Category Archives: Employee health

Protective Measures Offices Can Implement to Prevent COVID-19 Transmission

We live in an age where a global pandemic is quickly spreading between people wherever they go. Since life has to go on and some people have to keep going to work in their offices, it is important to know how you can protect yourself and those around you from the dangerous virus. Offices often have numerous employees working side by side in teams or individually to keep their establishment running smoothly and making profits. Here are some protective measures your office can implement in order to prevent COVID-19 transmission and ensure everyone is safe.

Wear Masks

Masks have been proven to be one of the best ways to avoid transmission of COVID-19. Make sure that when your employees are moving around the office that they are wearing masks. It is a very simple and effective way to keep them safe.

Encourage Hand Washing

One of the main things you should really focus on in your office to protect everyone against COVID-19 is encouraging your employees to wash their hands regularly. All the global health organizations are swearing by the effects of regular hand washing for at least 20 seconds each time to remove all kinds of harmful viruses and bacteria effectively. Regular hand washing will greatly minimize the risk of infection and help keep everyone safe in case someone is infected with the virus but is not showing any symptoms. Make sure you raise awareness of the importance of handwashing and personal hygiene in the office and hang signs everywhere to remind your employees to wash their hands so that everyone stays safe in their work environment.

Clean All Surfaces

Offices often have numerous employees going back and forth from one desk to another and touching different surfaces as they go. Keeping your surfaces regularly cleaned and disinfected is essential when it comes to protecting everyone working in the office. Make sure you use proper cleaning products to clean all the surfaces in the office, from desks to floors, and even walls and mirrors. As seen on HealthySole, you can even invest in new gadgets that are made to facilitate the process of cleaning surfaces automatically, or even cleaning shoes when people are on their way in or out of any room so that the risk of virus spreading is greatly reduced. Anything that can be touched by any of the employees in your office is something that should be disinfected on a regular basis to reduce the risk of COVID spreading.

Install Disinfection Booths

Many of those who get infected by the COVID-19 virus do not show symptoms until after a few days or may not show any symptoms at all, yet they can still be spreading the virus everywhere they go. To reduce the risk of your employees infecting one another when they walk into the office, it can be a good idea to invest in a disinfection booth on the door of your office to remove any lodging bacteria or viruses on people’s clothes and faces before they enter the workplace. It can also be a good idea to have someone measure people’s temperatures with a digital thermometer before they walk into the office to ensure nobody is infected without realizing they actually are.

Keep Employees Distant From One Another

When it comes to protecting your employees from COVID-19 transmission in the workplace, one of the most effective measures to implement is social distancing. You need to make sure all your employees are standing or sitting at a safe distance from one another to reduce the risk of the virus spreading, and ensure everyone is safe while working. You can start by making some space between each desk in the office and reducing the number of employees you have by giving them alternate shifts so that they can all keep their jobs but stay safe at the same time. It can also be a good idea to have some of your employees work from home whenever possible and start a virtual office environment rather than risk everyone’s safety. This way, you will be saving your employees from all the hassle of having to come to the office every day and reducing the risk of transmitting the virus. If your employees have to go to the office, then make sure they are distant from one another and wearing face masks at all times.

Implement an Agile Workplace

An Agile Workplace concept is an activity-based work space that makes the work space flexible. It is an office hoteling reservation technique or set up in a workplace. It is a way of utilizing a work area more efficiently, utilizing non-assigned seating arrangement and desk-sharing to maximize and creating collaborative spaces. Employees who don’t need to be in the office daily can make reservations to come in when they or you need them to do so. This way will limit the number of employees in the office at any one time and therefor reduce the risk to those employees wh are in the office.

A Scary Time for Employees

Living and working through a pandemic can be pretty scary. In order to keep yourself and all your employees safe in the workplace, you need to make sure you are following all the basic protective measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission by reducing the risk of infection and ensure the work keeps running smoothly. Make sure you raise the awareness of your employees about all the safety procedures they need to take to stay safe against the virus. It can also be a good idea to put some effort into creating a virtual office space where your employees can work from home and nobody has to risk their health in the first place.

If you are looking for a professional to discuss your office space options, we’d be happy to talk with you. Use our contact form to have one of our local pros get in touch with you, even if it is just to discuss options. We know office space and can help you identify what would work best for your company.

Is Coworking the Solution to Childcare Work Issues?

Leave a reply

considering childcare work issues The arrival of a new baby brings joy to the parents. However, it isn’t long before the family realizes that their focus on career and work has gone down. A recent report shows that nine in ten families with a new baby have at least one working parent. This means that one or both parents must continue working after the arrival of a new child and has the potential for childcare work issues.

Although remote working and freelancing have replaced the traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. employment, the majority of people still have to go to work during the day. Most companies are yet to create kid-friendly workspaces. Similarly, daycares are nowhere to be found in most corporate environments. Parents soon discover that they spend very little time with their children because they have to go to work every day.

Some parents try to take new careers, reduce their working hours, or come up with a flexible working schedule as they raise their children. While this can increase the amount of time you spend with your child, you’ll still be facing several problems. So, is everything lost?

Enter Coworking Spaces

The first coworking space in the US was opened in 2005. Although coworking spaces did not sprout quickly, they have become very many across the country in the recent past. Here, you will find remote workers, freelancers, and professional teams sharing one office. Studies have proven that people working in co-working spaces have higher productivity levels than those working in traditional offices.

As the demand for coworking spaces increases, many coworking companies are creating new features. One of the most famous updates is the introduction of a child care unit within the coworking environment. The child care unit has various purposes and features. Many resemble the standard daycare models, while others are more like babysitting services or ‘after school’ style learning experiences that encourage skills like math, science and even coding. The entire idea is to enable parents to work as they know they have the care of their children.

Benefits

If you find a coworking space that has childcare components, you can expect many benefits from that place. First, you will be working alongside people with similar challenges and opportunities. They, too, will be taking care of their children as they try to cater to clients and their careers.

Similarly, the coworking space comes with shorter commuting distances within the day. You don’t have to travel far during lunch breaks to see your children. You can just be working as your children play nearby.

Typical Hiccups

Unfortunately, not everything goes well in coworking spaces with childcare components. There are fluctuating rental prices, lack of appropriate locations, and incompatible childcare facilities. When somebody starts a childcare facility, they must satisfy many requirements.

For example, they must get the right license for the business and their employees. Similarly, there is a child-to-adult ratio that must be adhered to at all times. At the same time, if you want to take your child to work, you must get the appropriate license.

Places Where It Has Already Worked

Despite the existence of many challenges, some coworking spaces with childcare facilities have seen immense success in the last few years reducing childcare work issues. One of these companies is The Workaround. The Toronto-based company promotes a working environment where creators, artists, and parents can work together. Everybody is a parent with a dream to fulfil and children to take care of.

The main obstacle to establishing coworking spaces with childcare facilities is the lack of proper regulation. Authorities have placed tough ratios and facility requirements on daycare facilities.

Bottom Line

It is seems obvious that coworking is the future of the office. It balances the flexibility of working from home and the professionalism of going to an office. The introduction of childcare facilities at coworking spaces means parents of young children can continue their careers and work when their baby arrives and mitigate childcare work issues.

We can help you find a coworking space that meets your needs. Contact us today to learn more.

7 Best Ways to Keep Your Office Comfortably Heated

Leave a reply

HVAC systems As the weather has turned colder and the pandemic continues, businesses owners may be concerned about keeping their office comfortably heated affordably in a time where sales are sparse, and income is not what it used to be. With several cost-effective ways to keep your office comfortably heated, it is possible to maintain a constant temperature in the office without running up a huge monthly bill. To help you get started, we will be providing you with some of the best ways for you to keep your office toasty and warm throughout the cooler months.

1. Your HVAC Heating System

For businesses operating within high rise office buildings, several offices are heated using a state-of-the-art Heating Venting Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. This system can heat several offices within the block simply and effectively. To keep your office heated, it is important to make sure that it is zoned correctly. If you have cold spots, contact your property manager or service company to see if you can reconfigure your zones to spread the warmth more evenly.

2. Get a Radiator Fitted

Though most businesses have a built-in heating system, there are older office spaces and studio environments that may not have the luxury of an up-to-date heating system. If this is the case then you might consider the need to buy radiators online to place within the office space and ensure that is a comfortable space to work in. These radiators can be shipped straight to the office space and can be installed within the office or the studio environment. They come in different sizes and can fit even the smallest of spaces.

3. Electric Heater

Though it is unlikely that a maintained heating system will stop working, having an electric heater in the office will act as a great backup just in case. This can be kept in a storage cupboard and can be placed within a meeting room or within the core section of the office to keep people warm in the unlikely event that the heating system breaks. With electric heaters ranging in size, there are several heaters that you can place in the office that can take the edge off even on the coldest day and keep your office comfortably heated.

4. Dress The Windows In The Office

One of the easiest ways that heat is lost in an office is through the windows, particularly if you are working within an older office space. Therefore, it is important to dress your window with either a blind or a set of curtains that can keep in the heat and prevent the temperature from dropping in the office. This is a great way of keeping the cold out on a cool winters day while still allowing you to enjoy the sun in the summer months.

5. Upgrade The Windows If You Can

Another way that you can go about keeping your office heated is to upgrade your windows where you can. Though this may require you to talk to the landlord. Switching out your windows in the office for an energy-efficient option will enable you to keep the office comfortable all year round.

6. Make Use Of Carpet On Wooden Floors

If your office has wooden floors or even tiles, it may be worth taking the time to implement carpet runners onto the floors. This will allow you to keep heat within the office as the carpet will absorb the hear and help to keep the office warm even when the heating is turned down at night. This is also a great way of showcasing the colour scheme of the brand and bring the whole room together.

7. Use Fabrics On Chairs

The final way that you can keep the office warm is to use chairs that have fabric backings, With a huge amount of furniture absorbing the heat from the heating system throughout the day, this will make the office e feel warmer and will create a more welcoming environment for your employees. This can also be used in larger spaces to provide different areas for visitors and employees all whilst promoting a comfortable working environment.

As you can see, there are several ways that you can keep the office comfortably heated regardless of the weather conditions. Which of these will you be trying in your office space?

Certified OfficeFinder Specialist If you are looking for office space in which your employees can be comfortable in, contact us today. Our local tenant reps are not only experts in helping their clients find and negotiate for office space but are also intimately familiar with various heating systems to ensure your comfort.

6 Ways A Clean Office Enhances Employee Productivity and Well-Being

Leave a reply

A vital element to employee productivity is a clean workspace and it all makes sense now why the popular adage says “your space reflects your state of mind.” Aside from the fact that having a clean workspace improves one’s productivity, it also helps to refresh our mind.

Furthermore, it’s not how big or small your business is that serves or gauges the quota of your priority level for the cleanliness of your office; cleanliness is essentially crucial and highly valued for general well-being. The modern office has gone through several evolutions in the last 20 years and the influence of the office environment on employees’ health, wellbeing, and productivity remains to be a trend.

Several research projects and studies have affirmed and corroborated the impact of workplace cleanliness on productivity, and understanding how vital this is, employers tend to opt-in for the service of business cleaners who’ll do justice to the cleanliness of the office environment.

For employees to produce their best work, they need to be calm in their physical work settings and feel comfortable, and if you would prefer to oblige to business cleaning contract services to make your office space sparkling clean, do well to only go for experienced business cleaners who will put good efforts in effectively contributing to the workspace’s productive atmosphere.

Six Ways a Clean Workspace Guarantees Employee Productivity

1. It Makes Employees Happy

Have you ever thought of the kind of bliss your employees will feel when they walk into the office to meet a neat and tidy space? In fact, they’ll always be glad to show up at work and this will foster their productivity. With a clean office, they’ll have more time to get things done and they can quickly and easily track down paperwork if need be.

Keeping a clean work desk means zero distraction and this fully eradicates the need to scamper around wasting time and getting exhausted while looking for a document. Employees spend about eight hours in an office and they tend to treat their office as their second home. Thus, a tidy office is a necessity to achieve a desirable comfort zone that will beef up productivity.

2. It Enhances Creativity

When your employees are clustered with arranging “this” and taking care of “that”, you restrict and deprive them of harnessing their creativity because too much clutter can be detrimental to clear, creative thinking.

Although some people would say the mess on their desk can help them think and be creative, it’s worthy to emphasize that an untidy desk and workspace can hinder you from giving your all to what you are to do for the day because it subconsciously draws you back from tapping into that full creativity level.

As an employer, you can encourage your employees to practice the habit of decluttering their office space daily to help enable them to have a peace of mind of their cleanliness because after all, an agile workplace can go a long way in encouraging creativity, teamwork and problem-solving.

3. It Improves Focus On Work

You’ll find it pretty herculean to focus on your work when you have an untidy workplace because a cluttered office has a lot of distractions and it threatens your sense of personal control. A messy environment is in no way beneficial because it makes you have a short persistence.

On the other hand, you’ll be able to easily focus on the matter at hand when you have a clean space because there’s this sense of calmness and personal control one feels in the ambience of a clean environment.

4. It Reduces Stress

Relaxation and peace, often, don’t necessarily come with possessions of material things — decluttering is a great way to feel relaxed, reduce stress, and combat anxiety. You’ll not be able to focus on work and your anxiety levels will increase when you have too much in your office.

5. It Maximizes Employee’s Working Time.

You’ll be helping your employees to concentrate on the more important things if as an employer, you prioritize the cleanliness of the office workspace. Several business cleaners can provide a variety of services to help ensure employees’ working areas are kept in pristine condition.

Paperwork will be easy to find when the desks of your employees are organized and they’ll be able to spend quality time on getting their to-do lists effectively tackled rather than wasting time frantically looking for a document in a messed up office. Investment in a business cleaning service is worthwhile for employers who truly care about their employees’ well-being and as well desire to improve their productivity and creativity.

6. It Keeps A Healthy Workspace.

Health is wealth and one of the best ways to facilitate good health is to get into the habit of cleaning and decluttering your office space. Employees should know that a messy office can have a severe effect on the overall productivity of the company and there could be several sick leaves and more absenteeism if workers’ health is compromised.

The Interesting History of the Ergonomic Seating

Keeping your employees healthy is important. Ergonomic seating and furniture for office space have been around for a few decades now, however it is just recently that they have begun to get popular. A question to ask is where did ergonomics originate from and how did it get implemented into the workplace? How did it evolve into what we have today? Ergonomics has actually had an interesting and has been an area of study for a long time.

Ergonomics Was Created In the 1850s

As early as the 1700s, people were documenting work-related injuries and what was causing them. You might think of workplace injuries as a modern issue, but as early as 1713, people were studying why injuries occur from labor. This led to the creation of the word “ergonomics” in 1857 which was a method to help increase comfort while working and reduce injuries. It is interesting to see the evolution of the word move from basic labor, towards pieces of equipment such as office chairs that are used to increase productivity and comfort. Ergonomic chairs are still a long way off at this point in history, but the wheels have been set in motion to get us to where we are today.

A Way To Increase Production

The next time we saw ergonomics mentioned was in the 1900s, as factories and bosses were trying to find ways to increase the productivity of their employees. They tested a variety of different methods, such as more comfortable seating, and different tools to accomplish tasks. What they found was that while they had to spend money to help employees out, the employees were able to triple their output at times. This led to many factories and workplaces looking for ways that they could help employees reach full production.

World War II and Post War

When it came to the war, many areas in the country were converted into factories to help with the war efforts. Because human labor was extremely high, they had to find ways to speed up the process and allow people to produce as much as possible. This led to creating more machines that people could use and interact with. Along with that, creating proper workspaces for someone to sit while working would allow them to work longer without fatigue.

Once the war ended, serious research began to be put into ergonomics and how the human body responds when sitting. These findings helped to prove what everyone thought about ergonomics. They did in fact increase the productivity of an employee but creating an environment where they are able to work longer and work more comfortably. The industry began to brainstorm different ideas of how they could incorporate ergonomics into their work more and how they could better the processes that were already in place. This led to people looking at pieces of equipment such as the chair for example and experimenting around with it to determine what made a person work best.

Fast Forward To Today

Looking back, we have come a long way from World War II, especially when it comes to the ergonomics of sitting. Science and the medical field now fully understand what happens to your spine when sitting in a chair that is not comfortable. With the medical field pushing out data to show the importance of an aligned spine and ergonomic seating, the furniture industry has responded by finding new ways to incorporate these levels of comfort.

You will find in your standard ergonomic chair there is going to be a headrest of sorts for your neck muscles to relax, armrests so you can rest your arm muscles, a cushioned back to soften the impact on your spine, and finally a soft surface to sit on which will reduce the amount of pressure that you put on your hips. If you look into fancier ergonomic chairs, you can find ones with lumbar support, that will help your lower back and reduce pain. It is interesting to see in the past twenty years how much the design of the chair has changed.

This leads us now to looking forward and seeing what the future holds for ergonomic chairs and furniture. Advancements have already been made to create spaces where people can lay down while working. Creating a chair or a piece of furniture is not difficult, creating one that is comfortable and healthy for people is another story. As we learn more and more about the body, we will begin to use that research to create better pieces of furniture and equipment for us to use. Fifty years down the road, our implementation of ergonomics might be incredibly different than what we have today. Do you use an ergonomic chair in your line of work?

See more on employee health on OfficeFinder

Handling Workers Compensation and Injured Employees

Accidents happen, whether deliberate or by chance, and they are a serious issue in many workplaces. When sustaining work-related injuries care must be taken that workers are fairly compensated and no further harm comes to any side. That is where Workers Compensation plays a part.

Legal trouble concerning these issues can come in the form of employees exaggerating their injuries in order to be compensated much more or the employers trying to minimize the damage to avoid any compensation whatsoever. Both cases have been regularly encountered in the US judicial system.

The best solution is in the middle ground, where both parties are following their legal obligations and rights, but if needed you should be aware of how you can fight for your rights in case of injury.

Finding an Attorney

Even before anything bad happens you could consult a legal expert. From the start, when reviewing your contract with the employer you could ask a legal professional for an opinion if the terms for any injury compensation are agreeable. But in the worst-case scenario, where an injury has occurred, finding a good workers compensation attorney, like the ones at A rizona workers compensation attorney, can literally be a lifesaver. Having someone with experience fight to get your medical expenses covered is a huge deal in the US.

Workers compensation is usually seen only as a net loss in the employer’s books (and not as a human and worker right, as they should be), and as they are often unwilling to make such an expense they need to be threatened with a lawsuit sometimes, so as to make them respect the contract.

Educating and Preventing

Preventing injuries is the first step that needs to be thought out when organizing any job. Considering that blue-collar workers are at an inherent risk of sustaining serious injuries while operating machinery they need to be properly educated about the tools and materials they will be encountering. Though the number of fatal work injuries is relatively low, a much larger number of non-fatal injuries is present or even goes unrecorded if the worker is in the “exempt” category.

Education of employees and employers goes two ways – one is the education about their rights and obligations, as both parties have them defined by law and contract, and the other about safe working practices. The employer is supposed to know the workers’ limitations and not ask them to work beyond them, while the workers are supposed to be fully capable of safely working within their limitations and job description.

Immediate Response

In case of injury, the first response is the most critical in the long run. Reacting quickly and correctly to mitigate any serious or life-threatening injury is beneficial to every party involved and should therefore have top priority in such situations.

If, for example, a worker is badly hurt from a machine malfunction they should be administered first aid immediately, after which 911 should be called. If anyone present doesn’t know how to give proper first aid, 911 should be called first and they will give further instructions.

Filing Appropriate Paperwork

It is the injured employee’s responsibility to file a claim within one year of the injury. This can be done by filling a form at the doctor’s office or by obtaining a Worker’s Report of Injury. If no claim of injury is reported in one year since the accident happened the employer is exempt from providing compensation to the worker.

The employer is also required to submit an Employer’s Report of Injury, though that doesn’t count as a claim, only as a report. Employees should therefore be aware that, even though they do not need to submit a claim as soon as possible it must be done in a timeline manner as there is a limit on how long you can wait. All such claims and reports must be submitted to the ICA.

What to Do After Compensation and Recovery?

Waiting to be compensated can be a tricky period. A serious injury may put a worker out of line for a while and with less income but higher spendings due to medical bills compensation from insurance come as much-needed relief.

When returning to work afterwards there should be a period of adaptation so as to not make another mistake while operating a machine, for example. If all is well both the employer and employee will continue to have a professional relationship and will work out what caused the injury so that it doesn’t happen again.

Compensations for work-related injuries are a basic human right and should be available to everyone in the workforce. Even though nobody wants to get hurt it can still happen even to the best of us and knowing how to handle the injuries and compensation paperwork is a big part of being a responsible worker.

We can help you find the office space that meets all the safety requirements for your employees, whether conventional or flexible space, we can help. Contact us today for a no-obligation discussion on how one of our local tenant representatives can help.

7 Tips to Managing HR in Off-site Locations

Technology alongside the pandemic has combined to encourage the number of off-site or teleworking employees and contractors. Most mobile aspects of businesses operate from off-site locations, and with the same productivity objective.

Working off-site encourages contactless management. In the same manner, HR managing becomes even challenging as HR managers do not meet the workforce. Since they can’t meet the workforce, it is tough to tell the difference between a satisfied and dissatisfied workforce.

Fortunately, HR software brings the reality of stringent man-management despite operating from off-site locations. A typical reliable HR software features 24/7 support, more comprehensive employee-manager communication, advanced assessment tools, and trendiness.

Upon implementing preferred HRIS, the next thought in line is effective off-site management. So, what are the tips for managing HR in off-site locations?

1. Schedule Employees

Managing and balancing schedules when dealing with multiple off-site teams in various locations can be challenging. However, implementing staff scheduling and management systems can be organized to enhance management.

To make scheduling seamless, HR software must be user-friendly and accessible by everyone. Of course, it must be app-based online systems that support instant adjustments sending notifications and reminders to the workforce regardless of their location.

When the workforce is scheduled in this manner, it also enhances regulatory compliance in your jurisdiction. Moreover, neither work overtime nor under-time, which creates balance.

2. Bring Technology to the Workforce

HR managers must bring technology to the workforce to enhance off-site management. In this regard, employees and contractors must be open to self-service and partake in the digital culture of the company for collective progression. A characteristic of off-site management is contactless working. It means that managers and employees will find it difficult to rapport effectively.

So, why not give your workforce technology? It is simple; configure a portal and provide the employees with self-service access. The HR tool must be such that employees can lodge complaints, make suggestions, enter updates, etc. Most importantly, employee HR software must support HR administration before changes and suggestions are deployed.

3. Delegate Tasks

Managing HR in multiple off-site locations should not be a one-person task. Your HR team may be the best, but you can configure the HR system to delegate responsibilities manageable from one system.

Suppose the company is under pressure to deliver, what becomes of the lone-working HR? In a bid to satisfy the company or clients while managing off-site location HR, you may burn out. Seize the capability of human resources management software to delegate tasks, even onto the workforce. HR assistants should not be exceptions either.

Meanwhile, depending on the nature of certain HR functions, HR can delegate activities to employees. The idea is to task employee supervisors with simple objectives. They become responsible for managing sections of the workforce that may be tedious to reach out.

4. Ensure Collaborations

Modern HRM software allows shared docs that ensure tracking of company activities. It will enable HR managers to remain apprised of the team’s activities. The most intelligible aspect is that it helps managers refine responsibilities and employee expectations while operating from off-site locations.

Moreover, you must agree on the acceptable behaviour for virtual collaboration. Professionals, note, for instance, that sending quick messages such as “Busy. I will return the call soon” and “Busy, please” are a decent virtual collaboration behaviour. It is imperative while focusing on a task when another employee reaches out.

Reliable collaborations are also dependent on the quality of the HRMS. Getting in touch with colleagues virtually would be best if the HR tool offers extended features, which necessitates selecting HR software carefully.

5. Implement Similar Management Options

Every working site is unique, regardless of whether the functions may be similar. First, you ought to understand how each location is structured by contacting supervisors to report what you know. Secondly, you need access to the database, except for the organisation that integrates all-employees-in-one databases.

Understand that implementing consistent and uniform operating standards across various locations can enhance convenience. Of course, the HR would have no need reinventing the wheel for each site.

Regarding employee management, endeavour to maintain a similar employee handbook across the various locations. Each employee must experience the same shift structure, training, assessment, and reward system. Moreover, this practice simplifies moving the workforce to other branches at short notice to replace shifts.

6. Welcome Feedback

It is vital to be open to critical feedback from your team irrespective of their opinion. You can encourage sincere feedback by configuring the HR software to maintain staff anonymity. It means you provide the room for the team to commend or rule out the management’s effectiveness. Make sure to encourage feedback that suggests changes instead of critique only.

To encourage your team to feel comfortable, have an open-door policy and explain to your team the need for their contributions.

Regardless of their views, your reaction must not be retributive. If you have reasons for implementing particular policies that feedback lash, give detailed explanations to your team. It is also advisable to adjust to demands rather than impose relentlessly.

7. Engage Virtually and Commend

The biggest secret for managing HR in off-site locations is to engage your team virtually and commend deserving individuals. First, ensure that your HR virtual tool is reliable, whether for an all-employee team-building event or custom leadership development.

Get the team to connect from the various off-site locations and seize the time to commend top-performing staff or branches for challenging the workforce. You must, however, commend everyone while singling out top-performing talents or groups.

If you are looking for office space, coworking space or traditional, for your company or employees, we can help. Contact us today to find out about our no cost service.

What To Know When Renting Office Space Following The Pandemic

What To Know When Renting Office Space Following The Pandemic Making decisions about renting office space is more challenging because of the impact of coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are asking how the current health situation affects office leasing and businesses at large. Is work-from-home the latest trend? Or will the new normal open more opportunities for commercial property owners?

In this article, you’ll learn the essential things about renting office space following the pandemic.

Health And Safety Protocols Compliance

In the ‘new normal,’ property owners are mandated by governments to comply with all health and safety protocols set in place to protect the public. Future tenants are also advised to do the same.

In order to find tenants, office operators are taking this seriously. As an example, our friends who have Offices in Manbre Wharf, have fully implemented health and safety protocols to ensure that tenants are safeguarded from the threats of COVID-19. Everywhere else in the world is having to do the same.

So, what are the general health and safety protocols when it comes to renting offices?

Here are the details of the scope of health and safety protocols involving renting office space and other commercial establishments that you should know before renting office space:

Risk Assessment: Assessment of environmental, health, and safety risks, which tackles the responsibility of landlords and property owners when creating rental policies and agreements.
Management And Reporting Of Cases: It tackles the responsibility of landlords and property owners to report any case of COVID-19 during the period of lease to concerning health and government authorities.
Implementation Of Guidelines: Once health and safety guidelines are fully explained to tenants, landlords and property owners should do all means to monitor full compliance. On the other hand, tenants, particularly office or business owners, must make their employees aware of the policy.

Social Distancing In Offices

Before the strike of COVID-19, many office layouts and designs have open plans, which aimed to promote good collaboration, better communication, teamwork, and cost-savings. However, the current pandemic forces everyone to maintain physical distancing or what is called “social distancing” to keep people safe from one another.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that people practice social distancing by maintaining at least a six feet distance between individuals. Because coronavirus is highly contagious, employee desks must be spaced wide apart, and possibly each employee should have an individual cubicle to avoid getting infected.

Renting Additional Office Spaces

It is now impossible to fit employees in offices as pre-COVID-19 having the same number of people in the same square footage. Business owners either need to set alternating work schedules for their employees by creating an Agile Workplace or lease additional office space, which means additional overhead cost.

Here are some benefits of renting additional office spaces following the pandemic:

Be able to resume peak business operations to attain higher productivity and revenue as compared to last year.
Help businesses recover from low production and sales because of temporary closure or sluggish business operations during the peak of COVID-19.
During the new normal, renting extra office spaces is a better option than compromising the health of your employees and facing legal consequences due to negligence.

Corporate Culture Adjustments

Workplace culture greatly transcends in your office. Corporate culture is highly reflected by the office layout and structure because collaboration, open communication, and promoting productivity are readily seen through open plans. However, there must be some adjustments following the pandemic, which means less worker density, fewer meetings, and less social get-togethers.

When renting a new office space, you may need to also make some adjustments to your previously planned corporate culture. Here are the challenges you might face when adjusting to corporate culture when renting office space following the pandemic crisis:

Recruitment: It will be a challenge to attract new talents, but the virtual world can decrease the burden of hiring new employees. Final face-to-face interviews are still possible in office buildings following the health protocols, such as installing hard, transparent plastic dividers between the interviewers and the job applicants.
Office Design: Designing and modifying existing workspaces can be difficult. Supporting the established culture and following the new health and safety protocols poses a challenge to everyone. For this reason, your architect and interior designer should work together to come up with the best solution designed for your business needs.
Co-Working: While co-working has been a trend and major contributory factor to the office market recovery, the new health protocols that accompany COVID-19 may have an adverse effect on co-working businesses. Co-working companies may diminish following the pandemic, so venturing into this work setting is not advised.

Conclusion

Renting office spaces nowadays can be more challenging than ever. All future tenants must comply with existing health protocols, like ensuring social distancing and wearing of personal protective equipment, like face masks. Business owners would likely need to rent additional office spaces and make the necessary corporate culture adjustments to be productive and realize business goals. Let us know if we can help you find new office space. Contact us today!

When and How to use Drug Test Kits for Your Office Employees

Drug test

For employers, drug testing is an important way to determine if an applicant has a substance problem or not. When a drug is detected during a background test, it usually results in an immediate denial of the application.

The main purpose of drug test kits available today is to test drug use in the workplace. An individual’s ability to get a job is often affected by their past drug use, which makes it crucial to have an accurate drug test kit on hand.

When To Use Drug Testing For Employees

A drug kit is often an ideal solution for pre-employment measures against drug use in the office. Drug test kits, such as urine drug test kits, include a sample kit and instructions, are affordable, user-friendly, and offer quick results.

Most drug test kits usually test for the presence of certain illegal drugs in an individual’s blood by utilizing a saliva sample. This sample can then be analyzed by a trained laboratory technician who can determine the drug’s concentration within minutes. An employee may also receive a notice that their application has been denied, as an employee failing to produce a reliable test result could put their job in jeopardy.

Here are some basic facts about when and if employees should be tested.

Each state has different legal requirements. Some states require employees to be tested for a drug at the start of employment, while other states only allow testing after a notice has been given to the employee.
For employers, drug testing kits come in handy when hiring new employees. Employers need to ensure that drug abusers don’t have access to sensitive information within the company, such as sensitive documents, computers, and other devices that could potentially expose company secrets. Drug test kits can help catch employees who are using drugs, giving the employer peace of mind.
Most states don’t require employees to submit to random drug testing.
When a person first starts to take the drug tests, they’re usually asked whether they had used illegal drugs in the last year. However, many employers don’t require drug tests for employees who have not used drugs in the previous year. This is especially true if the employee has taken a drug-prevention class or has shown a willingness to follow an anti-drug program.

How To Use Drug Testing For Employees

As a general rule, employers who want to drug test their employees should consider taking a sample of urine or blood. Since urine contains more concentrated substances than blood, an employer may receive more reliable results.

However, there are a few factors that determine whether an employee will be positive for a drug.

First of all, the test may be able to detect recreational drugs. In addition, certain types of drugs can have a delayed effect on an employee’s response. Therefore, if an employee has a problem with drug use, the test can often give false negatives because the employee has no prior problems or is using the drug for the first time.
Once an employer decides to test employees, there are a few questions that should be asked before administering a drug test. These questions can include: Are there any physical signs of abuse that cannot be ignored? Is the employee willing to let their doctor know about drug use? Are there any signs of withdrawal? Does the drug make the individual feel nervous or anxious? Are there any negative changes in the way that the person acts?
Many of these test kits will also include instructions on how to prepare the employee’s urine samples. Therefore, the employee will know when and how to use a test kit for their own urine and will know what to do when they’re ready to test their urine.

In some cases, the employee will be able to send a urine sample home with the employee kit, but they’ll only be able to do this if they have had a chance to get a hold of the kit before it’s time for the test.

There are many different drug test kits available on the market today, some of which are very accurate. However, it’s essential to know how these kits work before you actually decide to purchase one for accurate drug test results.

Conclusion

Regardless of the reason that an employer decides to test for drugs, it’s important to know when employees need to take their tests. By understanding when and if they should be tested, employers can avoid having an employee suffer the consequences of drug addiction as well as keeping the office running smoothly.

Employee Rights Every Employer Should Know About

Can you imagine finishing four years of university, getting a dream job, and realizing that working is not what you imagined? Well, a lot of people feel this way, but luckily, there are employers who are aware of how it was when they were at their first job. Many first-time employees are told never to settle for a bad workplace that don’t treat them well and and grant them their basic employee rights. Here are some of the most important employee rights all employers should be familiar with if they want to keep them for many years to come.

Wage and Hour Law

For many inexperienced employees getting their first job can be exciting, but also terrifying because they don’t know their basic rights – they might even settle on the horrible treatment – like working overtime ALL the time and not getting paid, or not having paid leave days. Experts at ECLaw state that employees can file a claim if your company is unable to provide them with their basic rights. But you as an employer have a duty to provide them with a strict schedule of set working hours and a minimum wage. This is both for full-time workers, and part-timers such as interns.

Discrimination Law

A workplace shouldn’t be like going to high school, with the only difference being that the adults are bullying you. If your employees are faced with any form of discrimination due to their race, sexuality, age, religion, or disability at the workplace, this is breaking the basic human rights law. In no circumstance can a colleague or an employer make remarks or treat one employee differently than the rest simply because they are different. If this happens, they have the full right to take this matter to court, so try to always be aware when such issues occur and listen to your employees when they reach out to you with such sensitive matters.

Workplace Safety Law

Regardless if you are working in an office or if you are working with hazardous chemicals – you as an employer have to provide your employees with a safe environment! It’s too common for workplace injuries to happen, but some are more preventable than others. This is especially for those who work in a dangerous field, having faulty or old gear can double the level of danger you can face. So it’s up to the company to provide the employees with the best possible equipment to do their jobs properly, and on top of that to be safe. Nobody would like to work in an environment where they are terrified for their safety all the time! If you can, gather your colleagues and discuss this with them, see if they suffered any workplace injuries, and try to figure a way to prevent these problems from reoccurring.

Privacy Law

Your employees are human beings above all, and if there’s something they deserve – it’s privacy over their personal information. Just because your employees had to disclose details about their personal lives to get a job, that doesn’t mean that you as an employer can spill that information around. Their personal information should stay between you, them, and your company. Private information is not required for a job in every state, it also all depends on the type of job you are applying for, but regardless of that, any confidential information like someone’s physical or mental health should not be disclosed to anyone.

The Freedom to Make a Claim

Working in a giant corporation, employees might feel like an ant compared to the company itself. But you shouldn’t let that scare them away from voicing their opinions and asking for better treatment at your workplace. You, as an employer, have an obligation to protect your employees, while they have full right to sue the company if they don’t follow the basic employee rights and regulations have been respected. Many such huge cases have been happening over the years, regardless of a business being small or a giant company. Employees can make a personal claim, or even go one step further and gather all their colleagues to file a class action case against your company. At the end of the day, you want to be the one on their side, not the one they wish to sue.

When candidates apply for a job, they are devoting their time and energy to it, and with that, they expect the bare minimum when it comes to their rights. These include a safe environment to work in, but many companies seem not to care when it comes to these types of things. That’s why it’s up to the employee to speak up and know their rights, and why your job as an employer should be to protect them. No job is worth the discrimination and suffering, jobs are hard on their own and you want to experience a safe space around you. So speak up for your employees and never let yourself be associated with bad treatment!

And if you want to find a great office space for your great emloyees, that is what we can help you with. It is what we do with our network of over 450 local tenant reps. All at no cost to you. Contact us today for your no obligation consultation.