If you haven’t had to buy new office furniture in a while, you might want to prepare yourself for a case of sticker shock.
The expense of top quality desks, ergonomic chairs, prefabricated workstations, and other office furniture can add up very quickly, especially if you are furnishing a large office.
And that’s before you even take into account the computers, smartphones, WiFi, and all the other technical gear most employers are expected to provide their office workers.
Some employers balk at writing the check for office equipment and other overhead. But they shouldn’t. Providing high-quality office furniture is a good investment in your employees and will likely pay huge dividends later.
Worker Satisfaction
One immediate benefit from providing your employees with a comfortable, productive office workspace is improved employee retention. While few employees are likely to quit on the spot unless you provide them a good desk,
While few employees are likely to quit on the spot unless you provide them a good desk and comfortable chair, they may be more open to offers from competitors if it seems like you don’t care about their comfort and security.
And with employee turnover on the rise in almost every industry, it benefits employers to do anything they can to hold onto their best workers. When people leave your organization, all the money you invested in training and seasoning them goes with them — not to mention the added expense of training a new person to replace them.
Productivity and Attitude
Outdated, inefficient, and uncomfortable office furniture will invariably negatively impact worker morale. It also can lead to discontented workers poisoning your business’s reputation with co-workers and outsiders alike.
Investing in top-quality office furniture that is engineered to minimize distraction and maximize productivity can have the opposite effect. It shows that 1.) You genuinely care about your employee’s comfort and happiness, and 2.) You are willing to spend money on the people who actually interact with clients, vendors, and others rather than exclusively on manufacturing processes or line items that don’t directly touch your human workers.
The long-term benefits of investing in high-quality office furniture generally far outweigh the short-term costs.
Like all overhead, office furniture can be amortized. You may even be able to claim a tax credit.
But the immediate benefits of improved employee morale, increased productivity, and lower turnover of experienced workers often make investing in new office furniture a no-brainer.