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General services, often in the shadows, nevertheless play a key role in ensuring a calm and productive work environment. In the workplace, stress is an ever-present enemy: according to Eurofound’s Sixth European Working Conditions Survey, 65% of European employees regularly feel stressed. But what if part of the solution lies in the management of spaces and infrastructure? Behind every well-organised desk is a team of general services working hard. Here's how these teams can help reduce stress and improve the quality of life at work (QWL).
The work environment has a direct impact on employee stress levels. Poorly designed offices, noisy or poorly arranged spaces can be significant anxiety generators. Smart workplace design transforms a standard office into a space where everyone can focus and relax when needed.
According to the Actineo survey, 87% of employees say a break area in the office would benefit their well-being. General services can meet this need by creating dedicated rest areas where employees can unwind. By integrating elements such as comfortable sofas, green spaces, and soft lighting, they turn break times into real pockets of well-being.Take a noisy open space, a constant source of distractions.
The intervention of general services, installing acoustic panels, creating partitioned spaces and quiet areas, reduces noise levels and employee tension. The result: employees work in a more pleasant environment, with better concentration, reducing stress and boosting productivity.
We’ve all experienced the frustration: a broken printer before an important meeting, a computer crash, or a lift out of service. Repeated equipment failures are a source of stress for 49% of employees, according to the WrikeWork Management Survey. General services play a vital role in minimising these issues by ensuring proactive infrastructure maintenance.
With technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), it’s now possible to detect anomalies before they escalate into major failures. This predictive maintenance approach helps avoid unplanned interruptions and ensures a smooth working environment.
By reducing daily hassles, general services help lower frustration and, in turn, stress.Imagine: the coffee machine breaks down in the morning—disaster! But within minutes, general services intervene, fix the machine, and voilà—hot coffee is flowing again. A small victory that saves the day and everyone’s nerves!
Today’s workspaces are no longer rigid. 74% of employees believe that flexibility in workspaces and working hours directly impacts stress reduction, according to IWG's Global Workspace Survey. Fixed, impersonal desks are a thing of the past, replaced by modular spaces that adapt to everyone’s needs.
General services play a key role by offering flexible desk and teleworking solutions.An employee tired of the noise in an open space can choose to work in a quiet, dedicated concentration area. Another, more productive in collaborative mode, will find a brainstorming corner that suits their needs. This flexibility allows employees to adjust their environment to their immediate needs, improving comfort and reducing stress.
Take the example of Sophie, stuck in a noisy open space. She decides to move to a quiet room, set up by general services. Within hours, she completes her project with impressive efficiency. Flexible spaces = minimised stress.
Thermal and acoustic comfort is essential for a pleasant working environment. Poor temperature or constant noise can quickly become major stress factors. Too hot? It’s "thermal overload." Too cold? A constant distraction.
And let’s not forget the noise pollution that disrupts concentration.General services ensure a more peaceful environment by adjusting these parameters. They ensure optimal air conditioning, heating, and sound insulation.
In fact, offices with adequate acoustic and thermal comfort are perceived as less stressful by employees.Imagine a meeting in an overheated room, or worse, where every word echoes like in a cave. With the intervention of general services, the temperature is adjusted, and soundproofing materials are installed. Employees feel better, less irritable, and work more calmly.
A well-secured work environment is essential for reducing stress. General services, by implementing effective safety protocols, ensure that employees can work with peace of mind. Clear evacuation plans, accessible first aid equipment, and compliant safety measures all contribute to creating a sense of security.
According to Steelcase’s Wellbeing in the Workplace survey, 60% of employees report feeling less stressed when safety measures are clear and accessible.Good communication, fast and efficient, also helps avoid stress spikes. General services ensure transparency and responsiveness to everyday issues: leaks, technical malfunctions, meeting room management, all resolved quickly.
When employees know that every problem will be dealt with promptly, their anxiety significantly decreases.The fire alarm sounds? No panic. Thanks to general services, everyone knows where to go, the routes are clear, and the equipment is in place. Even in emergencies, teams remain calm.
General services don’t just manage infrastructure; they are at the heart of well-being in the workplace. By optimising space design, maintaining equipment, providing flexible workspaces, adjusting thermal and acoustic comfort, and ensuring security, they create an environment conducive to productivity and serenity.
Their work directly contributes to reducing stress at work, thereby improving employee quality of life.Next time you enjoy a quiet room or a perfectly functioning coffee machine, think of general services. They do far more than you realise to make your daily life less stressful and more enjoyable.
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