THE FACILITIES EVENT: EXHIBITORS
AJ PRODUCTS Stand: 4/L150
Is your office ready for you to return to work?
As restrictions ease, many offices are now reopening and welcoming back staff who have been working from home. Yet, the pandemic will leave a lasting impression on the way we work and some businesses may choose to make permanent changes to their office spaces to suit the ‘new normal’.
At the start of the first lockdown, working from home was unknown territory to most people. Eighteen months on, many office-based businesses have learnt they can operate effectively with remote staff. To capitalise on the success of remote working, many companies are planning to embrace a combination of remote and on- site working, giving rise to a hybrid work model.
In light of this, AJ Products explores how offices can adapt to provide productive workspaces where staff will thrive, whether they work one or five days a week in the office. Come and visit us on stand 4/L150 at The Facilities Event to find out what we can do for your business.
Collaborative spaces To support the change in working practices, companies should optimise their physical office space to prioritise collaboration and human connection with more meeting spaces and breakout areas.
If staff are working only part-time in the office, then in- person meetings and team projects should be prioritised on those days. In order to facilitate this, offices should be redesigned to eliminate cubicles and individual workspaces and instead create more collaborative spaces. This doesn’t necessarily mean conference rooms. In fact, casual meeting spaces that offer plenty of flexibility are often more effective as they can be adapted to current needs and allow for a more relaxed and creative atmosphere.
AJ Products recommends creating a variety of different collaborative spaces throughout the office. Each should feature furniture that is easy to move around and offer several seating options so employees can reconfigure the space to suit their purpose.
Active working One of the biggest complaints people have about working from home is the makeshift nature of their workspace. This is where the office can provide a work environment that is far better adapted for employee needs. The focus should be on improving ergonomics and reducing sedentary behaviour by providing the right office furniture
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and an optimised layout. Active office design could include sit-stand desks and meeting tables, balance ball chairs, exercise bikes and walking treadmills as well as a layout that encourages wider movement.
By investing in furniture that supports an active workday and reduces the aches and pains associated with sitting in the wrong position for long hours, business can achieve two separate aims. Firstly, incentivising staff to work in the office by offering a more comfortable workspace and, secondly, boosting employee wellbeing by supporting better ergonomics and increasing physical activity levels.
Businesses should also help workers to create an ergonomic home office space where they can be both comfortable and productive while working remotely.
Quiet zones for virtual meetings Even as people return to the office and are able to arrange in-person meetings with colleagues, virtual meetings will continue to play a significant role. It will be important to accommodate these meetings in the office by providing quiet zones with good acoustics where employees can speak without distracting their colleagues and without themselves being disturbed by background noise. This may include adding acoustic meeting booths, huddle rooms or soundproof pods to an open office space.
By thinking about the future of the office space, businesses can reimagine a workspace that benefits both the company and its staff.
Drop in at Stand: 4/L150 at The Facilities Event, N.E.C. (7th-9th September 2021) to learn more about how AJ Products can help your business improve your workplace.
Call: 01252 359760 Email:
info@ajproducts.co.uk
www.ajproducts.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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