Feature
The second version of the WELL Building Standard (WELL v2), which is increasingly being adopted in the UK, includes 10 factors for health and wellbeing in the workplace: air, water, light, nourishment, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind, and community. In practice, this means that employers should consider incorporating areas such as ‘wellness zones’ into their workspaces, which are quiet, comfortable, tech-free zones with natural light and biophilia for colleagues to take a break from their desk and reset within the working day.
These areas are in increasing demand as employees return to the workplace. Outdoor areas – such as gardens, or spaces in high rise buildings, and terraces - are becoming increasingly popular, and employers are now additionally beginning to ensure they are also wi-fi enabled so employees have the option to access fresh air while they work.
Enabling Technologies
As mentioned in the National Disability Strategy, technology offers a range of potential solutions to the challenges7
that
individuals face within the workplace. This goes beyond wi-fi- enabled spaces, and instead focuses on offering personalised settings and environments focused on each individual’s needs, such as apps that allow colleagues to change lighting before arriving to their desk.
While it is not a new concept, ‘Accessibility Tech’ has increased in prevalence in recent years as employers become more attuned to the needs of their teams. For colleagues with learning considerations like dyslexia, for example, app-based software is now available which enables dictation instead of typing, with a spell-check function built in to handle any necessary edits. Technology can help with mental wellbeing, too – McKinsey’s HealthTech Network8
suggests that digital solutions like
chatbots, wearables and apps could all support as part of mental health employee programmes.
Similarly, investment in integrating hardware to support with accessibility, such as touchless entry, speech recognition systems, screen readers and hearing loops in meeting rooms, is on the increase. The integration of this technology is most convenient and accessible when aligned with other products that are designed for, and understood by, everyone. This guarantees maximum up take amongst employees, who won’t need specialised training to understand how to use it.
Investing In Accessibility
Ultimately, the National Disability Strategy has taken important steps in the right direction towards improving workspaces and reducing the disability employment gap, however there is certainly more for employers to consider.
Businesses must be open to innovation and fresh perspectives, allowing themselves to be forward-thinking.
Investment in
accessible, strategically designed workspaces that use assistive technologies and cater to employee wellbeing will deliver measurable benefits, improving both recruitment and retention, allowing colleagues to feel more comfortable and happier in their workplace surroundings.
1:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-disability-strategy 2:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/1006098/National-Disability-Strategy_web-accesible-pdf.pdf 3:
https://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/library/brookes-NUJ- Hidden-disabilities-Report-plus-Lena.pdf 4:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-mental-health-work 5:
https://penkethgroup.com/app/uploads/2019/11/Inclusive-Workplaces-The-Future-of-Office- Design-Penketh-Group.pdf 6:
https://www.bco.org.uk/ResearchPublication/Designing_and_Managing_Buildings_for_ Health_and_Wellbeing.aspx 7:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-disability-strategy 8:
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/pharmaceuticals-and-medical-products/our-insights/ using-digital-tech-to-support-employees-mental-health-and-resilience
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