only legally entitled to access to hot drinks and food), there's no break space - the kitchen is 1m² and we have access to a corridor. But it's the best place I've worked. The team is incredible. It's not about the environment. It's the culture which makes it.

We have a wellbeing room with comfy chairs, bean bags, yoga mats, dim lighting, aromatherapy diffuser etc. Also free access to Headspace for all employees, which you can give to 1 or 2 friends or family members as well.

And an annual wellbeing allowance that you can expense all sorts of things against and only pay the tax on it - like haircuts, massages, exercise equipment, fitness trackers, hellofresh etc, days out with your family such as theme parks or theatre tickets.

Ahhh see dogs or any animal in an office would be hell for me, highly allergic.

Things I would like:
Tea coffee sugar milks all provided
Once a week cake round
Fruit available
Nice people (which you can't control)
Good office chatter

Natural light, windows that open, air con in summer, a decent coffee machine.

Well equipped kitchen.

That's it! Everything else is to do with culture.

If I went to a job interview and saw a bean bag, I would leave 😂

I would love this, DH on the other hand would have an sthma attack from the dander

Management that manages its workforce.

Not being held responsible for events outside my control.

Single or double office - no open plan.

Systems that work and are effective.

Tea and coffee.

Making sure that everyone has a workspace.

Since having children, I have worked part-time, and there have been a few times when I have had no space to work and felt compelled to go elsewhere. I put a cheery face on it, but it wears me down.

It would be good if someone was monitoring workspaces for all employees.

No open plan.

flexible working times. If 8hrs per day, any time 7am-9pm is fine depending on what people need or prefer.

I used to work in an amazing office.
It really was a lovely, calm place to work, despite the role being quite demanding at times.

It was all open plan, loads of natural light , huge windows.

Lots of plants and indoor trees everywhere

Comfy breakout booths to work/chat in , if you wanted to get away from your desk area

Double screens

small kitchen stations for every department, dotted around the floor including free coffee/different teas and milk. Also had fresh water taps that had a sparkling water option

free vending machine for hot drinks

Free fresh fruit every day from the canteen.
Also a separate kitchen which had microwaves.

Lots of outside seating in the gardens

The last Friday of every month, we all bought in snacks and would have a communal snack break in the afternoon - used to love that.

There were also lots of random freebie days - it was national donut day apparently and work provided everyone with free Krisbie Kreme donuts.
National Pizza Day - we all got pizza
In summer, they always stocked the fridges with ice lollies.

It was a great place to work!

Homeworking.

Since the pandemic majority of staff are WFH, a few of us need access to secure phones, and have fallen into a pattern of a few days a week in the office. Its bliss! No noise, nobody talking about diets/Eastenders/football.

Windows closed/opened as needed not just because Sue in Finance likes the room cold, or Anita in dispatch likes it hotter than hell, no queue for the coffee shop, meeting rooms available.

Total bliss.

I'm dreading "normal" returning.

The option to work from home at least half of the week for those who want to.
Tech, photocopiers and other equipment that works all the time.

The absence of corporate jollies.
The comments about colleagues who are least not unpleasant rings true, and I am so glad I don't have nasty ones.

Neutral music and to be listened to when you're not happy. I hated my office as they constantly played club music constantly. Complained 4 times asking for other types of music to be played but wasn't listened to. I ended up wearing headphones and not really talking to anyone until I left.

Sounds wonderful!

Hardly any of the above matters to me. I just want to work with nice people. Have a chat and a bit of a natter. Someone ask me genuinely if I had a nice holiday. Just pleasantries and a nice atmosphere. To have a laugh and a giggle.

I have two part time jobs and in both places the people are really nice, pleasant, have a laugh and a giggle work hard have a cup of tea work and then it's time to go home. that's what's the most important to me.

I think it's largely specific to the people who work in your office so I'd ask them. There's nothing worse than having something imposed that is supposed to be nice but that nobody actually experiences in a positive way. Whereas if your suggestions are implemented than you feel valued and listened to.

Either walking distance or lots of parking
Windows that open and the option to sit near them
Free tea coffee water
A good culture (can't be bought)

Walking meetings are a great idea!

We had a pool table in my last office and we ran pool tournaments for staff. We also had free alcoholic drinks on Thursdays after work. We had a roof terrace and sometimes yoga was taught up there. We also had a choir session once a week at lunchtime and a knitting club. The atmosphere was so fun and relaxed but we still worked hard. Really miss it.

Sanitary products in the woman's bathrooms, fake plants around the floor, large landscape prints on walls, squash, tea, coffee and milk.