8 Ideas and Ways to Improve the Work Environment! Introducing Success Cases

Some executives and managers of companies want to improve the work environment, but they may be wondering how to proceed. In this article, we will specifically explain the benefits of improving the workplace environment and eight proposals. We will also introduce examples of companies that have succeeded in making improvements, so please use them as a reference for your own efforts.

The Importance of Improving the Work Environment

The government is promoting work style reforms with the aim of creating a society in which latent workers can play an active role in the labor market. With the enforcement of the Work Style Reform Act in 2019, an increasing number of companies are making serious efforts to improve the working environment.

What are the benefits of improving the working environment? Here we will focus on four main points.

Productivity improvement can be expected

If the external environment such as temperature, humidity, and noise becomes comfortable, the concentration and motivation of employees will increase, and productivity can be expected to improve . Conversely, if the environment continues to be unfavorable, the quality of work may decline due to an increase in the number of mistakes, and the physical and mental stress of employees may increase, causing them to become ill.

Improving work efficiency by creating an environment that is easy to work in, such as arranging equipment and desks in consideration of the flow line, will also lead to improved productivity.

Lower turnover rate

Employees usually work under a lot of stress. Therefore, by improving the system in particular and creating an environment that makes it easier to balance childcare and nursing care, employees will find it easier to work, and more people will want to work at this company for a long time . It makes it easier to feel attached to your company, and you can expect an improvement in the retention rate.

In Japan, the working-age population is expected to continue to decline due to the declining birthrate. Therefore, improving the working environment reduces the turnover rate and secures manpower, which is a great advantage.

more communication

Creating spaces and times for employees to chat and take breaks naturally encourages conversations among employees. If you can communicate casually on a regular basis, communication at work will be smoother and it will be easier to collaborate . Mistakes due to misunderstandings and stress in human relationships can also be reduced.
Activating communication not only within a small framework such as a team, but also throughout the company is a necessary element for the growth of the company.

Improve corporate image

A comfortable working environment is not only evaluated within the company, but also easily gains the trust of stakeholders such as business partners, shareholders, and customers, and is a good appeal point for a company .

In recent years, in addition to the official website of a company, it is possible to disseminate information on SNS, etc., so it is easy to spread information about the workplace environment. If good information about your company attracts the interest of job seekers, the number of applicants may increase. If you have a problem that you are looking for human resources but it is difficult to attract people, it is one idea to improve the corporate image by promoting improvement of the work environment and disseminating it widely.

8 ideas to improve your work environment

In May 1992, the Industrial Safety and Health Law was revised, and the “Guidelines for measures to be taken by employers to create a comfortable working environment” (Comfortable Workplace Guidelines) were presented. Companies should actually address the following issues: “Management of the work environment”, “Improvement of work methods”, “Installation and maintenance of facilities and equipment to help workers recover from mental and physical fatigue”, “Other facilities and The four items of “maintenance and management of facilities” are listed.

Here are eight ideas for concrete actions to improve your work environment. In addition to the above four items, there are also proposals related to human relationships and lifestyles, which have become increasingly necessary in recent years.

1. Control your work environment

If the room temperature, humidity, air pollution and odors in the work area make you feel uncomfortable, you will not be able to concentrate on your work and your efficiency will decrease. Although there are variations in how people perceive such an external environment, it is important to maintain and manage the appropriate conditions that are generally considered to be easy to work in.

set up air conditioning

Workplace temperature and humidity are important factors that greatly affect work efficiency. If you continue to be in an inappropriate environment, you may get sick easily, such as catching a cold. Regularly check air-conditioning equipment and indoor temperature and humidity, and interview employees to confirm whether the current situation is appropriate . If necessary, improvement measures can be taken, such as reviewing the temperature settings of the air conditioning and circulating the air with a hybrid fan.

Take measures against odors

In many workplaces, a certain number of people work together in one place. Therefore, you may be concerned about odors such as body odor, bad breath, cigarettes, makeup, perfume, and fabric softener. In addition, there may be cases where the source of the odor is clear from trash cans and toilets.

If unpleasant odors are left unattended, mental and physical stress will increase, such as feeling sick, and work efficiency may deteriorate. In general, you can reduce unpleasant odors by using ventilation systems, air purifiers, and deodorants . In addition, if a specific person seems to be the cause, it is a sensitive issue and careful handling is required.

2. Review your work tools

Work tools here refer to desks and chairs where you work. The workplace is where most people spend a third of their day. If there is any work tool that puts a strain on the body, we have to check it while interviewing and improve it if there is .

As a specific example, it is a good idea to introduce a wide desk that is easy to work with or a standing desk with a suitable height. Recently, chairs and cushions that reduce the burden on the lower back and make it easier to maintain correct posture are available, so it would be a good idea to introduce them.

3. Improve how you work

If you are currently exchanging and managing internal information using analog methods such as paper documents and faxes, you can consider going digital . Managing information on paper takes time and effort to organize and store it, and it is difficult to use it later. Verbal information sharing is also misleading and inefficient.

Even if it is not possible to make a complete change all at once, we may be able to begin by discontinuing paper-based information management in some fields and converting it to data, or by introducing tools for digital management. It also eliminates the need for space to store many documents in cabinets and desks, and will improve the physical work environment.

4. Allow people to choose the way they work

In recent years, social conditions have changed at a dizzying pace, and lifestyles have diversified. Therefore, promoting the introduction of telework and flextime systems is one way to improve the workplace. It is very attractive for each employee to be able to choose the work style according to their family circumstances such as childcare and nursing care, their physical condition, and their future career plans.

Improving the working environment and allowing flexible working styles will increase employee satisfaction and engagement, which will lead to a lower turnover rate.

5. Create an environment where you can consult

In a workplace where many people work, various relationships are born. Some people build relationships well, while others feel pressured and feel bad about it.

A workplace where employees cannot talk to anyone about power or sexual harassment has a negative impact on their mental and physical health. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically conduct a questionnaire on items such as whether there were such events and what kind of situation they were . Even if you can’t say it verbally, an anonymous survey will make it easier to grasp the actual situation.

It is also a good idea to hold regular meetings between superiors and subordinates to provide an opportunity to check if there are any problems.

6. Make it easier to take paid leave

Annual paid leave is a worker’s right stipulated by the Labor Standards Act. If the following two conditions are met, it is said that any type of industry, occupation, or form of employment can be acquired.

• Has been continuously employed for half a year
• Attending work more than 80% of all working days

The Work Style Reform Act, which went into effect in April 2019, made it mandatory for employees with statutory annual paid leave of 10 days or more to take 5 days of annual paid leave. rice field. It is necessary to investigate the status of taking annual paid leave, and if it seems that employees are not actively taking it, encourage them to take it or change the system to make it easier to take . If employees can easily refresh themselves, productivity can be expected to improve.

7. Create a relaxing space

If you have a space where you can relax between work, you can refresh your body and mind, so it is recommended . For example, you can create a café-like space by placing sofas and tables around coffee makers, free drinks, and vending machines. If you prepare various types of seats, such as seats where one person can sit quietly, and seats where several people can enjoy chatting, it will be easier for many people to use them.

Since it is easy to chat casually, internal communication will be activated and it will also help to facilitate human relations. Proper rest also has the added benefit of allowing you to refocus and get back to work.

8. Create a manual

By creating a manual for routine work that is performed on a daily basis, you can improve work efficiency . When you join the company or change personnel, the burden and stress of teaching new members verbally or on the job every time will be reduced, and you will be able to use your work time effectively.

As an employee on the side of learning, there is also the advantage that you can check it whenever you want to know. The manual may feel like a lot of work when you first create it, but once you create it, it will be easier later, so it’s a good idea to work on it little by little.

How to proceed when improving the work environment

How should we proceed to improve the work environment? Here, I will explain the major flow and points.

1. Identify issues

First, we conduct a survey of employees to understand the current situation . If it is difficult for you to tell the truth, you can do it anonymously.

In addition, it is also possible to find issues through interviews with subordinates and team meetings . At that time, try not to criticize any opinions, and create an atmosphere where you can freely express your thoughts.

2. Implement improvement measures for issues

If we can identify issues, we will consider measures to improve them . Through repeated discussions in the team, you will be able to extract various improvement measures. At that time, it is also useful to refer to successful cases of other companies. Decide on the improvement measures that are considered to be the best for your company and move on to implementation.

3. Run the PDCA cycle

Improvement measures do not end once they are decided and implemented. After implementation, it is necessary to verify the effects obtained and remaining issues, and to brush up on improvement measures . Repeating the PDCA cycle will ultimately lead to success in improving the workplace environment.

Successful cases of improving the working environment

Now, I would like to introduce two examples of companies that have actually succeeded in improving the working environment. Please refer to it when considering your own countermeasures.

Kumamoto Medical Center

Due to the nature of work in the medical field, work style reform has been considered difficult. At the Kumamoto Medical Center, the long working hours of nursing work was seen as a problem, and a solution was considered and implemented. Specifically, we used different colors for the day shift and night shift uniforms to raise awareness of the end of working hours as a group .

People who work overtime stand out in a different color than other people, which has the effect of encouraging them to leave work on time. It is said that he got a hint from the offense and defense change in American football. As a result, the center ‘s annual overtime hours for nurses decreased to about half after one year, and to about one-fifth after four years .

ENEOS Holdings Co., Ltd.

The company, which develops a wide range of businesses from energy resource procurement to production and sales, is promoting an “office reform project” as a new use of office space. One of these initiatives is ” Comore Biz .”

A coworking space was created in one of the conference rooms, and a plant was placed in the middle of the large table. We have also devised ways to listen to the chirping of birds, and to cook aromas that can be expected to have concentration and antiviral effects.
By making the office environment comfortable, employees can experience a relaxing effect, which leads to improved productivity and creativity .

summary

Currently, companies are under pressure to improve the working environment while keeping in mind the work style reforms led by the government. By implementing improvement measures, productivity and corporate image will improve, which will also lead to lower turnover rates and securing new personnel.