There are several factors that contribute to a healthy and happy workplace. There are physical characteristics, such as lighting and heat, and there are emotional and behavioural characteristics. All of the characteristics, although very different individually, are key ingredients to both a healthy and happy workplace. If some of the contributing factors are out of balance, the lack of them or inadequacy of them can create either a physically or emotionally “toxic” environment that can jeopardize the equilibrium of the workplace.
       
Physical Factors

Let us first take a look at the elements that can affect the physical health and happiness of the workplace. Below is a list of features that can affect the quality of your work environment and that should be addressed.

Building Materials
Carpets and Flooring
Cleaners
Lighting Design
Employee Workstation Comfort
Electro-magnetic Fields
Furnishings
Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation
Quality Lawn Care and Landscaping
Office Supplies
Paints and Wall coverings
Pest Control
Radon
Stress
Water Quality

It is important to use non-toxic building materials, furnishings and office supplies. Also, pay particular attention to installing a good quality HVAC design.

If you are renovating or newly building an organization, it is easier to identify and adopt these features. However, if you are in an environment that is presently unhealthy, the best thing to do is eradicate the problems. You can accomplish this by carrying out an environmental audit. Also consider employing an external company to examine your duct system, building design, lighting design, office furnishings and to survey your employees. Generate corporate guidelines that outline how to make healthier purchasing choices for the benefit of the employees’ health. Furthermore, there are now healthier options in terms of office supplies. These range from non-chlorine-bleached paper (organochlorines are highly hazardous) to non-toxic markers and correction fluid.


Emotional/ Behavioural Factors

Let us move now to factors that can affect our mental and behavioural health and happiness in the workplace. According to Jim Collins, author of the book ‘Good to Great,’ “the key ingredient for all of us, employer and employee alike, is to use your will to move things forward, and to do so with humility as you begin the process.” Jim suggests starting this process by:

- Using the right words when you communicate
- Striving for optimism
- Knowing when you need to change
- Listening to what others say
- Learning what makes us tick
- Thinking twice before we act once
- Starting in the right direction
- Holding yourself and others accountable

According to Jim, “the truth is that change only occurs through us. If we want higher employee morale and a greater sense of loyalty, then now is the time to act. Extinguish unsuccessful behaviours, dump the Pollyanna front, move to bring authenticity to your life and work, and teach and learn what’s necessary to move your organization forward in the long term.”

Mark Bunn, author of ‘Healthy Happy Workplaces - 7 Tips,’ also has some very helpful tips to create a cheerful and nourishing workplace. His suggestions may be lengthy, but they are very good. Here is what he proposes:

“1. Brighten Things Up - Make a 'Cheerier' Workplace

In the pursuit of looking sleek, modern & professional, many workplaces can tend towards darker interiors, cold furnishings and a generally 'smart' yet not so healthy work environments.

Too much heavy/dark colours etc can tend to dull the mind and even contribute to lack of vitality and even depression.

With people spending eight hours plus, one of the most profound ways to increase morale, positivity and general health is to brighten up your workplace environment. Increase lightness, 'colour' and beauty where you can, e.g. colourful wall pictures/paintings, furniture/furnishings, bright flowers, a few green plants (even fake ones!) etc.

A study by Professor Margaret Burchett, of the University of Technology, Sydney, found that pot plants can reduce air toxins by as much as 20%. Similar studies in Europe have shown pot plants in the office can reduce 'sick leave' by 60%.

- Maximise 'natural light' wherever possible
- Encourage people to have a plant or fresh flowers on their desk.
- Encourage 'warmer/brighter' colours/clothing. It makes everyone feel better.


2. Allow / 'Encourage' a PROPER LUNCH Break

If you want workers to arrive at work feeling full of energy, eager to work and be productive right throughout the day, then give employees a decent lunch break and encourage them to eat their main meal at lunchtime not dinner time.

Why? Because this is how humans are designed to function for peak health & performance. From the popular 'Natural health system known as Maharishi Ayurveda, digestion (which is responsible for converting food into energy & healthy tissues) is at its peak in the middle of the day, when we are active & therefore need energy etc most.

Not only does getting out of the office at lunchtime provide a 'mental refresher,’ but eating a settled lunch (as opposed to sitting at one's desk or eating 'on the run'), is critical for workers to enjoy maximum energy and productivity throughout the day.

It also, helps prevent 'binge eating' later that day. After sunset, our digestive fire becomes almost non-existent as our body's wind down in preparation for their 'resting/rejuvenating' phase of sleep.

Eating a large, heavy meal at dinner (which most of our population does!) is not only 'poorly digested' but totally compromises our nightly rejuvenation cycle (during sleep), making us wake-up heavy, sluggish and de-motivated the next morning.


3. WATER, WATER, Everywhere

One of the primary causes of low energy, poor concentration and impaired decision-making is 'poor-hydration.' The combination of 'air-conditioned offices', coffee drinking and being 'too busy/lazy' to go to the staff kitchen and get a drink, means a high percentage of workers are working at significantly reduced productivity levels, due to poor drinking habits. The benefits in terms of improved energy, focus and morale of being properly hydrated make doing the following things, worth their weight in gold.

- Put little signs up on walls (or office health tips notice board) explaining the benefits of drinking regularly (water of course). * Don't couch in 'health' terms (people will be less likely to do it!!!), mention 'how much better they will FEEL.'
- Place your Water Dispenser in a prominent place, where people walk past regularly.
- Large Companies: Educate the Boss / Finance as to the benefits in productivity and ask them for more 'water dispensers' so you can have one in each area, making it as EASY as possible for people to get to.

Note: Yes, filtered water is best, but drinking COLD water is absolutely disastrous for health. It's a long story, but always favour room temperature or 'warm' water.


4. Afternoon Tea FRUIT

How about a really cheap way to give something to your employees that's also a great encouragement for workplace health? Get Fruity. Providing a good stock of seasonal fruit (in addition to the requisite biscuit tin of course!), is a great way to encourage a healthier diet and peak brain performance.

The best time for fruit is around 4 pm each day. This is when 'sweet cravings' are at their peak or when people who have skipped lunch, get the 'binge munchies.' An orange and a banana at this time, is not only a great healthy 'energy boosting, pick me up,' but as a bonus, you might also minimise the damage to the 'Tim Tam' stocks!!!

You could have a roster and get someone to walk around the office at the same time each day, handing out fruit or simply keep a healthy stock in the kitchen to make it easy for people to choose fruit.


5. Promote a HAPPY, HEALTHY, FUN Environment

Make sure you don't make your workplace too 'serious' and keep health & enjoyment in peoples awareness! Put up an office notice board (or add a section to your existing one), and put regular 'health promoting' things on it, e.g.

- Joke of the week: 'Laughter is the best medicine.' Let employees contribute here, but note, these may need to be screened!!!
- Question/Answer section: i.e. where an employee can post a question. For example, can anyone recommend a good Personal Trainer/Masseur near suburb XYZ? Where can I get my cholesterol checked near work? Then other employees answer.
- Health/Life Balance Tips: take from health magazines or online newsletters. If you would like a FREE Subscription to my Ezine, feel free - go to http://www.healthaa.com/etips


6. Have a Quiet Room

Business these days is all about activity; constant go go go. Arguably the single
greatest antidote to all the hustle & bustle is quiet time to oneself. Just like airports and many progressive companies these days, why not set aside a special room/area where employees can go for some 'Quiet Time.' This is where employees can meditate, do some yoga or simply have some quiet space to gather their thoughts.

Employees spend on average, 50-70% of their 'non-sleeping' time at work. Providing a space where they can have some 'downtime/personal rejuvenation time' will be one of the critical areas of the next decade.
Where practical, have:
- the room as far away from 'noise' as possible
- a couple of comfortable chairs for meditation
- a couch/small bed people can lie down on if feeling unwell
- a small space with 1-2 blankets for stretching, yoga etc
- soft lighting & possibly a 'fish tank' or small water feature. Water is very calming & balancing to corporate environments. That is why everyone wants to live near the water. Fish tanks have been shown to lower blood pressure!

Note: Together with things like this, is the need to change the 24/7 work culture; that employees who do look after their health, take mini- breaks/quiet time, don't work through lunch, don't work back late every night etc, aren't lazy or bad employees. It is quite the opposite. Promoting workers who look after themselves to stay fresh, clear, alert, positive, will not only help make you an 'employer of choice,' but lead to a more productive and balanced workplace.


7. Culture / Promote Employee WORK ENJOYMENT

The absolute No.1 key to good health and a happy workplace is 'happy employees.' The No.1 key to a happy employee is doing work that they both enjoy and are good at. This might seem obvious, but it's amazing how often we overlook this or put people in positions/roles based on 'proficiency alone' or worse to 'fill a hole.'

This is obviously more a 'management controlled issue,' so everyone needs to work together to make this one work. Anything that gets people 'doing what they most enjoy & do best, will skyrocket motivation & morale and drastically reduce workplace stress/work balance issues, as people won't get so stressed in the first place.”


What are the signs of a healthy and happy workplace?

So, what are the signs that you are part of an organization that has a healthy and happy environment? According to Emma-Lou Montgomery, author of ‘Five signs of a great workplace,’ there are five distinct signs that your organization is happy and healthy. She outlines that these signs are:

“1. You're given the tools to do the job

Anyone who's ever been given a task or responsibility only to find they don't have the right tools, data or equipment at their fingertips will know only too well how this makes you feel. It's frustrating, demoralising and often turns out to be symptomatic of other, deeper problems within the company.
On a personal level, staff who don't have the necessary tools for the job face immediate stress and anxiety. If left unchecked that soon turns into despondency and ultimately a lack of respect or care for the company they work for. And that's why a multi-year research project carried out by the Gallop to define exactly what a great company is ranked it as one of its key discoveries.

2. You're encouraged to do what you do best

Staff who aren't shoe-horned into unsuitable roles are happier. Using your skills to the best of your ability enables you to do a good job and feel more fulfilled. There is also less resentment among staff who feel they could do the job better than their colleague.
A lot of it comes down to expectations. If you're unsure of what is expected of you, or what you're doing is not what you envisaged, it's hard to work well or efficiently. Staff who don't feel they fit the role they're in tend to be unhappy. And those who don't use the skills they have don't work as well as they could.

3. You receive recognition or praise for the work you do

Interestingly salary is not the key indicator that your work is appreciated. It may be true that studies have shown better-paid staff need less praise than their lower-paid counterparts, but everyone still needs to feel needed. So recognition is vital.
In an era in which no one expects a job for life it's easy to feel insecure and matters aren't helped any by the bosses who get off on reminding us day in, day out, about the "people queuing up to do our job".

Knowing that what you're doing is right - and appreciated - is one of the other main factors when it comes to job satisfaction. And that job satisfaction is key when it comes to companies achieving that best to work for badge.

It's all about motivation. But that's hardly a 21st century concept. Theories on motivation have been around for a long time. Frederick Herzberg published The Motivation to Work back in 1959, but it's still being read today. According to Herzberg, people have two sets of needs - firstly, as an animal, to avoid pain, secondly as a human being, to grow psychologically.
Get yourself a boss who praises and motivates, rather than simply fault-finds, and you'll find you're a lot happier.

4. You're treated as a person, not just an employee

People are always banging on about the need for a work/life balance but how many of us feel we actually achieve that?

In our 24/7 culture getting any time off can be hard to achieve. More and more people have to juggle responsibilities at home and in the workplace. And when employees are asked about work, the one of the concerns that emerges most frequently, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), is the fact that few employers seem largely unwilling to take their home life commitments into account.

Findings show three out of four people say they are working very hard; many say they are working as hard as they can and could not imagine being able to work any harder. The surveys carried out by the CIPD also show that one in five people, including many managerial and professional workers, take work home almost every day.

One in three partners of people who typically work more than 48 hours a week feel that this has had a negative effect on personal relationships. Despite this overlap between home and work, only 33% of workers say their employer has any family-friendly practices or personal support services in place.
Finding a company that acknowledges that work is not the only thing in your life makes all the difference.

5. Your colleagues feel the same

This is the ultimate sign that a company is a great place to work. And, of course, takes all four other factors (mentioned above) into account.

However, admittedly it's an easier to gauge staff satisfaction (as the employers call it) when you're actually working for a company. So what do you need to look out for when weighing up whether to join a new company?

One positive sign you can keep an eye out for when considering a move is the management style. Do the managers use a divide and rule tactic? Or do staff work together as a team? Are employees encouraged to socialise or do they do this naturally? Is there a policy in place that enables staff to voice their opinions, thoughts and ideas? Or do staff simply put up and shut up?

Another one is staff retention. A firm with a high turnover of staff is not a happy one, on the whole. Job progression is another and one that may be linked with staff turnover. Do staff need to move on in order to move up, or can they progress within the firm?
Then there are all the visual clues. For instance, a lively office is often a sign of a happy one, but that's not to say that a quieter environment where staff work diligently is an unhappy one. It is quite the contrary.

Don't be wowed by a flashy office or work environment either. That may be a sign of a great company, but it could just as easily be a sign of a management team who like to look slick, but who fail to follow points one to four in our check-list above.


Resources:

http://www.smartoffice.com/healthyoffice.html
http://www.djc.com/news/co/11143353.html
http://www.articlealley.com/article_78797_15.html
http://sandiego.jobing.com/blog_post.asp?post=10680
http://www.aussieguestspeaker.com.au/
http://money.uk.msn.com/guides/salarycentre/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8249394
http://www.siop.org/tip/Oct08/03tetrick.aspx
http://www.djc.com/news/co/11143353.html
http://positivesharing.com/2006/06/what-makes-people-happy-at-work/
http://www.quirkyfolk.com/what-makes-a-happy-workplace/
http://www.legacybowes.com/resources/articles/170-building-a-happy-workplace-family.html