Expert Office Advice

If you work in an office, it is important to understand good office health practices. Many people don’t give much thought to office health, and they pay the price. Illness, injury, weight gain and stress can result from poor office health habits. The longer you go without attending to these issues, the worse they can become. This is why it’s so important to adopt healthy habits in the workplace. Most people work at least eight hours five days a week. This adds up, and the way you spend this time can really have an effect on your health. It doesn’t have to be a negative effect, however.

One aspect of good office health is ergonomics. Improper posture can lead to injuries like tendonitis, repetitive stress injury, carpal tunnel syndrome and back strain. First, make sure your computer screen is positioned at eye level. Your chair should support your lumbar region and allow you to sit up straight without slouching or bending. Your thighs and knees should be parallel to the floor with your feet positioned under the knees, flat on the floor. Your arms should also be parallel to the floor, with your fingers comfortably reaching the keyboard without reaching or straining. When you type, your wrists shouldn’t rest on the wristpad or keyboard but should hover in a straight line above the keyboard.

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We all have to work, whether it’s to pay the bills or to keep us active, but what makes us stay at our chosen place of work? Well obviously money is the first thing everybody thinks of but money can’t be the only thing making us happy at work, can it?

Let’s take a quick look at several common reasons people give for working at a particular job; money, great people, good remuneration, family business, doing good in the community, don’t know anything else and more…

Let’s look a little deeper into the ‘actual’ reasons people stay with a business. Not surprisingly, money is a big factor for most people, and surveys show that even if employees are unhappy an increased salary offer can make a big difference in their decision to stay. Aside from money though, it generally falls down to how the company is run, treating employees in a manner which makes them feel happy, or more importantly needed, feeling they make a difference.

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Have you landed a new job and can’t wait to decorate your office? Or have you been at the same job for a long time and you’re tired of looking at the same drab wallpaper and furniture every day? Here are some ideas to help you spice it up.

To add character to your office space, place some fine art prints on the walls. Pictures are a necessary accessory to any room, and can help tie in with the room’s style and colour accent if you know what you’re doing. Besides spicing up a room, wall pictures absorb noise and can change the appearance of a room’s shape if placed correctly. Horizontal landscape pictures help to widen a room, while portraits give the illusion of height. A large picture reflected by a mirror makes the space appear broader. If you want a certain area to be the focal point of the room, hang small pictures in tightly together in a cluster. Place larger pictures in proportion to the furniture in your office. Pictures should be hung at eye level.

Before you begin, decide the mood and style of the décor you wish to create. You should determine the style of the room based on your personality and preference rather than the latest trend. Some styles you might want to think about are traditional, classic, modern, contemporary, fun, and casual. If your personality is relaxed, you may be able to pull off a fun or casual style for your office.

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The office doesn’t have to be boring and unpleasant, at least not all the time! There are lots of little changes you can make to encourage fun and enjoyment at work. Many progressive companies are taking note of studies that say happy employees are productive employees, and integrating fun and luxury into their offices. There are many ways to do this, so you’re sure to come across the perfect method of lightening things up in your office.

Distributing office-related (but clean and non-offensive) jokes to employees each morning is one way to give everyone a laugh first thing in the morning, when they need it the most. You can even do this via email, as a countless number of such jokes can be found online. Another idea is to hang inspirational and motivational art on the walls. If each employee works in their own cubicle, they should be able to decorate their walls as they choose.

Indoor plants and flowers can add life and beauty to any office. Just make sure they’re healthy and well-cared for. Not only can plants perk up the look and mood in the office, they can contribute to healthier air quality. You might even want to bring in a fish tank filled with colourful fish. Simply watching fish swim can be very relaxing and a perfect way to relieve workplace stress.

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With national ‘Ban bullying at work’ day on November 7th this year, several issues are once again raised. As terrible as it sounds, bullying in the workplace is still an issue for many and life threatening for some.

While bullying at work may not necessarily take on the guise of the playground bully, it’s effects can be just as emotional and threatening. Bullying at work can be described as ANY of the following:
• Staff who are good at their jobs being criticised, given jobs below their skill level or even having responsibility removed.
• Being shouted at.
• Continually being picked on by co-workers or bosses, either in public or private.
• Getting deliberately blocked on promotion.
• Regularly excluding other employees from activities or ignoring them completely.
• Making difficult workloads and deadlines.
• Attacking a member of staff about their appearance or lifestyle.
• Consistently making the same person the issue of jokes.

This small list is just an example of what bullying CAN be, you can probably think of several more right now, but every situation will be different and being general can help you to decide if you may be a victim of bullying or maybe you’re bullying and didn’t realise it!

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