Last year was the year of “return to office” (RTO). I’m not saying everyone ended up back in a bull pen or reset up in their pre-pandemic cubicles. But there was an undeniable push from the top to get people back into the office throughout 2025 (often without a thought for the employees themselves).
The RTO movement got me thinking about the pros and cons of the office experience. There are obvious benefits to team proximity. The ability to iterate in real time is often better, and you can focus more when you’re properly “at work.”
But there are some shortfalls, too. Focus, for instance, only works if a workspace is set up for it. The same is true for things like energy levels. If you want to improve your retention at the office in 2026, you need to make your corporate workspace not just nice but superior. Here are three key areas to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.
Reinvigorate With Proper Hydration
Hydration is a big deal at work. I remember a while ago, when I first came across a popular study from 2013. The report found that drinking water while working is more than healthy. It can increase your productivity by 14%.
Are you hydrating well at your office? Do you even know how your team hydrates? If not, it might be time to move past the traditional water fountain. Water coolers are nice for connection, but they require constant babysitting. Bottled water doesn’t send a great message either because of the carbon footprint. (Plus, the ongoing expense is, well, expensive.)
Try setting up a water station. This offers no more waste. No more deliveries. Just better on-demand hydration. Companies like FloWater also offer ultra-purified Refill Stations that can remove up to 99.9% of contaminants, like microplastics, PFAS, etc. This sends the message that you’re invested in your employees’ wellness as well as their productivity.
Improve Your Air Quality
I’ve always thought, if you’re going to force people to work in a space you chose, make sure that space is darn good enough for them to thrive. Not just survive. Thrive.
Like the link between water and hydration, the proof is in the data. Researchers set up “Green”(low concentrations of high volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) and “Conventional” days (high VOCs) to test office workers. They found a direct connection in how people thought. Their cognitive scores were 61% higher on the Green days.
Like a water-filling station, this one is an easy solution, too. All you need to do is get an air filtration system set up. Unless you’re a two-man team operating out of a closet, I do recommend that you invest in a commercial-grade solution. Companies like Fellowes have built out office-scale air quality solutions that can keep your air clean and your employees’ brains firing on all cylinders.
Light Up Your Room
No one wants to work in a dungeon. If someone can’t tell the passage of time throughout the day, they’re going to struggle to be consistently effective on a regular circadian rhythm. Instead, look for ways to go from “bright enough” to genuinely supporting biological systems through proper lighting.
The key here is getting the right light. Again, I give you the research. Studies have found that blue-enriched white light helps with things like alertness, eye comfort, mood, irritability, fatigue, concentration, and performance.
The easiest way to implement this is to open the blinds. Pull back the shades. Do what you need to get more natural light into the building. If you don’t have great exterior light options (i.e., you don’t have enough windows), I recommend upgrading to something like Lutron’s Athena lighting. This one’s a bigger shift, but implementing controlled, tunable light can help you mimic outdoor conditions and keep people focused throughout a long day.
Making Small Changes for Bigger Results
Office spaces aren’t an instant win. They need to be set up right if you want your people to thrive in them. And remember, happy people are productive people.
Investing in things like hydration, air quality, and lighting can create more efficient spaces and, as a result, more productive people. Look at your current setup. Consider where you’re lacking. Then make plans for little changes that can lead to big results in the year ahead.
Photo by Israel Andrade; Unsplash
