Imagine a work environment which makes you feel relaxed, happy and productive. A motivating space where you don’t leave at the end of the day zapped of energy, despondent about the week that drags ahead. At Alpin, we believe our people are our most important asset and prioritizing employee well-being is a top priority. That’s why we were quick to adopt the WELL rating system for our headquarters in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. It’s a certification that can turn a stressful work environment into a place where you actually look forward to coming to each day.

“The occupancy survey, which is a WELL requirement, gave Alpiners the chance to provide feedback on their comfort levels with respect to the office environment,” explains Owais Yousef, who has been Alpin’s designated WELL Champion since the start of 2018. “The results of this survey have been used to determine which aspects are working well and which need to be improved upon to increase the overall happiness and health in the workplace.”

Stress in the workplace can come from a variety of sources, including visual discomfort (.eg. bad lighting), loud noises, thermal discomfort or poor air quality. In the long-term, these can have a negative impact on employee health, leading to decreased productivity and potentially more sick days. Overall, an investment in the comfort and happiness of employees with the WELL rating system makes perfect sense – benefitting both the employee and the company in the long-term.

WELL measures attributes within a building that impact health by assessing seven key concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Fitness, Comfort and Mind. Changes under the WELL system can range from simple things like providing more fresh fruit in the office, to more complex investments such as water and air purifiers, air quality monitors and active furnishing that allow employees to sit or stand throughout the day. At Alpin HQ, the lighting quality has even adjusted so that it works in harmony with our own circadian rhythms.

“WELL has even given Alpiners the opportunity to contribute to the interior design of the office by expressing their creative side through paintings and drawings. All of these changes have had made Alpin a much more friendly and motivating environment to work in, and cumulatively they have had a large positive impact on performance and productivity, as well as the health and happiness of our team,” continues Owais.

“We took our LEED Gold certification and upgraded it to WELL standards to ultimately make the office a better place for our team members,” concludes Jourdan Younis, Director of Innovation at Alpin. “The results have been quite profound. We’ve seen an actual measurable increase in productivity and staff retention. Happiness has become a real buzzword in the region, with Dubai recently drawing up its own Happiness Agenda and the UAE appointing a Minister for Happiness. We believe the WELL certification goes a long way towards helping to achieve this.”

To find out more about prioritizing employee wellbeing and how you can incorporate WELL into your own office environment, contact our WELL team.