Workplace of Choice

Spring is in the air and ballgames, barbeques, trips to the beach and the lazy, hazy days of summer are on the horizon.  Summer breezes by and employees yearn to be outside, rather than at work...Summer Hours can be a way for both the company and the employee to enjoy summer while maintaining employee productivity and increasing employee morale!

The economic downturn has forced many companies to reduce expenses and the level of employee benefits they provide. To offset the sting from cuts, an increasing number of companies are offering flexible work arrangements, such as Summer Hours, to enhance work/life balance, improve employee morale and increase employee retention.

A successful Summer Hours program is one that supports both the organizational goals and the needs of employees.  Be creative as you consider the alternatives to the standard work week.  Can you arrange work schedules to allow for a condensed workweek?  Have employees work a "4/40" (Four (4) ten (10) hour days), or a "9/80" (Work 80 hours over nine (9) days to get one day off every other week).  Another option is to work a longer day during a busier period and then give half days (or full days) off on Fridays in the summer.  For example, a company that experiences a busy sales cycle leading up to the holidays may work 9 hour days in November and December, but then offer Fridays off in the summer when sales are slower.  Just be sure to do the math and be sure there is an equal number of hours exchanged between the two time periods.

The old adage, "work hard, play hard" will go a long way as you explore your Summer Hours options.

Today is Earth Day, so what better day to focus on "Going Green" in the office?  Consider the following approaches to recycling the "stuff" that your company may no longer need:

• Have an "Office Yard Sale": Invite employees to a conference room to take any of the extra furniture, bookcases, printers, computers, etc. It's a win-win, the company doesn't have to incur the cost to dispose of the materials and the employees take what they want for free - talk about an employee moral booster! Anything leftover can then be donated to a local organization in need.
• Recycle scrap paper: Has your company logo or address changed or do you have scrap paper from a botched print job? Don't throw away all of that outdated letterhead, give it to employees to donate to their child's school or local community center where children will be able to doodle away. Think about printing draft documents on the back side of already used paper to help reduce the amount of paper.
• Old cell phones: There are many organizations that recycle cell phones for great causes. Consider donating old cell phones to our US Soldiers, Veterans or homeless shelters.
• Printer cartridge recycling: Don't throw away those old ink cartridges...recycle them! Did you know that: 
•  Almost 1 gallon of oil is needed to make one new laser cartridge
• In just 12 months, cartridge recycling could save 400 million gallons of oil in the U.S.
• Millions of cartridges go into landfills each year and this number increases by 12% annually
• A printer cartridge thrown into a landfill will take up to 450 years to decompose
• Water bottles: Instead of providing single-use water for employees, give each employee a water bottle with the company logo. Employees can take the water bottle wherever they go (free marketing!) and you'll be saving the environment by eliminating the plastic bottle waste.

These small changes are free and will better the environment for everyone! 

Happy Earth Day!

Spring is the perfect time to get rid of all of the "stuff" that has been cluttering up your desk or office and doing an overall office clean-up.   Research has shown that the right office surroundings can result in increased employee morale, employee productivity and employee motivation - so what better reason to get started?  Whether you reside in a plush corner office or a small cubicle you can bring a breath of fresh air to your surroundings very easily. 

Office Cleanup:

If you haven't used or looked at it for more than six months, chances are you may not need it and you definitely don't need it sitting out on a desk or table. So start with three piles:

Trash: The trash pile gets shredded, if need be, or bagged up and off to the dumpster it goes.

File: Organize into piles that can be put into folders with labels. Remember these are the items you truly need for either research or legal reasons such as contracts, financial records, refer to often, etc.  Consider what needs to stay on-site and what can be sent to archive.  If you haven't looked at in more than year, seriously consider sending it to archives.  Be sure to catalog your archive files well so that you can retrieve them if necessary.

Have to deal with: You should have a very small pile of items that need to be addressed. Organize these into priority categories - what has to be done today, by the end of the week, by the end of the month, etc.

When your desk is not cluttered up with piles of paper you are more likely to get to the stuff that really has to be tackled.

Now get out the cleaning supplies and equipment. Dust everything in sight. Vacuum your floor. Use a can of air on your keyboard (you will be surprised at what gets in between the keys). Check with your IT department as to whether they will give you permission to blow out the dust from your computer's fan and CD/DW drives and pay attention to their instructions on how to do it carefully. Use specially treated cloths to clean your monitor. Any surfaces that can be cleaned with a disinfectant should get wiped down to get rid of all those nasty germs that have been floating around the office all winter.

Now open up your window(s) if possible even if it is only for a few minutes to let in some fresh air. Don't forget to close and lock before you leave.

Now that you have a clean office, add some fresh art work, flowers, plants, and maybe a great smelling candle. The candle is not to be lit, but will add a light pleasant scent to your office. The key words are light and pleasant. Don't overpower your space with heavy scents, no one enjoys this.  You'll be surprised by the effect that simply cleaning the office and your surroundings has on you and your co-workers - Enjoy!