Understanding the Importance of Restrooms in the Workplace

There are many things that can improve employees’ job satisfaction and efficiency in an office setting. There are many things that go into creating a well-functioning workspace, including the design and functionality of restrooms. Going to the restroom is, like eating, a necessary component of everyone’s day.

With that said, it will come as little surprise that careful concern for the design and administration of restrooms is more vital than commonly recognized.

1. A Reflection Of Management

When designing any space meant for your employees, you aren’t just shaping their work environment, you are creating an image of how you view your staff. Having a well-designed conference room, lounge, or main office space is a good start.

However, if you stop there, it could be construed that the message you’re sending is that you only care about appearances and not the comfort of your employees as well. Poorly designed or managed restrooms can inform unhappy and unproductive employees. There are many different ways for this to happen, ranging from the frustratingly minor to the potentially hazardous.

There are plenty of ways to make sure the restrooms at your workplace are up to par, and one of them is choosing the right materials for them. When it comes to bathroom stalls – thanks to Fast Partitions for this tip – it’s probably a good idea to look for those made out of powder-coated materials.

Metal seems to be one of the favorite materials used for partitions since it’s the most lightweight one, which makes those stalls easy to install. Another important thing to consider here is that the material you choose for the stalls should also be relatively easy to maintain, as well as largely fire resistant. Investing in quality faucets, light fixtures, and motion-sensor sinks can also be a good idea.

Once you’ve settled on the most functional options, it’s time to focus on the design part. Having your restroom stalls in all grey or white is boring, and that’s where colors come into play. By adding a pop of brightness – or maybe even some of your brand’s colors you’re showing that you really did put the time and effort to make every little detail count.

In addition, always making sure that the restrooms are clean, and well-stocked with the necessities – TP, soap, hand sanitizer, sanitary pads, and the like – will reaffirm that it’s not all about aesthetics for you.

2. Pure Privacy

No matter what business your company does, it’s bound to get stressful from time to time. Sometimes, people just need to take a minute or two on their own and collect their thoughts in a private place, in order to get back to work with full focus. A well-designed restroom can provide just that.

By allowing room for privacy in the workspace, you’re showing that you view your employees as human beings that deserve to be treated with respect. One important thing to keep in mind here is that partitions should be high enough for those inside to remain as invisible as possible.

When it comes to public bathroom dimensions, It’s best to follow the established guidelines to make sure you are up to code.

The wide gaps commonly found in some public restrooms are just a pure eyesore and can send the wrong message about how you view the people working for you, which is something you don’t want. The bathroom’s standout feature is that it may be utilized to encourage interaction and cohesion among employees throughout a large organization, as well as provide a momentary retreat from the daily grind.

While the question of gender-specific or unisex bathrooms is something each company should decide on their own, depending on its core values, making sure that you provide an adequate number of restrooms, with their design optimized to the needs of your workforce is crucial.

3. Looking Your Best

Whether someone needs to meet a client soon or has a big presentation coming up, checking how you look in the bathroom mirror is a must. It can provide the confidence boost your employee needs in order to do stellar work. More than that, though, a nice-looking company restroom can leave an impression on your clients as well.

Just like the way the restroom looks can inform employees on how much the company cares for them, it can also say a lot to your potential clients.

Are your products and services the best all the way through, or do you simply try and make them look good? Can they offer an experience that’s up to par with your competitors, or are you just hoping that your shiny exterior is enough? As the saying goes – first impressions are everything.

A company restroom plays a major role in what goes through any client’s mind when meeting someone from your business for the first time, so make sure it looks impeccable.

As already mentioned, function and form go hand in hand, so try and come up with a restroom design that is both pleasing to the eye and comfortable to use.

You don’t want your workers running late or missing a meeting just because they got stuck waiting for someone to finish using the only available stall. In the same vein, you don’t want your clients to have to wait in a long line because there simply aren’t enough stalls to accommodate everyone. The thing about looking good, though, is that it’s not just about appearances – it’s also about making sure the space provides everything a person using it might need.

4. Healthy Habits

Over the last few years, everyone’s been reminded of how important washing your hands is. It’s not just a matter of courtesy to others – it’s also about your own health and safety. By ensuring that employees wash their hands, you’re encouraging healthy habits among them, which will translate into better overall well-being and less time lost due to sick days.

Not only that, but if something ever happens and someone gets injured on the job, it’s good to know that there are proper sanitary conditions in place.

Even if your employees aren’t in the service industry, providing clean conditions for them to use the facilities is important. This makes it that much harder for any disease-causing germs or bacteria to spread – and things like phones and keyboards, which employees are guaranteed to use in practically any office job, are full of those.

By making it not only easy but also pleasant for your employees to use the bathroom, you’re making it possible for them to maintain their hygiene at peak level, which will allow them to concentrate on doing their jobs better since they won’t have to worry about staying healthy. 

While bathrooms may not seem important, the truth is that they play a crucial role in any organization. If designed right, they can provide your employees, and by extension the company, with a lot of benefits, and they can leave a lasting impression on clients as well.

It shows everyone how much emphasis you put on giving people the tools they need in order to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. So make sure the company restroom not only looks nice but that it’s always clean and well-stocked too.

Similar Stories