While many companies have jumped on the open-office design bandwagon, the results are workplaces “rife with noise and distraction, preventing your employees from getting work done,” writes Inc columnist Betsy Mikel. She is the owner of content consultant firm Aveck.
Open-offices also may leave more workers vulnerable to sick colleagues. One step companies with open offices can take is to create soundproof rooms and quite areas, Mikel notes.
A constant supply of junk food that makes it harder for workers to eat healthy and easier to stay at their desks all day is a bad idea. Imposing “forced fun” on employees with mandatory participation sessions and creating ambiguity on just how many days is OK to take off with unlimited vacation policies also can be detrimental. And while working remotely is not necessarily bad and may seem appealing, it doesn’t always work out that way.
“For many companies, working remotely really means being on-call anywhere, anytime--even after hours or when employees are on vacation,” Mikel writes. “If you've been so kind as to grant work-from-home privileges, there's often an expectation that your employees must prove they really deserve it. They end up [working] harder and working longer than those in the office.”