No longer is an office just an office. Every single business owner has to wake up and smell the coffee. Offices are now almost like second homes for employees. They spend 8+ hours of their day in your building, in your office, doing their jobs. That’s a lot of time, not just in their day but in their lives.

We’re spending almost one-third of our lives in a commercial and or professional environment. Nobody who owns and or runs a business should take that lightly. Google hasn’t designed their HQ to be quirky. They have recreational areas, pools and food court areas for a reason. They know their employees will be spending more time at work then they do at home during projects that the company deems incredibly valuable for its future. Thus, they provide unique areas for their employees to enjoy and get the most out of themselves while at work. Here’s how you can too.

A Lounge Room

Do you have a spare office? Do you use it to store files and the watercooler? Well, move all of those things out because now it’s your lounge room. Buy a few sofas, a coffee table, put some newspapers and or magazines on top, and you have provided your employees with a lounging area; albeit basic. Fitting a tv in the room and leaving it on, makes the space more casual. You can also place a coffee machine inside and or a bowl of fruit. Lounge areas are great for employees who want to wind down a little during their day. An overly stressed-out employee is no good to anyone, so providing a space for your workers to refresh, calm down and wipe their mental slates clean, is in your best interest.

Employee Children Leisure

If you’re asking employees to stay and work late, you have to provide their children with spaces where they can play and or relax. You should also do this if you need all hands on deck during the holidays. Installing commercial swing sets and playground equipment outside or inside your building is a highly recommended addition. It allows mothers and fathers to bring their children to work if they don’t have a babysitter or if their children’s schools are broken up for the semester. On top of this, it shows that the company they work for cares about their family situation. Being thoughtful enough to build a children’s leisure area, goes a long way in terms of employee appreciation.

Departmental Hangouts

Every department has its own culture and space in the building and or office. Providing each with their own unique hangout area within their department can really prove to be extremely beneficial. It becomes a natural place to brainstorm, assess ideas, read over reports and relax while still being on hand to help out on the current projects. They’re far but not too far from the action.

Contemporary businesses that hope for their employees to see them are a big part of their lives, must provide unique areas that can make their work and personal lives easier to manage.