Attractive and secure employee lockers help to create a positive atmosphere on the jo

How important are employee lockers in the workplace?

Consider that one of the biggest concerns of employees has nothing to do with their jobs. It's their personal belongings. And that's where employee lockers come into the picture. The quality of those lockers contributes to the overall picture of either a healthy or unpleasant work environment.

Employers and site managers would be smart to take into account several factors involving the use of employee lockers.

Because while American businesses have undergone tremendous changes in the past 50 years, employee lockers still remain a staple of the workplace.

Employee locker

Lockers have always been a part of the territory for factory workers, retailer clerks, restaurant workers, construction workers, public employees and all sorts of staff members.

It's a daily ritual. Drive, bus or take a train to work. Put your coat and valuables in your locker. Take a look at a picture of your kids. Put on your work clothes/uniform. Start your day.

As America moved toward a service economy, cubicles became the new workspace. There was less need for lockers. Employees could place their personal items on their desktop and lock their belongings in a drawer.

But that is also changing. Many companies are now adopting open seating arrangements. You come to work and you don't necessarily have an assigned place any longer. You can choose any open cubicle. Use the office of someone who is on vacation. Sit alongside other workers you are collaborating with on a project. Or, on a nice day, take your laptop outside, work on a bench and get some sunshine and fresh air.

Sounds great in theory. But the issue of personal belongings comes up once again. Companies that adopt this "communal" style workplace are finding they still need to provide a place where employees can secure their personal belongings. That's where employee lockers come in.

Because while the whole idea of a "communal" workplace sounds great, personal items are going to disappear. They might be stolen. They might be misplaced by a worker who is convinced they were stolen. Doesn't matter. Employees have a right to be sure their personal property is secure in any workplace.

Employee lockers contribute to overall perceptions

Providing a secure environment for personal property is one purpose of employee lockers. But what do the lockers say about the employers' attitude toward their employees?

Consider this is one part of a work environment that employees will come in contact with twice a day, if not more. Pay raises and vacations are one thing, but what about other amenities?

Dirty, dingy, bent lockers might send a message that this company is a dirty, dingy place to work. Or, it might send a message that despite all the vague rhetoric about how "our employees are our most valuable asset," perhaps the company does not really have the happiness of their employees in mind. Old, scratched, rusty employee lockers are real-life images that are real to workers' perceptions.

The great benefit of bright, new employee lockers is that it is a one-time cost that sends a positive message for many years.

Also be sure to have a clear company policy regarding the contents of lockers and employer rights to search those lockers for anything suspicious or detrimental to the work environment.

They say for any business to be successful, the devil is in the details. Sure, a company might be obsessed with the quality of their products or service, paying attention to improving every little process or customer experience along every step of the way. See this quote from employee expert - Anne M. Mulcahy:

"Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person- not just an employee - are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability." --- Anne M. Mulcahy

But don't overlook the lockers. Worker morale is a critical part of any company's DNA. Companies can boost that morale by offering secure, clean, first-rate employee lockers where a person can start and end their day with a positive impression of their employer.

Note: For more information on employee lockers see our in-depth Buyer's Guide for Employee Lockers and School Lockers.