How to Boost Workplace Wellbeing – According to Employees

Every year, we exhibit at the Kent Construction Expo building connections from businesses across the county and beyond.  A huge thank you to everyone who visited our stand. We really enjoyed meeting new people and re-connecting with existing connections.

This time around, we built a stand with a wellbeing theme to start a conversation about workplace happiness. With the help of post it notes, we asked our visitors to write down what they would like to see in their workplace to improve conditions and wellbeing.

At the end of the expo, we had a collection of responses that gave us an interesting insight into what people felt their office needed.

Let’s have a look at the most requested features on the workplace wellbeing wish list…

Related content: Office Design Ideas 2025

Places for Privacy / Quiet

The most prominent response centred around privacy and quiet. Here is some of the feedback we received courtesy of our post it notes:

• Private meeting room
• A quiet, distraction free place
• Better acoustic separation in open plan offices (including screens)
• More private workspaces
• A quiet escape area
• More quiet office space in banking hall

Clearly, the need for spaces where employees can double down is desirable. This also suggests that wellbeing and productivity are linked, with employees feeling happier when they are doing their best work.

There are many ways to achieve this, but one of our favourites is to introduce standalone booths for deep work tasks. As in the example above for our Southampton-based client, these include acoustic panels to absorb noise.

Another way is to install acoustic separators, as touched upon by one of our visitors. For example, at Ethypharm, we installed sliding acoustic partitions to create a work zone that can transition into a private meeting / collaboration zone.

Amenities and Refreshments

Elements relating to amenities and refreshments were also common amongst the feedback, equalling places for privacy and quiet with six responses:

• Coffee machine + dartboard
• Coffee machine
• Easy access to drinks for customers
• Bar and restaurant
• Beanbag corner with a drinks’ fridge
• Easy access to making a drink

As you can see, two attendees said they would like a coffee machine, which we can all agree would give a morale boost in the workplace! As one respondent pointed out, this could be also a great addition for companies entertaining clients.

Over at Crowe UK, the Maidstone-based firm introduced a premium client/breakout area, which includes a luxury tea point, coffee machine, drinks fridge and soft seating area. With its sophisticated design and easy access to refreshments, it undoubtedly enhances both the client and employee experience.

Wider Furniture Selection

More furniture variety was a hot topic during our discussions with visitors – and this is reflected in the feedback:

• Sit/stand desk
• More pods with comfy seats
• Nice furniture
• Movable desk storage in hot desking area

According to statistics, those working in offices with a variety of seating have a better experience, so it was no surprise to see people listing furniture items.

The visitor who wrote “sit/stand desk” may be also interested in our project at Crowe UK. There, we introduced height adjustable desks as part of an ‘active zone’ to promote a healthier workspace. This also includes walking pads (like treadmills) to help employees remain active while working.

Related content: Workplace Furniture – Why Variety Matters

Fun and Novelty Items

Should businesses take steps to make their office design more fun? According to our responses from the expo, yes. Here are some ideas that were put our way:

• Doggy crates
• Beanbag corner + drinks fridge
• Dance party at 4pm
• Dartboard

Given that we’re dog lovers at Rap Interiors, we’re all-in for the doggy crates! As for the beanbag corner, it just so happens we introduced one of these as part of an office fit out for Questor Insurance in Maidstone (see above).

The dartboard and dance party ideas are interesting, as they both relate to team building. Introducing fun elements can be a great vehicle for boosting the collective morale, as they help people to make connections.

While a dance party zone will be off the cards for many businesses, an area to host social events (e.g. bleacher seating) is already a popular trend. Likewise, dartboards where employees can gather, provides a great opportunity to make friends.

Relaxation

Work fatigue happens to the best of us, so introducing spaces where employees can recharge is a great idea. Here are the three great suggestions we received from our visitors at the stand:

• Nap area
• Beanbag corner + drinks fridge
• A place to relax

Fittingly, a nap area and bean bag corner go hand in hand, as the latter can offer a soft furniture option where people can have a snooze.

It is worth noting that there are other, more sophisticated power nap ‘pods’ on the market as well. Whatever you go for, it’s best practice to keep these away from the main office thoroughfare so people aren’t disturbed!

If you’re looking to introduce a place where employees can simply relax, we recommend you take a look at our recent article: 20 Breakout Area Ideas for Your Workspace.

Biophilia and Natural Light

While ‘bringing the outside in’ is nothing new, people still see it as a way of boosting wellbeing, as our findings suggest:

• Natural light, plants and a quiet escape area
• More greenery and colour

The oldest trick in the book to bring more natural light is to install glass partitions instead of stud walls. For a spin on this, our office designers created a glass office for the directors at Morgan Cargo, which created a “door is always open” effect.

Regarding the second response above, greenery and colour go hand in hand. Take a look at how we added touches of greenery to Ward Security’s office, decorating the walls with vibrant biophilia and hanging foliage from the lights.

Hospitality-Inspired Elements

In our recent article, ‘How to Improve the Workplace Experience for Employees’, we looked into the rise of hospitality-inspired interior design. This is where office design takes cues from places like hotels, cafes and coffee shops to create a more comfortable and enticing interior.

A couple of visitors touched upon this idea, which is fitting given the emergence of this trend:

• Pub design downstairs
• Bar and restaurant

For a good example, take a look at Circle Square’s workspace. The coffee-shop inspired breakout area includes a Café Nero style booth with integrated power, a breakfast bar with elegant stools, atmospheric mood lighting, and raw wooded finishes.

Thank You to Our Visitors

We’d like to Rap up (pun intended) this article and the Kent Construction Expo by saying thank you to those who gave feedback. As an office design company, we loved hearing the ideas gained valuable insight into what people would like to see in their offices.

Given the success of our initiative, we’re tempted to do the same again next year! And if you’re planning an office fit out in between that time, don’t forget to ask your staff for some ideas. It may be the key to a successful transformation.

See you in 2026.

Are You Making Changes to Your Workspace?

If our feedback from the expo has inspired you to re-design your space, we’d be delighted to help. Rap Interiors has transformed offices across Kent and London with vibrant, practical designs, helping businesses to attract the brightest talent and boost revenue.

For a consultation, please call our friendly team on 0333 600 1234 or fill out the enquiry form below.