Two focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship and Workplace Discussions. Depending on the type of organization your are running, the type of commercial space you have will be critical. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Choose The Right Commercial Office Space.
* * *
Choosing a commercial office space is typically an exciting thing to do for many small businesses. Commercial office space is a signal that there is enough profit to support more people on the team and a space to run the business. Although not everyone wants commercial office space in the current climate – for some businesses, it makes sense for face-to-face client meetings.
But how do you select the right office space for your needs?
Where?
The location of your office is going to have a significant impact on your team and your clients. You need to have good public transport links and access to parking as a minimum. It is also worthwhile looking at the stores and places to eat in the area too. Long-term business success can ride on how easy you are to get to.
Safety
Safety is a two-fold thing when it comes to your commercial office space. The first is that you need the building itself to be safe, and the only way to know for sure is through inspections for commercial buildings. You will get a copy of the report that will outline everything you need to know, things to be aware of, and what to change.
The second is the safety of the location itself. An office space that has an incredible price but is in a location that has a crime rate isn’t ideal. Depending on the impression you are trying to give and the customers and clients you have, you might need to pay a little more for something that is a safer place.
Who?
Initially, the office may only need to have space for under ten employees or even fewer. You’ll need to decide if you want to have room immediately to allow for the growth of the business – or are you prepared to move office again when that point arrives?
Choosing an office size that supports your current business and long-term goals can take time and effort. There is also a balance to be found between the cost of running the office and how many people are in it. If you have immediate plans to hire, then pick somewhere that has enough space to do so.
You can run a hotdesk office in combination with hybrid working – allowing you to have a smaller office space with bookable desks. So only when people need to take face-to-face meetings will they need to be there.
Networking
If your office is in a building that has nothing nearby, it can be isolating for your team and you. Being surrounded by other companies gives you a chance to network and get to know those around you. Networking can be incredibly beneficial to smaller businesses – so take a look at the other businesses around you – could there be collaboration opportunities?
When looking at commercial offices, you can either lease or buy – and your budget and long-term plans will dictate that. However, if you choose to rent the office, make sure that you understand everything that is included.
Two focuses of my blog are Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. No matter what type of organization you’re running, you must constantly be thinking of ways to improve your office space. The following contributed post is entitled, Ways To Improve Your Office’s Outdoor Space.
* * *
Your staff, customers, and visitors may find the outdoor area of your office to be a useful resource. You can create a more inviting and useful outdoor space with the right upgrades, which can raise morale and productivity. Here are some suggestions to help you enhance the outdoor area of your office.
Add Comfortable Seating
Adding comfortable seating is one of the simplest ways to make your office’s outdoor space better. For workers to take a break or have lunch, outdoor furniture like chairs, benches, and tables can create a relaxing environment. Clients and visitors may also benefit from a more comfortable waiting area.
Incorporate Greenery
Your outdoor area can look better overall if you add greenery, such as plants, flowers, or trees. Plants can help clean the air and lessen noise pollution. If you want to create a more natural and relaxing environment, think about planting a garden or adding potted plants to your outdoor space. It can really boost the curb appeal of your outdoor space and impress people passing by.
Making shade for your outdoor space can improve its comfort and usability if it is exposed to the sun. To shield staff and visitors from the sun, add shade structures like umbrellas, pergolas, or canopies. Your outdoor space may become more usable in the summer by providing shade. It’s changes like these that make your outdoor space much more pleasant and vibrant throughout the year, so make the most of that.
Create a Car Park
A parking lot is a necessary part of any office’s outdoor area. Employees and visitors may become irritated if there aren’t enough parking spaces at your office. Consider building a parking lot with sufficient spaces for your needs and easy access from the main road. Make sure to include elements like lighting and landscaping to create a parking area that is both beautiful and useful. When it comes to creating the lines for the parking spaces, you can use the line striping company, EverLine Coatings and Services.
Install Outdoor Lighting
Your outdoor space’s functionality and safety can both be enhanced by outdoor lighting. It can make the area feel more welcoming for customers and staff who might need to use it after hours. Think about adding lighting to parking lots, the areas around seating areas, and walkways.
Provide Outdoor Amenities
Your outdoor space can be made more practical and convenient by installing outdoor amenities like bike racks, trash cans, or water fountains. These facilities can also promote healthier behaviors like cycling to work or drinking water all day. That’s good for your employees and good for your entire business as well, so think about which amenities would benefit your team most.
The productivity and morale of your staff may be significantly impacted by making improvements to your office’s outdoor area. You can create a welcoming and useful outdoor space that benefits everyone who uses it by including cosy seating, vegetation, shade, outdoor lighting, amenities, and a parking lot.
Two focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship and Workplace Discussions. You office space is critical as it’s where your operations are conducted. It thus must be appealing and functional for your staff. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Design Your Office Space.
* * *
Moving into a new office is always exciting. Whether you’ve upsized because your business is growing, you’ve found a better location, or you’re transitioning from being a remote working company to a place where everyone can work together, you’ll need to ensure you really get the layout of your new office just right.
A well-designed and laid-out office can be a great productive space for your employees. It can be somewhere they look forward to going each day and a place where they can feel at ease and as creative as possible. With the wrong layout, people will be uncomfortable and much less productive. They might even be unsafe. With that in mind, here are some ideas to help you design your office space for the best results.
An open floor plan is a great way to make the most of any size room. If this requires tearing down cubicle walls or otherwise restructuring the office, then do it. An open workplace design not only makes better use of the available space, which in certain situations can even give the impression of more room, but also provides more opportunities for staff to work together.
As a result, you’ll be able to foster a more productive staff whose members are more comfortable sharing ideas and working together. Plus, just because you have an open plan office, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any privacy – you can install special office pods that will give you meeting rooms or somewhere to take a break when you need one. The best thing to do is to speak to makers of office pods for some advice about what’s going to work best for you.
Use Good Quality Furniture
Office furniture gets a lot of use – people are sitting on those chairs and using those desks for at least eight hours a day, so they will wear out eventually. To save yourself money and to ensure your team is as comfortable as possible, the best thing you can do is really invest in good quality furniture.
For some, this might feel like a waste of money, especially when you can certainly get office furniture for a reduced price if you shop around. However, poor quality furniture costs more overall because you have to replace it more often, and if it’s uncomfortable, it can make your team less productive. Spend as much as your budget will allow on your office furniture, and it will pay you back.
Be Organized
It’s tempting to fill a little office with every amenity imaginable, but if you’re really strapped for square footage, simplicity is key. Avoid an overcrowded appearance by making use of available storage space to stow away unnecessary items. In order to keep things neat and serve as a showcase for prized possessions, innovative shelving and storage systems can be put in place; you don’t have to settle for plain old cabinets.
In order to prevent the chaos that might ensue when a large group of people are confined to a limited area, it’s important to establish ground rules about keeping things tidy and ensuring everything is put away. When this happens, you’ll have a much more pleasant space to work in.
Three focuses of my blog are Business/Entrepreneurship, Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. When you own a business or are in management of some kind, your employees need to feel that you respect them in order for them to give you their best effort. The following contributed post is entitled, Building Respect Between Your Company & Its Employees.
* * *
There are a lot of reasons why you might want to have a lot of respect going on between your company and the people who work for it. For one thing, that is generally going to lead to a much better working culture, as people feel more appreciated and generally find themselves happier to work hard and long. It also means that the relationships between people will improve, which can be enormously helpful as well. And it will mean that the company is in a better place to improve generally.
In this post, we are therefore going to take a look at some of the major ways in which you can hope to build more respect between your company and its employees. You should find that a lot of these ways are quite simple to enact, and yet powerful in their results, so that is something that you should certainly think about. Let’s take a look.
Nurture mutual trust
It’s important to build and nurture trust within teams to optimize productivity and enhance well-being and job satisfaction, but trust should be mutual. Employees should have trust in their employer, but crucially, employers must also be able to trust their team. There are multiple ways to establish strong relationships, including open communication, frequent conversations and understanding what is expected of you as either an employer or an employee. Employees should respect the terms of their employment contract and business owners and team leaders should have realistic expectations of their team.
There are additional steps employers can take such as using substance testing services provided by companies like Genesis Reference Laboratories but this is a personal choice. In some industries, regular testing is recommended, but this is not always the case. If you don’t operate within these sectors, for example, healthcare, aviation and transport, it’s best to focus on establishing solid, long-lasting relationships through transparency, consistency, being honest and open and showing employees that you respect, value and appreciate them.
Show Respect In The Workplace
One of the first things you should aim to do here is to try and show some respect in the workplace in general, to the staff working there as well as to one another. That’s a really fundamental way to ensure that everyone has a much better experience in the workplace, and it’s something that is actually relatively easy to build up. It all begins with you – as long as you personally, as the manager or leader of the business, are showing respect to people in a really basic, human way, that is going to then become the norm across the board.
So start today. If you think that you might have been letting this slide, it might be a good idea to think about improving it right now. The sooner you start, the better, as this is going to mean that you see the results a lot sooner. If nothing else, you are probably going to find that doing this makes it much more enjoyable to just spend time in the workplace, and that’s a great feeling in itself and certainly something to consider.
Most people will find it a lot easier to enjoy working for a company that has good values, and which sticks to those values as much as possible. So if you are thinking of trying to do that, you need to make sure that you, first, decide on some values which your company can stick to, and then second, actually make sure that you do so. What those values are can vary a lot, but these days it’s going to be wise if they are good for the planet and for society in general.
Once your company is sticking to its values in this way, you’ll find that you are much more likely to have a lot of respect for employees, and the same will be in return too. That’s a really important thing that it is well worth trying to achieve from the start. It’s especially powerful if you are personally happy with those values as well.
Work On Employee Satisfaction
In a general way, anything you can do to improve employee satisfaction is always going to be really helpful towards improving what your employees think about the company and about working for the company. That is the kind of thing that is always going to be vital to consider, so it’s important that you are paying attention to that and that you are working on employee satisfaction specifically in all the ways you can. As it happens, there are a lot of ways that you might be able to do that.
For instance, you can make sure that you are providing a workplace that people are able to enjoy working in, and that the pay and benefits are as strong as can be. Those are the kinds of essential things which you will want to make sure you are providing from the first, and as best as you can. It’s likely going to mean that your employees are naturally and organically much happier to work for you, which is the main basis of a good relationship between the company and the people who work for it.
Branding is not only the kind of thing you need to think about when you are marketing your business. It’s also something that affects how your employees feel about working for you. After all, the better the public image of the business is, the better people are going to feel about working for that business. So you should definitely make sure that you are working on the branding regularly, keeping the public image as positive and bold as you can, so that your people really enjoy and feel proud about the work.
There are a lot of ways to do that, but it all comes down to having a decent outreach process. If you are doing that right, you should find that you ultimately get to a place where your business is widely respected, and these days it’s easier than ever to achieve this. It’s amazing how much it helps, so it’s certainly something you will want to pay attention to.
Train Your Employees
Good training is important for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones in this regard is that it ensures that your employees are going to be a lot more confident in their work, and generally feel more capable. But it also means that you are showing them you trust them and you think that they are capable of more. That is something which feeds into the positive relationship really well, and which you are therefore going to want to think about a lot.
You can offer all kinds of training which employees will appreciate having. That might be team training, leadership training for those that you think would do well with the role, or something like a first aid certification, or even fire marshall training. Giving people more responsibility in this way tends to improve the relationship quite a lot, so it’s well worth thinking about doing this for sure.
Be Fair
In all of your dealings with your employees, make sure that you are being as fair as possible. That is important for a number of reasons. For one thing, it means that they are going to feel that you are actually acting how you should as an employer, and that casts a good light on the company more generally. It also means that they will know they can trust you, and having good trust is central to any relationship. That is something that you should definitely think about here.
How can you make sure you are being fair? For one thing, take care that pay is done fairly and that everyone is given equal opportunities to achieve and to grow in their position. That is the kind of thing that people really appreciate and which you should be careful not to overlook. As long as you are fair to people, the relationship will improve significantly, so that’s something that you should make sure to think about.
Those are just some of the main ways that you can build respect between your company and your employees. As long as you have done that, it will mean great things for them as well as for you – and the company itself is much more likely to see a lot of success in its future, which is obviously good news too.
Two focuses of my blog are Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. If you are supervising a workplace, one of your utmost considerations needs to be the safety of those who are on its premises. The following contributed post is entitled, Effective Tips To Enforce Workplace Safety.
* * *
Retaining safety at the workplace is essential for employee growth and increased productivity. Indeed, it would be best if everyone is protected from harm. With this regard, what are you doing to ensure your office is hazard-free? If you’re wondering where to start, here are some tips to help you enforce workplace safety.
1. Hold regular meetings
Regular discussions enable every team member to develop ideas for assuring security at the office. This way, you can implement safety measures that would be taken seriously at the workplace. Even though most workplaces have strict rules on maintaining high standards, safety precautions must be enforced to guarantee smooth working. Having an open forum at work allows employees to discuss the dangers faced each day at work-It helps them know how to safeguard and make the best decisions to ensure safety.
2. Update and maintain equipment
To keep a healthy working environment, you should constantly check devices at the office. Admittedly, most people leave devices unchecked if not in use. Ensure every tool is maintained properly, and any faulty equipment should be repaired or replaced. Any kit that seems to be harmful should be kept far away or saved in a cabinet for security purposes. However, if equipment needs urgent supervision, it should be done immediately to avoid hazards. For example, you need fire alarm maintenance services to ensure that your devices are in top condition. It is your job to keep heavy gear conserved correctly as an employer. Also, enlighten your co-workers on how to use each device and ways to retain it.
3. Reinforce the wearing of safety gear
All kits provided to employees for protection should be worn correctly if the need arises. Indeed, having the right PPEs is vital in securing workers’ health, like wearing a helmet on your head, sturdy boots for your feet, safety glasses to protect your eyes, gloves for your hands, etc. All these personal protective equipment reduce employee exposure to hazards. But do well to employ rules to confirm each team member complies with the law. Reiterate the essence of wearing protective apparel-use PPE in the workplace; this way, everyone will work safely.
4. Appointing a safety compliance officer
One of the ways you can enforce security is by hiring a safety officer who will be in charge of all the tools and provide safety at the workplace. For instance, if you’re the chief technician of a factory firm, safety is one key thing you would look out for even before employees start working. Such places need a safety officer to inspect, supervise and conserve all the devices used in the factory. However, all employees must also be educated on operating various available equipment, so keep this in mind.
Everyone has a role to play when it comes to safety. Ensuring protection at the workplace is not only the employer’s duty but also the employee plays a significant role in keeping safe. Hopefully, these tips will help you achieve the desired outcome, so feel free to leverage them.
Two focuses of my blog are Organizational/Management and Workplace Discussions. A part of managing a staff is disciplining it when the need arises. The following contributed post is entitled, How Can I Know The Right Time To Discipline Staff.
Having to discipline someone as an authority figure is never enjoyable, but it is important from time to time. For instance, if you pay someone to attend their job at a certain time each day, but they’re consistently late, well they’re breaching the contract, and a worthwhile reminder, escalating in punitive consequences, will help to deter that behavior or ultimately find someone who will follow that guidance.
After all, if someone has promised you a certain behavior under legally-valid contract, then it’s your right to terminate that relationship or capably, professionally use measures to encourage them to do so.
The last thing you want, however, is to discipline staff every single time they put a small foot wrong. This can deteriorate relations rather quickly, and will also cause your well-meaning employees to be wary of you. Moreover, it’s not just why you discipline, but how you do it that counts. Shouting and screaming at someone is never acceptable, for instance, unless it’s due to a truly reckless act that puts someone at risk, and even then deterring the problem quickly is more important.
In this post, we’ll discuss the correct times to discipline staff, and how to go about that:
Create Easy-To-Follow Policies & Expectations
Establishing clear objectives and regulations from the start is one of the most important steps in disciplining employees successfully. This entails outlining the precise conduct that is required of employees as well as the repercussions for falling short of those standards. You’ll be able to provide employees a clear knowledge of what is expected of them and aid in preventing disciplinary concerns by making this clear from the offset. For example, with a service like Industrial Fire, you can curate essential protocols that always determine exactly how fire prevention and safety measures should be followed. You can then hold anyone accountable that falls out of that practice.
Remain Consistent At All Levels
Being fair and consistent when disciplining personnel is another crucial factor to follow. This means treating each employee fairly and without bias or favoritism. If it’s an executive acting in a poor way, they must be treated in the exact same manner your most part-time, least-authoritative employee will be. Applying sanctions consistently, with objective metrics, will ensure that everyone under your control is held to the same standards. This means that even when you have to let someone go, it would take a bad-faith effort for them to think they had been unfairly wronged.
Record The Discipline Procedure
It’s crucial to record the whole disciplinary procedure, including any verbal or written warnings or other disciplinary measures that were applied. This includes texts and emails. Try to get everything in writing. In the event that an employee contests disciplinary action or if the problem worsens, this paperwork may be used as a backup for you. Keep this confidential and safe of course, because this kind of correspondence should only be broken out if absolutely necessary.
With this advice, you’re sure to discipline staff not only fairly, but correctly, ensuring bad practice never continues for long.
Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Workplace Discussions. When you’re in business you want to think about development and expansion of your operations in addition to the health and safety of your customers and staff. The following contributed post is entitled, Incorporating Development With Health And Safety.
* * *
There is a growing demand for both developers and health and safety professionals in the workplace. In order to meet this demand, it is important that businesses understand how to incorporate these two areas of expertise together. By doing so, they can create a safe and productive work environment for their employees. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of incorporating development with health and safety, as well as some tips on how to do it effectively.
By integrating development and health and safety, businesses can create a better collaboration between the two departments. This will allow them to work together more effectively, ensuring that any potential risks are identified early on in the process. This helps to improve safety in the workplace by removing any potential hazards before they become an issue.
Increased Efficiency
When development is integrated with health and safety, processes become streamlined, allowing businesses to complete tasks quicker and more efficiently. As a result of this increased efficiency, employees have more time available for other tasks. This makes it easier to manage workloads and ensure that all deadlines are met without compromising safety standards.
Improved Communication
Integration also improves communication between developers and health and safety professionals. This allows them to easily share information and discuss any potential risks or issues that may need addressing. This improved communication helps to ensure that safety is always prioritized in decision making processes.
Increased Employee Satisfaction
By integrating development with health and safety, businesses can create a safer work environment for their employees. This makes it easier for them to complete tasks without worrying about the risk of injury or illness. As a result, employee satisfaction levels are likely to increase and this helps to improve morale in the workplace.
Increased Compliance
Integrating development with health and safety also ensures that businesses are complying with relevant regulations. This helps to reduce the risk of receiving fines or other forms of punishment for not meeting standards.
Improved Cost-Effectiveness
Integrating development and health and safety will also make businesses more cost-effective. By streamlining processes, they can reduce the amount of time spent on certain tasks, resulting in fewer resources being used. This helps to save money as well as improve efficiency.
Increased Productivity
Integrating development with health and safety also increases overall productivity. By creating a safe work environment, businesses can reduce the amount of time that employees spend worrying about potential risks. This allows them to focus on their tasks, resulting in higher quality output and increased productivity.
Improved Risk Management
By integrating development with health and safety, businesses can identify and address any potential risks early on in the process. This reduces the likelihood of incidents occurring, resulting in fewer losses for the business.
Important Courses
In order to ensure that businesses are integrating development with health and safety, it is important for them to invest in courses. These courses provide employees with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to identify and address any potential risks. Investing in these courses helps to ensure that businesses remain compliant with relevant regulations. For example:
Finally, businesses should also conduct regular audits to ensure that they are complying with relevant regulations. These audits can help to identify any potential risks and suggest areas where improvements can be made. Regular audits help to ensure that businesses remain compliant and are taking the necessary steps to protect their employees.
Integrating development with health and safety helps to ensure that businesses are meeting regulations, increasing efficiency, and improving employee satisfaction. By making the necessary investments in courses and conducting regular audits, businesses can remain compliant and reduce the risk of potential incidents occurring. This helps to create a safer work environment for their employees and ultimately leads to improved cost-effectiveness and increased productivity.
Three focuses of my blog are Organizational/Management Discussions, Workplace Discussions and Technology. No matter what type of organization you’re running, one of your key considerations should be moving and utilizing your heavy equipment. The following guest post is entitled, Heavy Equipment to the Office: What to Consider.
* * *
The presence of equipment in offices is essential as it provides employees with the necessary tools to get their job done efficiently and effectively. The right office equipment can significantly affect workplace productivity, comfort, and employee morale. According to a study by Xerox, businesses that invest in advanced technology, such as printers and copiers, have seen an increase in employee productivity by up to 35%. Furthermore, having office equipment that is easy to use and well-maintained can reduce errors and frustration among workers.
Having the correct office equipment also plays an essential role in employee comfort. For example, ergonomic chairs help support healthy posture and prevent back pain caused by long hours of sitting. Ergonomic keyboards also reduce strain on wrists due to prolonged typing tasks. Additionally, adjustable desks allow users to switch between sitting and standing positions throughout their workday. These investments can lead to improved worker satisfaction levels and a healthier working environment overall.
However, business owners must be responsible with heavy equipment to ensure they remain functional in the long run. Here are a few tips to help you.
Regular Cleaning and Maintenance
The importance of regular cleaning and maintenance for heavy office equipment is immense, which goes a long way toward maintaining its efficiency, longevity, and safety. Regular upkeep of heavy office equipment ensures it always functions at its best. Not only does it prevent breakdowns, but it also increases the lifespan of the equipment.
Regular cleaning and maintenance should involve checking for any visible signs of wear and tear, such as corrosion, dents, or cracks in the machine. It is essential to ensure that all components are adequately lubricated and tightened to avoid severe damage. This should be done by qualified personnel who are familiar with the workings of the equipment in question. Additionally, they should check any electrical components to ensure they conform to safety standards. You can create a list by identifying the things in the FFE list.
Another critical maintenance aspect is ensuring proper mechanical ventilation to avoid overheating and potential fire hazards. It would be best if you changed filters periodically to eliminate dust particles which can accumulate over time and cause clogging within the system.
Training Staff
Having the correct office equipment is important, but it is also essential to have staff who are trained and knowledgeable about how to use it. Training staff on how to safely and effectively use heavy office equipment can help prevent malfunctions and costly repairs. Proper training allows employees to maximize the benefits of the equipment, leading to increased productivity and cost-efficiency.
Training staff on heavy equipment also helps create a safer working environment for everyone in the office. Without adequate knowledge of the proper operation, employees may be at risk of injury from mishandling or incorrect usage. This can lead to potential legal liability for the company, so it is best to ensure that employees are adequately trained before using any machinery or technology. Additionally, training can help workers understand safety protocols and recognize hazards associated with their work environment.
Making It Mobile
The floor underneath requires proper support for heavy office equipment, primarily if the space gets used frequently. Mobile furniture and casters are an excellent option for businesses on the move, allowing easy transportation of metal storage cabinets and other bulky items from one workspace to another.
Mobile solutions also help optimize floor space by providing flexibility in layout changes. This way, employees can quickly reconfigure their workspaces when needed without having to relocate heavy or awkward pieces of equipment. Moreover, with proper V-groove caster wheels, you can roll heavy office equipment into place without any effort or strain on the workers’ part. Installing those wheels will require technical expertise, but the results are worth it.
Organizing Spare Parts
This is often overlooked, but heavy office equipment requires spare parts to keep it running efficiently. A simple component must be replaced or repaired when the equipment breaks down. It’s always good practice to have an organized inventory of these extra parts in case anything ever needs to be fixed. This approach saves time and money in the long run by avoiding costly repairs due to delays in obtaining the components required.
Finally, businesses should invest in quality products designed for heavy usage. Cheaper alternatives may seem like a bargain at first but could cost more in terms of repairs and replacement costs in the future. Investing upfront can help save money while providing your workers with the best possible equipment to get the job done.
Final Thoughts
Heavy office equipment requires special attention regarding maintenance and safety protocols. Proper staff training is essential to ensure that the machines are used correctly, and mobile solutions can help optimize workplace areas by providing flexibility in layout changes. An organized inventory of spare parts will also be beneficial if repairs are needed. By following these tips, businesses can keep their office equipment running safely and efficiently for a long time.
Two focuses of my blog are Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. As an employer/manager, one of your utmost concerns is that of the safety of your employees. The following contributed post is entitled, Tips For Ensuring Employee Safety In The Workplace.
The health and wellbeing of your employees are paramount to your business. The last thing you want is for an employee to become sick or injured due to something that could have been prevented in the workplace. As an employee, it’s your duty of care to keep your employees safe and you need to regularly check that the office is a safe space for people to work in. If your health and safety practices haven’t been updated in a while, it’s a good idea to look into these, or if you have recently started a business and want to cover your back, this article should help. Here we look into some top tips for ensuring employee safety in the workplace.
Do an audit of the building
While your building might seem safe, it’s a good idea to get an external firm to check. It could be that you’ve been sold somewhere that has asbestos, for example, and you’ll need an asbestos law firm to help you deal with any repercussions of this. An audit will help you to recognize any potential safety flaws and cover you and your employees against any potential harm that could come to them or you.
Consider their mental as well as physical health
The mental health of your employees is just as vital as their physical health so you need to take steps to manage this. Ensure your employees know they can talk to you if their workload is getting too much or that HR is there to help them if something is stressing them out. Give them the option to work from home which can help to ease the long days of commuting and regularly be sure to check in that they are doing ok. If an employee has gone through a tough time or is struggling with something, let them know you are there for them and see what you can do to help.
Ensure their workstations are set up correctly
If your employees are spending a lot of time behind a desk, they can suffer from something called RSI – repetitive strain injury. To help stop this from happening, make sure you install things such as footrests and wrist supports as well as screens with protection for their eyes. If they are doing a manual job such as on construction, ensure they all have the appropriate footwear and clothing to keep them protected and make sure they’re all trained and know what to do and wear on a daily basis.
These are just a few things you can do to ensure employees remain as safe as possible in the workplace. Ensure to always keep on top of this and update your manual regularly. Do regular checks on things such as your fire exits and the condition of the building and speak to your employees to ensure they are happy with everything. Have you recently taken further steps to ensure your workplace is safe for your employees? If so, what have you done? Let us know, we’d love to hear from you.
Two focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Workplace Discussions. If you’re fortunate to be able to work from home, you want maximize your efficiency and productivity to ensure the trust of your organization. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Be More Productive Working From Home.
One of the only good things that came out of the pandemic was that it gave us the ability to work from home. Companies that in the past thought the job couldn’t be done remotely, soon found out that in fact that was a great idea and helped many employees become more productive. From working on cases such as for asbestos law, to those in a copywriting position, this increased freedom and flexibility and enhanced the work ethic of many. If you work from home, it can be great, but some people wonder if they’re working as productively as they could be. Chances are there is some room for improvement. Here we have put together some top tips to show you how to be more productive working from home.
Have a dedicated working space
One of the most important things you need to do when you are working from home is to have a dedicated workspace for you to be able to sit and concentrate at. This could be a desk in your bedroom, a study, or an outhouse in your garden. No matter where it is, you want it to be free of distractions (such as from other members of your household) and somewhere you can start and finish your work without having to worry about being disrupted. Some people choose a place such as their dining table but this isn’t a specific workspace and as such might mean you need to keep moving throughout the day or have to pack up midway through an important project.
Give yourself rest breaks throughout the day
While it might seem productive to work throughout the day, you need to give yourself breaks to reset and recuperate. Take some time to have a walk, even if it is just around the block to clear your head and give your eyes some time away from your screen. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference just ten minutes can make.
Speak to colleagues on the phone or in person
Working from home can be pretty isolating which can lead to a drop in productivity. To avoid this, speak to your colleagues not just via email or on instant messaging, but also on the phone or meet them for a coffee. In-person interaction is very valuable and you can find it really boosts your productivity even if you only do it a couple of times a week and for an hour or so.
These are just a few of the top ways that you can be more productive working from home. Whether you work in a hybrid manner so spend some time in the office and some time at yours, or the whole time working from home, these are sure to help you. What are some of the top things you do to increase your productivity when you are working from home? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!
