Sitting in front of a computer all day can take both a mental and physical toll on your landscape management office staff. They stare at the field service software all day long and probably get a little stir crazy from time to time.
You, as an owner, can provide a few simple and cheap (and sometimes even free!) things to help be sure your employees aren’t ready to jump out a window! Here are 4 ways:
- A Good Chair – Sitting in a chair all day is hard on the body. Things such as slouching, back problems, a numb tushy, or a bad chair can cause a person to be uncomfortable the entire work day. An uncomfortable employee is an unpleasant, and at times inefficient, employee. Invest in good office chairs. Maybe even let each individual pick out their own chair, since every person has their own preferences. This not only will help to ensure they are comfortable, but also probably make them happy to get to have something they picked out and like.
- Exercise – Encourage movement throughout the day. We don’t mean you have to enforce a mandatory work out time for your employees. You could simply offer up two 15 minute breaks where employees can go for a walk. Not only is it good to get the body moving, it helps to take a break from staring at the screen all day. At our office, we have a ping pong table. This gets us up and moving and is a nice way to blow off steam or just have a good time for a few minutes (even if we all stink at the game).
A Healthy Snack – Provide things such as apples, bananas, celery and dip, etc. Snacks help to keep blood sugar up, which can help to prevent melt downs that some of us have when we get hungry. Snacks are great because they are not a huge cost to you or the company and employees appreciate the thought. Plus, did you know that an apple in the morning is as efficient as one cup of coffee? Pretty cool, huh?- Music – Let employees listen to music when they aren’t answering phones. Music is a great stress reliever and as long as the music is acceptable for your office setting, it really does no harm. It is another great, free thing employees can do to not get stir crazy.
Sometimes we think that just because someone isn’t constantly on the go, that they have an easy job. Your office staff deal with sitting for long hours, staring at screens with small writing, and difficult customers on a daily basis. Help to make their day easier with these simple tips, or if they offer their own ideas for the office, always consider them. A happy office will provide great customer service for your business, while making daily life in the company more enjoyable.