Employee productivity - Millennium Storage and Interiors Blog

Category: Employee productivity

Transforming Your Workspace: Creative Ways to Refurbish Your Office

A well-designed and inviting office space can significantly enhance productivity, creativity, and employee morale. If your office is in need of a refresh, refurbishing can breathe new life into the environment. In this blog post, we will explore several creative ways to refurbish your office and create an inspiring and functional workspace.

Rethink the Layout: Consider reconfiguring the layout of your office to optimise space and improve workflow. Open concept designs promote collaboration, while designated quiet areas or private offices offer privacy when needed. Explore ergonomic furniture options to prioritize comfort and well-being, and ensure that essential equipment and resources are easily accessible for all employees.
Play with Colors and Lighting: A fresh coat of paint can work wonders in revitalising your office. Choose colors that align with your brand and desired ambiance. Opt for neutral shades to create a calm and professional atmosphere, or inject vibrant pops of color to energize the space. Additionally, evaluate your lighting scheme and incorporate a mix of natural and artificial lighting sources to create a well-lit, inviting environment.
Incorporate Greenery: Plants bring life and vitality to any space. Introduce indoor plants to your office to improve air quality and create a soothing and natural atmosphere. From small potted plants on desks to larger planters in common areas, incorporating greenery can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your office while fostering a sense of tranquility and well-being.
Upgrade Furniture and Accessories: Evaluate your existing furniture and consider upgrading key pieces to enhance comfort and functionality. Invest in ergonomic chairs, adjustable standing desks, and versatile storage solutions. Thoughtful accessories, such as stylish desk organisers, artwork, or motivational quotes, can add a personal touch and inspire creativity among employees.
Enhance Collaboration Spaces: Designate specific areas for collaboration and brainstorming sessions. Create comfortable and inviting meeting spaces with modular furniture, whiteboards, or interactive displays. Integrate technology solutions that facilitate seamless communication and collaboration, such as video conferencing equipment or project management software.
Focus on Acoustics: Noise pollution can be a significant distraction in the office environment. Address this issue by incorporating acoustic panels, sound-absorbing materials, or even white noise machines to reduce background noise and create a more focused and productive atmosphere. Consider design elements that help in soundproofing, such as carpeting or wall coverings.
Embrace Smart Technology: Integrate smart technology solutions into your office to improve efficiency and convenience. Install automated lighting systems, smart thermostats, or motion-activated sensors to optimise energy usage. Consider implementing smart security systems to enhance office safety and control access.
Create Breakout Spaces: Recognise the importance of relaxation and downtime by creating dedicated breakout areas. These spaces can include cozy seating, game tables, or comfortable lounges where employees can recharge and foster social connections. Such spaces promote a healthy work-life balance and encourage collaboration among team members.

Refurbishing your office offers an opportunity to transform your workspace into a dynamic, productive, and inspiring environment. By rethinking the layout, incorporating colors, adding greenery, upgrading furniture and accessories, enhancing collaboration spaces, focusing on acoustics, embracing smart technology, and creating breakout areas, you can revitalise your office and create a space that reflects your company’s values and fosters employee satisfaction and engagement. A well-refurbished office sets the stage for a thriving and successful work environment.

The pandemic has altered the traditional office setup

October 26, 2021 / admin / 0 Comments

From businesses to individuals, we have all been affected one way or another by the Coronavirus pandemic. While we know that many businesses have had an extremely difficult time, some businesses have managed to turn their fortunes around. In fact, many businesses are enjoying some very positive changes that have come out of the situation.

Office Culture To Supportive Culture

For decades, we have been engrained to believe that 9 to 5, office-centric work was the best thing for business. As employees have been forced to work from home, and companies have had to embrace this change, we’re experiencing a change in productivity and employee freedom.

This shift in working life has encouraged businesses to take only the best parts of office culture, and free employees from inefficient processes and bad habits. Leaders are switching their focus from office culture to a more supportive culture, with a new focus on how to improve the lives of employees while still getting the best from them.

Virtual-First Companies

Many companies are taking steps towards hybrid working environments, where teams can work both remotely and in the office.

This shift in the way we work has seen a rise in companies becoming ‘virtual first’. This means that workplaces are being distributed across offices and homes, and employees have the freedom to choose how they work.

For companies to successfully work in this innovative way, they must be virtual-ready. Leaders must know how to effectively manage, train and evaluate virtually, and technology must be in place to enable virtual working.

Overlapping Personal And Professional Lives

For years we have been keeping our professional lives and personal lives at a distance, with little overlap between the two. With the rise of Zoom meetings and remote working, it has given us an insight into team member’s private spaces.

Every video call and virtual meeting makes the personal lives of colleagues, managers and clients visible. We are now used to seeing employees’ children and pets on-screen, interrupting meetings and phone calls on a regular basis.

While this might seem like a distraction to the working day, in actual fact, these little glimpses into our personal lives can improve workplace relationships. When working from home, it is almost impossible to keep up an entirely professional persona, giving colleagues an insight into the real, personal life of team members.

These personal interactions are not unprofessional. Instead, they allow teams to connect and get to know each other in a new way. Overlapping personal and professional lives can help teams to work better together and understand one another’s everyday challenges.

The Ultimate Work From Home Set-Up

January 4, 2021 / admin / 0 Comments

If someone had told you two years ago that working from home would become the norm you would’ve never believed them. However, this has become our reality. For the best part of eighteen months we have all been sitting at the kitchen table with a bad back wondering when it will end.

At the moment it looks like many of us will continue working from home, so why not make in a space that is comfortable and makes you feel like you’re in the office?

In this article we will provide you with a few pointers on how to create the ultimate homeworker set-up. One thing that we have all been struggling with is shutting off once work hours are over as we don’t have that defined space to work, so creating a space dedicated to work will ensure you keep a healthy work and life balance.

The following items will allow you to create that perfect work environment in your home.

Ergonomic chair

This type of chair has lumbar support, adjustable arms, a headset and soft/hard castors depending upon the type of floor you have.

Ergonomic desk

This type of table is adjustable – change the height to suit you. This will help with both back problems and any difficulties you may have with your eyes when looking at a screen all day.

Monitor arm

This will allow you to adjust your screens easily in order to suit your needs.

Electrics

Set-up your desk near a plug socket – this will be essential for keeping your laptop, desktop and phone fully charged and working throughout the day.

Lighting

Natural light boosts health and wellbeing. A bright room will also help reduce fatigue.

Plant & Artwork

Personalised artwork and plants make the space feel nicer, more welcoming and in turn may inspire you to work!

Separate Room

If possible, a separate room can help differentiate working and personal time. This will help maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Work hours

Make sure you set work hours to help you maintain that work/life balance. If you go beyond these hours you are less likely to stay focused and productive.

Put your office-wear on

Dressing like you would for the office helps you stay focused and motivated. Staying in your PJs all day is not good for anyone!

For more information or advice please contact us at info@millennium-si.co.uk.

How to improve your home office

April 25, 2020 / admin / 0 Comments

Working from home may have its benefits like getting up a bit later, wearing comfy clothes and having an oven handy for making lunch.

But you may find working, eating and sleeping in the same place each day gets a bit tiresome after a while.

Here’s a few tips and tricks for making your work environment at home that little bit brighter…

Find a comfy chair

If you have a comfortable chair you can use as your work chair, this will make a big difference if you’re sitting at a desk or table all day.

Clean up your mess (computer, papers, laptops etc)

A clean and tidy working environment can make the world of difference.

Making sure your desk or table is free of clutter so that you have space to work, and that it’s clean and tidy can leave your feeling calmer and more productive.

Make sure you also tidy up at the end of your working day so that you come away from work and enjoying the evening for yourself and the family.

Natural lighting

If possible, choose a place for your workspace environment that has natural lighting. This can be beneficial to your mood and increase productivity. We also recommend you get outside a 20 minutes or so, to give you a break from work and also get much needed fresh air.

Being near a window while working can also up your vitamin D levels, which helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, and these nutrients are needed to keep muscle, teeth and bones healthy.

Separate work and living areas

If it’s possible to do so, your workspace should be in a room or space as far away as possible from the place where you sleep if you want to increase your productivity.

Your brain tends to associate certain spaces with certain tasks, which is why it’s important to keep your work and living areas physically separate if you can.

For more ideas on office space at home or in a city office, contact us today!

Is the colour of your office affecting employee productivity?

August 20, 2019 / admin / 0 Comments

Colours can affect our emotions and influence our actions, so you should select the colour scheme for your office carefully.

Have you considered that the colour of your workplace could be influencing the mood, wellbeing, and subsequently, your employees’ performance?

Your office’s colour palette sets the tone for the mood within your office. A bright and colourful environment can stimulate and energise the mind, inspiring creativity. Whilst cool and muted colours can create a calm and peaceful environment.

Research into the psychology of colours has shown that different colours can elicit particular emotions and behaviours within us.

Consult our guide to the psychology of colours below to discover how your office is making employees feel and which colour you should paint the walls next.

Blue– When used in moderation within a professional environment, blue is said to be a stable and calming colour that encourages productivity.

Red– If you want to motivate and energise employees then red is an excellent colour to add to your interior’s palette. Red is said to create a dynamic atmosphere and can help employees to work more efficiently.

Green– Green is a calming colour that we associate with nature.

Yellow– Yellow is an uplifting and positive colour that can encourage creativity.

Purple– If you want to create a calm and thoughtful zone, then purple and violet can be excellent colours for encouraging spirituality and creativity.

Rather than going overboard with any of these colours, its best to introduce them to the office in muted tones or splashes of colour.

Why not use colours that reflect the different actions and behaviours you want employees to show in different zones within your workplace.

Need help designing an office interior that will motivate employees? Speak to our team of experts here at Millennium Storage and Interiors by giving us a call on 01942 603 344.