Do you know that empathy is the secret ingredient to patient happiness?  Physician empathy accounts for 65% of patient satisfaction, with one definition of empathy being “the recognition and validation of a patient's fear, anxiety, pain, and worry.”

A conscientious medical office or dental office design can help patients feel that their physical and emotional comfort is a priority from the moment they walk in the door.

Here are three elements of design that can help cultivate an empathetic, “patient-first” atmosphere.

Ventilation and air quality became a top concern for facilities managers and building owners, especially after learning the extent to which COVID-19 is transmitted through aerosols or “infectious viral particles that can float or drift around in the air.”

To improve indoor air quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued ventilation guidelines recommending that building managers consider investing in permanently installed or portable air filtration systems in addition to optimizing their HVAC units.

We all know money can’t buy love ⁠— the Beatles have a whole song about it. As it turns out, it can’t entirely buy workplace happiness either.

More and more employees are eschewing larger paychecks in favor of a culture that makes them feel valued and appreciated.

Companies, on the other hand, are eagerly seeking creative ways to cultivate a more positive company culture and improve workplace happiness. After all, a happy employee is a productive employee.

The good news is that some of these solutions don’t cost a dime.

Psst. With everyone hanging out in the virtual world now, you can’t rely as heavily on business cards to build brand awareness.

Reopening your doors is the perfect time to rejuvenate your brand and develop creative ways of reaching your target audience.

Even if you don’t need or want a brand overhaul, you can easily refresh your brand with promotional products that align with the “new normal” and that people will actually use.

While a simple “thank you” can go a long way with employees, companies are going the extra mile to ensure their well-being and increase employee engagement.

In our recent Return-to-Work survey, 99% of respondents said they planned to return to the office at least part of the time, yet well over half felt only “moderately comfortable” about doing so.

Many of the big tech companies who’ve been leading the charge on reopening are eager to get back to the office. Google will reopen its doors ahead of schedule.

In addition to new safety measures, office and facilities managers are busy creating remote work policies, updating time-off procedures and creating strategies to increase workplace happiness and engagement overall.

When it comes to your COVID recovery plan, no detail is too small, which is why your office supplies must include the following to help employees feel safe and excited to come back to the office.

Did you know that half of all employees on the North American continent plan to look for another job in 2021? The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) is calling it a “turnover tsunami.”

Now that things are slowly returning to some semblance of normality, there are more jobs. This means employees no longer have to stay in a role because the economy is bad, which is one of the reasons companies are eager to implement effective employee engagement strategies.

What’s even more frightening is that top talent will probably be the first to go because it’s easier for them to find work. If the pandemic didn’t inspire you to put some serious focus on employee engagement and retention, it’s not too late.

We’ve outlined three strategies for not only bringing your employees back to the office but convincing them to stay.

With vaccinations well underway, we’ve entered a new phase of the pandemic, and schools must once again adjust, including how they spend the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds as they reopen this fall.

During the initial wave of funding, many schools stocked up on safety and sanitation supplies and remote learning tools.

Now, when purchasing back-to-school supplies and implementing strategies to support student learning, teachers and administrators must consider safety protocols and the emotional effects that the pandemic has had on their students.

The vast majority of workers look forward to going back to the office this year — at least part of the time — but many employees still have a lot of reservations.

According to a recent survey we conducted at Office Basics, 58% of respondents expressed only feeling moderate comfort returning to the office while another 7% feel “extremely concerned.”

Does your return-to-work plan have what it takes to help employees feel safe and comfortable in the office?

As social distancing, wellness checkpoints and mandatory masks will continue to be part of the work experience for the foreseeable future, companies are looking to create outdoor workspaces for a better workplace experience.

Think about it. Your entire office design — from your indoor workstations to your breakroom to your outdoor space — speaks volumes about your brand as well as the culture and vibe of your company.

And with summer just around the corner, why not use your outdoor space as a place people can work alone or with their coworkers while catching some much-needed rays after a long winter of social isolation?

With 60 million Baby Boomers retiring by 2025, there aren’t nearly enough people to fill the gap, which means you will have to think outside the box when it comes to attracting top talent. Creating a cool outdoor space is an easy way to do that.