There's no doubt about it — the workplace's physical and social environments are key factors in whether employees are satisfied and content or dissatisfied and stressed. With so much attention focused on trimming costs to hold down prices, many companies find themselves struggling to define what's essential and what's extravagant. It's a shifting line. Often, creature comforts ebb and flow with the economy. When times are good, companies lease or build enough space to accommodate niceties such as employee lounges, exercise rooms, recreation areas, and snack counters. When the economy tightens, the employee lounge might become cubicle heaven (or hell, depending on your perspective) so the company can consolidate its employee force and lease space to other businesses. When people are happy to just be employed, they don't complain about not having free popcorn or bottled water.

Swings in formality also affect the workplace environment. In the 1980s, most large companies were very formal. They had stringent, almost uniform-like dress codes that even stipulated shoe styles, grooming standards, and whether men could wear facial hair (usually not). People weren't allowed to have personal items displayed in their cubicles or work areas, and they couldn't eat or drink at their desks. The philosophy behind this was that such structure kept the employees and the workplace focused on work. Without distractions, management gurus of the time believed, people would be more efficient and productive. Clients and customers could feel that anyone within a company could provide identical service.

Twenty-some years later, “open market” offices are the trend, with large rooms filled with desks or sometimes with three-sided cubicles. Business gurus now believe that people are most efficient and productive when companies encourage individual talents and abilities. Most experts agree that it's important for employees to be able to personalize their offices, to feel comfortable, and to bring some sense of home, or their personalities, into the office. This gives people a sense of control.

Psychological comfort is important as well. Managers need to be willing to look at the emotional and the psychological dynamics in their departments. They need to acknowledge that people have feelings, and they have to be able to talk about feelings. They also have to be able to both support and confront so they can maintain an environment where people can be productive and grow. Although “therapist” is not a hat managers should wear, they do need to look for symptoms of discord and dysfunction so they can take steps to minimize the impact before it gets out of hand.

This often means encouraging employees to get enough rest and to take breaks and vacations to recharge and reinvigorate their bodies and their spirits. Most companies should be able to permit employees to occasionally take an afternoon off or to come in late after working late the night before. Although the way employees use benefits such as vacation time is really up to them, managers should encourage every employee to take some extended time off. This is good for the employee, and it's good for the company. Not even a machine can keep running without occasional downtime.

Psychological comfort also entails taking an interest in each employee's life beyond work. Take the time to understand each employee as a unique individual, and develop a way to appreciate them for who and what they really are. Share your interests with employees so they can see that you, too, have a human side. You need to be a resource for your employees when they need to express concerns and receive guidance; this happens only when employees perceive you as a person who cares about them and their needs. In the end, it's this human touch that creates an environment where the real tasks — getting the work done — can be carried out.