What are the Best Office Amenities?

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Office amenities can make or break the workplace. Research reveals 72% of tenants wish their office building had better or more amenities. But should you focus on providing artisan coffee or hi-tech gadgets in your office?

Some office amenities, including free beverages and fast wi-fi, should be offered as standard. You also need to select the right office layout for your business to house these amenities.

But, when it comes to deciding the suite of office amenities you want to offer, it all comes down to your space and the people using it.

So, before you invest in a suite of standing desks or introduce a pet-friendly office policy, make sure you ask your tenants want they want from their workspace. The responses may surprise you – particularly for the millennial generation.

Here are the top office amenities you may want to consider:

Healthy options

Research reveals health-based benefits are favored across the board with 87% of workers wanting such amenities.

What’s more, 93% of employees in the tech sector said they would stay longer at a company that offers health benefits, including wellness rooms, healthy food options, and ergonomic seating.

Here are some health benefits you may want to consider:

Healthy food options
Dedicated eating spaces
Locker and shower facilities
Bike storage and repair
Adjustable and ergonomic workstations
On-site gyms and other spaces for physical activity
Nap pods and quiet/tech-free zones (London’s Huckletree West coworking space even has a meditation yurt)
Regular exercise classes
Subsidized gym memberships
Free healthcare
Outside exercise areas (Google’s new London office will reportedly feature a swimming pool and rooftop running track)

Natural surroundings

Further research reveals workers rank access to natural light and views of the outdoors as the most important of all office amenities. In fact, 47% of employees said they feel tired due to a lack of natural light in their office, with 43% claiming it adversely affects their mood.

There are some easy steps you can take to boost light in your workplace. For example, you could change your layout so more employees sit next to windows or replace solid walls with glass partitions.

However, make sure you install adjustable window blinds in case the sun’s rays are too harsh or if your staff needs a little privacy.

You could also install daylight lamps, which simulate natural daylight, or install a light therapy box.

If you want to bring the great outdoors into your office, here are a handful of additional options:

A rooftop garden or outdoor workspace
Living walls and office plants (Amazon has reportedly taken things one step further with three gigantic spheres housing more than 300 plant species planned at its Seattle offices)
Use natural materials and colors (NYC coworking space The Farm SoHo decked out one space with timber from a Missouri barn)