What to do If You’re Sick During These Times

3/13/2020 (Permalink)

Keep yourself protected and healthy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Right now, the whole nation is weary of the novel coronavirus that's sweeping over the continents. Its name plastered on every media front, driving consumers to raid the stores and stock up on necessities before anything closes. The state of emergency that is happening is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. But, what should you do during these times if you’re just sick? In public people may give you a look at the sound of your cough, or a side eye when you sneeze. This is just due to ignorance, and is why we are here to provide you with prevention tips and good practices for when you’re sick. 

It is unfortunately the worst time to be sick, as a weakened immune system during the coronavirus spread can be jeopardizing. That is why If you are sick now, it is obvious that the best option is to stay home, decreasing contact with large amounts of people. But, this is not always the case for us in a country that thrives off the endless productivity of the workforce. Life still goes on even when we are sick, and the bills still come in even when the virus is changing the dynamic of the country. If you must attend work, run errands, or perform any other outside activity while you are sick, here’s what to do to keep yourself from spreading germs. 

Wearing a mask is necessary while you’re sick to constantly provide protection between your nose, mouth and the surrounding air, preventing any airborne illnesses transmitting to someone else. This is also why covering your mouth when you sneeze and cough, not with your hand, but with your elbow or even better, a tissue is safe practice from preventing sickness. After using a tissue to cover a cough sneeze, or blow the nose, dispose of the tissue in the trash and wash your hands after for 20 seconds or more. Clean and disinfect places you have been around frequently, also little things you touch in the home like sink handles, door knobs, countertops, lightswitches, phones, and anything else touched by a sick hand. You can do this using a household bleach or alcoholic solutions bought from your local store. If these supplies have sold out in your town, SERVPRO provides house cleaning and disinfecting services that you can learn more about by clicking here. 

Hopefully these tips and practices will give you confidence in how you are dealing with sickness during these delicate times. Stay safe and protected, and don’t hesitate to call SERVPRO at (310) 321-2112 for more information.

10 Tips to Increase Productivity at Work with Office Design

2/13/2019 (Permalink)

Office design & layout.

According to the report “The Impact of Office Design on Business Performance”, it was in the 1980’s that the “combi-office” concept came to light. The philosophy behind this office design was to encourage a communicative office structure.

Following are a few factors that the right office design can influence:

• Retention and motivation of staff
• Optimization of total occupancy cost
• Productivity of staff
• Creativity and innovation in the workplace
• Skills and knowledge of staff
• Catalyzing culture shifts
• Responsiveness to technological or business change
• Customer retention and attraction

Now, let’s have a look at how to use office design to streamline you team’s workflow:

10 Tips to Increase Productivity at Work with Office Design

1. The Right Lighting

The right angle of lighting can mean the difference between staying focused and feeling depressed. Bad lighting leads to headaches, eyestrain, fatigue, and overall irritability. Lighting below 3500K will make your employees less productive. Why not give your employees a desk lamp to help them work more efficiently?

2. Chair and Table

An uncomfortable chair can direct the mind of employees from their chairs. They will forever be adjusting themselves to find the right angle. Here’s what you should do: the computer on the table should be at eye-level, the chair must have a foot rest, and the declining angle of the chair should be slightly titled to avoid back pain.

3. Clear Clutter

Get your employees’ desks cleaned every morning and encourage a clean work station. Instead of providing a huge work space, make the placement uniform and communicative. The management starts with you, so you need to enforce some rules.

4. Combination of Paint Colors

Blue affects the mind, red your body, yellow your emotions, and green your balance. Instead of using one color or going with white (a color that stifles individuality feelings), experiment with all of them and make sure to include some abstract designs.

5. Spray the Right Scent

A combination of lavender, pine, and cinnamon will work wonders on your employees’ productivity. These scents tend to increase alertness, improve focus, and induce a relaxing feeling.

6. Let Them Listen to Music

Music increases productivity by improving mood. So play light music, at a moderate volume, in the background.

7. Provide Different Spaces

Give your employees more room to work and by that we mean different environments. Apart from their personal space, make space in your office for break rooms, eating area, lounge area, game room, and relaxation room.

8. Organize the Teams

Instead of separating employees based on their job function, create a work space that puts colleagues together. This helps them generate solution quicker and get work done faster.

9. Refreshment Corner

Junk food leads to diminishing returns, which is why it is better to offer healthy snacks in the refreshment corner such as veggies and hummus, nuts, unsweetened yoghurts, freshly cut fruit cups, and more.

10. Bring in Nature

According to a study, a green office increases productivity. This might be due to the clean air that plants promote and they way they keep the place lively.

It’s time to make some changes in your office. Try these tips and you will see an increase in your employee retention rate.