The Office of the Future

1. Returning to the office
2. Juices, Coffee, Fruit & Lunch
3. Flexibility
4. Off-Sites, Afterwork Events & Seasonal Parties
5. A feel-good environment
6. Vouchers for gyms, yoga & co.
7. Giving your employees a voice

Your employees are returning to the office routine? Now is exactly the right time to give them a warm welcome and the right incentives! One of the important things is to motivate your team, support them and make them feel safe

1. Returning to the office

After months of lockdown & home office, all employees wish to be back in the office! Back to the daily office routine, back to the common lunch break with colleagues, back to the short coffee chat in between. A return to everyday life, leaving the office, and simply switching off at home.

To make the return to the office as pleasant and safe as possible, several measures will help you and your employees enormously. Now is exactly the right time to look towards the future and take action!

The official end of the home office on June 30th is just the cherry on top of the cream cake and lays the foundation for a successful future in your office.

"The obligation of working in the home office expires on June 30. The Chancellor's Office and the Federal Ministry of Labor have confirmed that there will be no extension."

Essential to a successful welcome back is providing a safe and happy feeling in a feel-good environment. What is the best way to achieve this? We have listed a few things below that will answer this question for you and give you ideas on letting only positive thoughts into the office and turning it into an all-around feel-good oasis. Strengthening the "we" feeling and working together as a group is just some of the important reasons for employees to return to the office. Give your team even more reasons.

"Healthy employees, are happy employees".

From healthy, motivated and happy employees benefits not only the everyday life in the office but especially your company and the mood in the team benefits. It has been confirmed by numerous experts that happy and healthy employees are much more productive and committed to their work and achieve more effective results.

• "Invest in your employees and you invest in the future of your company."

2. Juices, coffee, fruit & lunch

Many companies have been providing hot and cold beverages including coffee and tea. This is a relatively inexpensive service that supports and is available to your employees throughout the day. A small water and coffee station gives the opportunity for smaller breaks and to leave the workplace for a short time, which many employees appreciated enormously and which can increase productivity. Especially the short exchange with other employees helps a lot.

And what could be better than a short conversation with colleagues over coffee/tea? This will certainly make everyone very happy!

If then the desire for a sweet snack comes, they should offer your team a possibility for this. A fruit basket with seasonal fruit is a great idea! Fruit provides the important vitamins and nutrients we need every day. Which in turn are especially important for our mental performance.

Not only is fruit a good source of vitamins and nutrients, but so is a well-balanced lunch. Offer your employees - a daily tasty and healthy catering and thus ensure a carefree lunch break that your team will love! Offering a shared lunch not only boosts the productivity of your employees but also strengthens the culture within the company and is a great additional benefit that makes your company many times more attractive to employees and thus makes a great contribution to personnel marketing.

A lunch service offers not only you but also your team an opportunity for a common exchange that goes beyond work and exactly this promotes the bond within a team, which is all equally appreciated!

Would you like to offer your employees a balanced lunch and thus make their break carefree? Here you can find more information about our online canteen service, which saves space, time & worries! Bella&Bona We look forward to supporting you and your employees with delicious meals!

3. Flexibility

It is proven that the satisfaction of employees depends very much on the flexibility of the workplace, the working hours, and the working environment, and only satisfied employees stay in the company in the long term and bring their full energy and motivation, as well as their full knowledge into their work.

Furthermore, you should give your team the opportunity to work in a home office and support them with their concerns and questions. In addition to the home office choice, you can also give your employees the chance to work globally.

For a period of up to 2 months, employees can pursue their work without a permanent workplace. It gives them the opportunity to visit family and friends abroad, combine their work with traveling new environments, and further their education culturally and perhaps language-wise.

Then, when their employee returns after such a 2-month office sabbatical, it will be even more important for them to spend time with the team again and ensure daily interaction in the office.

Because what the last months have shown us is that mutual support should be the cornerstone of a successful team and that we must look to the future with understanding and confidence! According to the motto: "A positive mind gives you a positive life".

4. Off-Sites, Afterwork Events & Seasonal Parties

It is not only very important to strengthen the team spirit and the "we-feeling" within the working hours, but especially also outside. Off-sites, after-work events, and seasonal parties offer a perfect opportunity for you as a company to give the team a chance to get to know each other or to meet again.

Office hours are often limited, as well as divided into different shifts, which means that some team members hardly ever get to see each other, but each individual contributes an important piece to a successful corporate culture and of course, everyone would like to know exactly who they are working with.

Give your employees the opportunity to build team spirit and organize special team events 1-2 times a year, where the company can develop further and all employees can enjoy a relaxed and successful time together outside the office walls. The positive effects of these meetings will quickly become apparent, especially with regard to the working atmosphere and emotional bonds between employees.

For example, how about a trip to the beer garden after work or a summer party on the company terrace? There are numerous options for such events, so it's best to address your employees directly and ask them which options are most appealing.

5. A feel-good environment

Götz W. Werner, founder of the dm-drogerie-markt chain:

"For me, a boss is like a gardener who creates optimal conditions for his seeds. In concrete terms, this means that a successful company is a platform on which people can develop well."

Home office 2.0 has long since ceased to be a pipe dream of the future and has already arrived in big city offices. Green plants, light wood tones, and warm lighting can increase the feel-good factor at work and improve our mood enormously. Plants and bright feel-good colors not only improve how we feel in the office, but they also have air-purifying properties. In addition to regular ventilation of workspaces and plenty of daylight, this can do wonders for productivity. So-called creative spaces are especially good for design opportunities.

6. Vouchers for gyms, yoga & co.

Staying fit despite an office job? Sure! And with these small but very effective aids. Employees want to switch off after work and take care of their physical and mental health.

The first thing to do is to take small breaks throughout the day during working hours to move around the office or take a short walk in the fresh air.

Many companies have been giving away vouchers and discounts from nearby fitness or yoga studios to their employees for some time now, which can then be visited before work or after work. And what was that again? Happy employees are healthy employees! Of course, this includes regular visits to the studio and healthy lunches at the office, where you as a company can support and encourage your employees.

7. Giving employees a voice

Try to talk to your employees and let them contribute their thoughts and wishes.

The effort and financial aspects for a successfully functioning "office of the future" are very small compared to its positive effects. Remember. "Our employees are our most valuable asset" So now follow the example of many other companies and make your employees feel safe and happy and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and which promotes the productive processes of your company.

- Motivate, encourage & support!

Written by Nathalie Röhl

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