Advances in planning and designing work space are bringing benefits in terms of enticing people back into the office – but the people behind the initiative appear to be missing a big opportunity when it comes to accessibility.
A report published in the BBC’s Worklife series highlighted how property professionals are looking into how changes to noise, colour and other aspects of the work environment can influence productivity levels. It would have been good to see something in there about neurodivergence.
The article mentioned how one employer infuses the office with essential oils to reduce employees’ stress levels. Another tweaks workplace acoustics, using insulation to find the perfect balance between quiet and community. Yet another evaluates how office colour schemes might impact productivity, offering employees the chance to work in a “blackout” room with an entirely black colour scheme, or a corresponding “whiteout” room, to see which might spur innovation.
The report adds that each of these “workplace experiments” started as a recommendation from a corporate consultant and is evidence of the emergence of a new approach to help companies transform their physical spaces in the wake of the pandemic.
We’re told that companies are “clamouring for a different type of guidance” from experts who consult on everything, from personalised workplace food options to hybrid worker-friendly connectivity solutions
One example is the use of facial recognition technology to ensure that employees’ favourite coffee orders are prepared as soon as they stepped through the door.
If you can collect and apply the data to enable you to do that you should also be able to address the workplace needs of neurodivergent employees.
The report notes that today’s offices need to be comfortable – but they should also anticipate and avoid employee pain points including inconveniences like noise, fluctuating temperatures, technology glitches and even odours.
But its theme is all about getting more productivity out of people and places, and it would be good to see some recognition of how the work environment might be changed to make it more accessible rather than just “welcoming”.