Free office layout and design assessment

Free workplace layout and design assessment

While office space matters more than you think, your business’s most important asset is your people. To help them feel valued and give you and your customers 100%, the importance of the working environment shouldn’t be underestimated. To avoid the pitfalls of poor planning Officeworks offers its clients a free Expert Walkthrough – a no obligation office layout and design … Read More

Employers expect significant organisational transformation due to technology advances

workplace changes in the next 5 years

Due to the significant workplace technology changes brought on by the pandemic, more than half (53 percent) of employers plan extensive organisational transformation in the next two years. According to the report, Technology change is business change from the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA) and Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB), many employers see the importance of ensuring their workforce have the right … Read More

Hybrid working and the future role of the office

The arrival of COVID‐19 sparked a mass move to remote working, with businesses scrambling to connect staff who suddenly found themselves working from sofas and kitchen tables. “The world has shifted and there is no going back,” says James Penny, chief technology officer at managed services provider SysGroup. “Eighteen months ago, many people didn’t know how to jump on a … Read More

Tips for keeping cool in the office

From call-centre workers to industrial bakers, productivity lags and health risks accumulate for many employees in indoor environments during spells of hot weather. This hurts their employers and the broader economies as well. For example, one estimate is that by 2100, losses to the urban economy due to increased heating could reach 9.5% in Bilbao, Spain. No one is immune: in … Read More

How to create a productive office team

1. Don’t be afraid to try something new One of the most obvious ways to create a productive workplace is to ensure that employees have access to the tools and resources they need. However, it’s just as important to think outside of the box. Every office has standard industry equipment and systems that they tend to stick to, so why … Read More

How to set up your workplace for remote and hybrid employees

Different types of remote workers and their needs Wherever your team works, it’s important to support everyone’s unique working situation. It’s best to determine how your equipment helps bring teams together to allow for productivity every day. First, let’s define the different types of remote work few of these options so you can decide what your organisation looks like and … Read More

Back to the office? Science reveals the best desks to grab

If you are heading back to the office and get a chance to pick where you sit, choose wisely, say researchers who have been studying the science behind desk location and productivity. The University College London team visited the HQ of a large global tech company in the city to quiz staff about their experiences of open-plan working. Window desks … Read More

Office furniture for a post pandemic office

A well-planned, resilient, flexible workplace should not only address COVID-19 related safety concerns but should support all aspects of employee wellbeing. Office furniture is crucial to creating these workplaces. The office design trends for less dense, agile, collaboration-driven workspaces that became increasingly popular in the last few years gained a different meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic. These trends are now accelerated by … Read More

Workplace Wellbeing during COVID-19

While the importance of workplace wellbeing has been increasingly acknowledged in office design over the past few years, COVID-19 has highlighted the crucial impact of employee wellbeing on how effectively a workplace functions. With businesses refocusing on the needs of individual employees and a wealth of new information emerging on the pros and cons of remote working, businesses need to consider … Read More

Is it time to invest in a new home office chair?

The WFH novelty has worn off and your body will suffer if you continue perching on a kitchen stool, so the time has come to invest in a chair built to support you for hours. Whether you manage a military-issue straight back or slouch like the rest of us, sitting still for long periods is not good for the body … Read More

Workplace Signage: Where And When It’s Needed Most

As we return to the office, here’s how additional workplace wayfinding signs can help to remind employees of new safety measures. As cities begin to reopen post-COVID-19 shutdown, employers are making plans for the phased reintegration of employees to their offices. If there’s one major takeaway from this event, it is the realisation that the contemporary office, designed for collaboration, … Read More

Office layouts for workplaces post-coronavirus

Australian architecture firm Woods Bagot has created four proposals for workplace design following coronavirus that merge working from home and office life to “strengthen culture and performance”. The Working from Home, Working from Work project was created by the architecture firm to move beyond health and safety measures, which are a given, and focus on encouraging collaboration and creativity during and after the … Read More

Redesigning workspaces for a post-Covid-19 world

Pandemic-proofing offices could involve short-term fixes, new working patterns and long term design upgrades that put hygiene at the heart of workplace planning. As many nations cautiously make their way to relaxing Covid-19 lockdowns one area that will come under particular scrutiny is the office workplace where social distancing measures are often difficult to maintain, and workers are often in … Read More

Posture tips for when you’re working from home

By now many of us have been working from home for a couple of weeks and are settled into a spot where we like to work whether it’s a home office or the kitchen table. But without the ergonomic chair and desk we usually have in the office it’s easy to spend hours hunched over a laptop screen. Or constantly … Read More

7 Tips for Productive Home Working

working from home tips

As more and more companies implement work-from-home policies due to the spread of COVID-19, employees are now tasked with trying to be just as productive without their normal resources and routines. While working from home sounds like a luxury in theory, it’s certainly no vacation and being productive is easier said than done. Every job is different and the amount you’re … Read More

5 Ways Office Design can improve Health and Wellbeing

office design for wellbeing

Employee wellbeing is becoming more important and it is crucial that all new businesses are thinking about how to run a positive and happy work environment, and here we look at how to achieve this in your workspace 74% of UK employees state they aren’t happy with their current offices, which is perhaps telling, considering 45% of all UK working days are lost due … Read More

4 Key Components of Tomorrows Office

It is not possible to outline the next generation of workspaces until we start creating them, however there are key factors which will undoubtedly dictate the look and feel of those spaces and which can influence the workspace of today. The concept of the office is changing rapidly towards becoming a hybrid of physical and digital spaces. What can you … Read More

Office design and its effects on productivity

Office design and productivity

Encouraging, monitoring and measuring productivity in the workplace is always going to be an important focus for businesses. In this blog we take a look at the impact office design can have on an employee’s morale, engagement and productivity. WHAT DRIVES PRODUCTIVITY? The productivity of your employees is based on a variety of factors. From their work-life balance to their relationship with their co-workers. … Read More

Share the Valentines love with Officeworks

To celebrate Valentine’s Day we would like to share our love of all things office design! Book a free office layout and design Expert Walkthrough by 28th February to find out how your key office environmental factors are performing plus tips for improvements. Contact us on 01442 875666 or email info@officeworks.co.uk. Offer only available until Thursday 28th February.

Biophilic design in the workplace and how to reap the benefits

Various studies have concluded that we now spend about 90 percent of our time indoors, and a recent survey of 1,000 office workers commissioned by Ambius found that 35 percent don’t get more than 15 minutes of outdoor time during the typical workday. With many Americans putting in more than 40 hours at work each week, that adds up to … Read More

Office acoustics:striking the right note

Office acoustic design

The reality is that office life now tends to mean one of two extremes for most people. Either sitting in a noisy open plan environment or putting on a set of headphones and completely disconnecting from the environment we’re sitting in. According to research poor acoustics negatively affect employees’ productivity, stress levels and morale. Prominent architects, Gensler found in a recent study … Read More

How your office design can attract and retain the best staff

office design to attract staff

Businesses across every sector face the same issue when it comes to their staff. They want to attract the best people but they also want to make sure that, once they’ve found them, they keep them in the business. Nobody wants to work in an office where they don’t feel productive, and nobody is going to feel loyalty or pride … Read More

Reception area design – how to make an entrance

Tips for designing a welcoming office reception

Your office reception area determines the first impression your business makes on clients, suppliers and visitors. The design and layout therefore need to be planned carefully so that visitors get a positive first impression the minute they step through the door. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a good first impression, so it pays to … Read More

Introducing new Officeworks Project Manager Emily

Emily Spurr office fitout project manager at Officeworks

We would like to say a warm welcome to Emily Spurr who has recently joined the Officeworks team as Project Manager. With over two years’ experience as a project assistant for data centre refurbishments, Emily will be putting her scheduling and structured planning skills to use to ensure that Officeworks projects run smoothly as well as on time and on budget. … Read More

Workplace consultancy – what’s it all about?

workplace consultancy brainstorming

Workplace consultancy is a strategic service provided to improve the efficiency of your workplace in a cost effective manner. With our background in not only office design but also shop interior design and fit out, our consultants gather enough information about your company to provide a variety of strategies to help maximise performance. Workplace design that makes you feel great … Read More

What does a biophilic office look like?

computer desk with a plant biophilic office design

Tim Hanwell at Officeworks looks at the how the use of nature in a biophilic office can help to reduce stress and maximise productivity in Part 2 of an article recently published in Connect Magazine from Cardinus Risk Management. Biophilic design is more than a ‘nice to have’. The use of nature to harness employees full potential is becoming an … Read More

Improving health and wellbeing in the built environment

biophilic office design

Tim Hanwell at Officeworks reimagines the office through biophilic design to aid in reducing stress and maximising productivity in Part1 of an article recently published in Connect Magazine from Cardinus risk management. At Officeworks we firmly believe that employers should be embracing a design approach that puts the wellbeing of office workers at its core. Biophilic design can reduce stress, … Read More

Introducing new Officeworks Interior Designer Zoë

Alison Bigsby office designer

We would like to say a warm welcome to Zoë Bigsby, the newest member of the Officeworks team. With an interior design degree from the University of Huddersfield, Zoë joins Officeworks as an Interior Designer and will be assisting the team with design concepts, layouts and creating 3D visuals. Before completing her final year at University Zoë spent a placement … Read More

Tips for maximising space in a small office

small office design layout

Your office layout is the most basic consideration. Can you make small changes to your current layout? Are you working in a cellular environment but find most of your activities are collaborative? Do you need to think about making your space more open plan? Does your current furniture support your way of working? Are you making use of each piece … Read More

5 steps to help employees beat the winter blues

office winter blues

Thirty-four per cent of office workers believe that winter affects their productivity, according to the results of a survey by workplace consultant Peldon Rose. The survey found that the workplace contributes to the ‘depressed mood’ with most employees (56 per cent) saying “they feel unappreciated or only sometimes appreciated by their company” and 31 per cent believe their office environment … Read More

How are agile working and flexible working different?

flexible working outdoors

What is the difference between agile and flexible working? For years the terms have been used interchangeably. Here we take a look at the difference and provide a simple definition of each and give a clear explanation on how they differ. Flexible working arrangements, which have been around for a long time refer to flexible working hours. These are usually … Read More

Technology and office environment affect productivity

unproductive employee

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of UK employees rate themselves as ‘unproductive’ at work, equating to seven million of the nation’s total workforce. Perceived productivity slips even further amongst Generation Z employees. When asked to rate their productivity out of ten, with ten being the highest possible number, 28 percent of Generation Z employees gave themselves an ‘unproductive’ score … Read More

5 office design trends for 2018

coworking office design

In today’s world, it’s important to have an office space that functions according to your businesses needs and enhances the performance of employees. This is why the design of your office is so important and why design trends are constantly changing and adapting to the demands of businesses. With this in mind here are our office design predictions for 2018. … Read More

The rise of the sit stand desk

Sit stand desk

Renowned for being the healthier alternative to traditional sedentary desks we take a look at the rise of the sit stand desk, some of the benefits of standing while working, and also share some tips on how to best use your sit stand desk. Sitting is the new smoking – blamed for increasing the risk of heart disease and cancer, … Read More

How to get back to work after a summer holiday

back to work after a holiday

The summer holiday season is coming to an end and for many of us that September ‘back to school’ feeling has arrived. Saying goodbye to the sun and freedom not to look at your emails can feel desperately hard so here are our top tips for beating the back to work blues in the face of the British Autumn. 1. … Read More

How office lighting affects productivity

light and office productivity

There are certain factors that everyone knows affect workplace productivity but did you know that employees sitting closer to windows are more likely to go to work? Being happy at work is not just about the people, the job and the money. The data gathered by Leesman, the world’s largest independent assessor of workplace effectiveness, indicates that the physical work … Read More

5 tips for designing office layouts

designing office layouts

Efficiency, wellbeing and productivity of employees are all objectives that are high on the agenda for the majority of businesses and a critical factor for achieving these objectives is the layout and planning of your workplace environment. Office layout planning is the process of aligning working functions and furniture to efficiently utilise space and maximise efficiency. When designing an office … Read More

DSE regulations: Everything you need to know

Health and Safety Display Screen Equipment

Businesses now rely on technology as a normal part of many jobs and most employees use a computer during their working day. Making sure you comply with DSE regulations is an important way of maximising employee wellbeing. If your staff use a PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone at work, you need to be aware of the Health & Safety Display … Read More

Proud to host Hospice of St Francis Corporate Partner event

hopsice of st francis event berkhamsted

We have been supporters of the Hospice of St Francis in in our hometown of Berkhamsted for nearly two years and on a sunny Tuesday evening in May we were delighted to host a networking evening at Berkhamsted Tennis Club. Officeworks co-founders Craig Phillipson and Tim Hanwell also gave a short talk on the top 5 ways to improve your … Read More

5 tips to improve your workstation set up

bad workstation ergonomics

Here are a few ideas from Officeworks co-founder and qualified Osteopath Tim Hanwell on proactively improving your workstation setup to increase wellbeing and boost productivity. At Officeworks we see the benefits of moving around and leaving your desk at lunchtime which include breaking up a long day of sitting, a change in posture, fresh air and giving your eyes a … Read More

New certification for healthier existing buildings launched

Health impact categories

A cost-effective certification system for promoting healthy workplaces in existing buildings has been launched in the UK. The Fitwel Certification System, created as a joint initiative led by the USA’s General Services Administration (GSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was piloted in 89 public buildings across America for five years before launching in the UK. There is … Read More

The WELL Building Standard: designing healthy places to work

healthy workplace design

The WELL Building Standard (WELL) is a performance based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of buildings that impact human health and wellbeing. WELL is grounded in a body of medical research that explores the connection between health and well-being and the buildings where we spend more than 90 percent of our time. We spend 90% of our time … Read More

Boosting productivity with biophilic office design

biophilic office design

At Officeworks we firmly believe that employers should be embracing a design approach that puts the wellbeing of office workers at its core. Here we explain the benefits of a biophilic design in the workplace and why a growing number of employers are bringing nature into the workplace. Biophilia is a concept first popularised by Edward O. Wilson in 1984, … Read More

Workplace stress: a mindful approach

workplace stress and mindfulness

According to the 2016 Labour Force Survey, 17.11 million working days were lost during 2015/2016 due to stress, accounting for 45% of sickness absence. These figures are startling enough, but the impact of workplace stress is not restricted to sickness absence alone. Stressed employees may be tired, demotivated, complaining, indecisive, irritable, unable to concentrate and forgetful. They may also experience … Read More

5 design trends for the modern workplace in 2017

2017 workplace design trends

2017 is set to be a momentous year in workplace design. Here are 5 of the most important current trends in workplace design. Air quality, natural light, temperature, noise and ergonomics all have the ability to enhance productivity, increase employee satisfaction and reduce absenteeism. Employees welcome the ability to be able to seek out quiet places to manage more complex … Read More

How to Hygge your office

Hygge your office

Hygge (pronounced ‘hue-gah’) is the Danish philosophy that is taking the UK by storm. There is no literal translation but it is described as a state of mind that embraces ‘cosiness’ and comfort. Hygge can include anything from enjoying food, celebrating friendships or enjoying a cosy evening in. Why is this relevant to the world of office design? Given that … Read More

Does your workplace smell like productivity?

workplace scent for better productivity

Over the last decade organisations have become increasingly aware of the effect that the work environment has on productivity and in recent years, we have seen an increased interest in the working conditions of employees and how this affects productivity. In particular, office designers have looked at the impact of the senses, paying close attention to lighting, temperature control and … Read More

The Healthy Workplace: Noise

office design to reduce noise

Is noise a problem in your open plan office? In the second of our Healthy Workplace series we share our tips to reduce noise and distraction. Open plan offices are a popular trend as they promote collaborative working and a beautifully designed office can be a useful factor in recruiting and retaining talent. However, whilst they undoubtedly have many benefits … Read More

How to sit-stand correctly

standing desk position

As the UK sees a rise in demand for Sit-stand workstations, KI and Officeworks have created a flyer, and a video guide to help users best adjust their new sit-stand furniture. Following in the footsteps of the Scandinavian countries, research shows that sit-stand workstations and meeting tables can improve productivity and wellbeing, but without proper guidance these potential benefits could … Read More