How much do you like where you work? Not the company or organisation, or even the people, but actually where you are physically based for most of the day? Do you get to your desk in the morning and start to feel depressed before you’ve even turned your computer on? However dreary your office environment, there are things you can do to perk it - and yourself – up. Here are our top tips:
Firstly, and most importantly, make sure that your desk, chair and computer are properly aligned and set at the right height and angle for you. Ask for a workplace assessment from your health and safety officer. There’s nothing worse than being physically uncomfortable at your desk. And it’s certainly not in the interests of your company for you to be running the risk of back pain, RSI and other work-related injuries. If you work at a computer for most of the day, take regular breaks so that you are not straining your eyes. And remember that you can ask your employer to repay the cost of your annual eye test.
Next, make sure your immediate work environment makes you feel good. That might mean flowers, photographs, or just a really clear and tidy desk, but it’s your space and you should arrange it so that you work as productively as possible. Go easy on the personal effects though – a discreet photo or two is ok, the 3-foot teddy bear you won at the funfair is not!
Remember that your work space says a lot about you to those who see it. Even if you are someone who tends to work in a flurry of paper during the day, take 10 minutes before you go home to tidy up. Not only is a clear desk a sign of organisation, it makes it much easier to come in to work the next day if you know that you won’t have to spend the first half hour finding your to-do list and that essential client’s phone number!
Of course, employers also have an important responsibility to ensure that their employees are both safe and comfortable at work. If you are an employer or manager, make sure that you involve your employees in the process of improving their work environment. Often minor alterations are all that is necessary to make significant improvements, both in comfort and morale. For example, ensuring that staff have enough storage and shelving space, or that they use screen protectors to reduce monitor glare.
Firstly, and most importantly, make sure that your desk, chair and computer are properly aligned and set at the right height and angle for you. Ask for a workplace assessment from your health and safety officer. There’s nothing worse than being physically uncomfortable at your desk. And it’s certainly not in the interests of your company for you to be running the risk of back pain, RSI and other work-related injuries. If you work at a computer for most of the day, take regular breaks so that you are not straining your eyes. And remember that you can ask your employer to repay the cost of your annual eye test.
Next, make sure your immediate work environment makes you feel good. That might mean flowers, photographs, or just a really clear and tidy desk, but it’s your space and you should arrange it so that you work as productively as possible. Go easy on the personal effects though – a discreet photo or two is ok, the 3-foot teddy bear you won at the funfair is not!
Remember that your work space says a lot about you to those who see it. Even if you are someone who tends to work in a flurry of paper during the day, take 10 minutes before you go home to tidy up. Not only is a clear desk a sign of organisation, it makes it much easier to come in to work the next day if you know that you won’t have to spend the first half hour finding your to-do list and that essential client’s phone number!
Of course, employers also have an important responsibility to ensure that their employees are both safe and comfortable at work. If you are an employer or manager, make sure that you involve your employees in the process of improving their work environment. Often minor alterations are all that is necessary to make significant improvements, both in comfort and morale. For example, ensuring that staff have enough storage and shelving space, or that they use screen protectors to reduce monitor glare.
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