office matters – Page 4 – London Office Buzz

Company Relocation: Office Relocation Checklist

Posted on September 10, 2015

The fourth in our series on Company Relocation

Planning is crucial when relocating. To help plan for an office move, the following checklist outlines important steps to consider when relocating.

The Planning Stage

During the early stages of planning for a move, it is important to consider the company’s needs and goals for the new location. Understanding these will help inform the design of the new space, as well as facilitate a smooth relocation.

Ensure you:

– Choose a relocation team that is led by a senior-level champion
– Clearly define roles and responsibilities for affected departments and parties
– Engage employees and seek input
– Engage stakeholders, including board members, regulators, clients and suppliers
– Define goals and priorities for the new location
– Define needs for the new location, including amenities, services and storage space

The Development Stage

Once priorities have been identified and affected groups are engaged, the relocation process moves into the development stage. At this point, budgets and plans should be drafted. Sites should also be explored and narrowed down to identify the new office pace. Continue reading “Company Relocation: Office Relocation Checklist” →

Company Relocation: Relocating your Office

Posted on August 6, 2015

The third in our series on Office Relocation

Relocating an office can be both exciting and stressful, as well as being one of the most expensive decisions made by a company. This makes planning vital for a successful move. The following outlines key considerations when moving a company, from early planning stages to the actual move into new office premises.

The first step in relocating is to identifying the team responsible for organising the move, including a senior-level champion who will make decisions. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly identified for each departments involved in the planning process, including finance, facilities, IT, operations, marketing, human resources and senior managers. Moves can cause stress and anxiety, and keeping staff informed is a good way to avoid misunderstandings and confusion. Staff should have opportunities to provide feedback and access information about the move throughout the process. In some cases, engagement with trade unions and employees directly affected by the move is required under the Information & Consultation of Employees Regulations. Other stakeholders may also need to be engaged, including the parent company, board members, department heads, and regulators.

Finding the right location

Prior to planning a move, companies should identify requirements and priorities for the new location. Defining these will help ensure that the right location is identified. The location should have good access to potential employees with the skills needed to support the company. Consider transportation links and services, including public transport, highway and road access, and parking. The new location should allow employees to have a reasonable commute from their home and also be easy for clients and others to visit. There should also be local amenities for employees, such as shops, restaurants and other services. Once a site is selected, a full survey should be carried out to determine the condition of the building and identify potential issues that may affect costs as well as the design of the new office.
Continue reading “Company Relocation: Relocating your Office” →

A Guide to Company Relocation

Posted on May 19, 2015

Relocating an office or company to a different area or larger premises is an exciting prospect which can bring about new business relationships and increased opportunities. It can also be a lengthy and costly process, as well as a stressful moment in a company’s life for employers and employees. There are a range of considerations that must be considered when moving to a new office, from legal responsibilities to design and layout considerations to employee well-being and relations.

A successful move involves a lot of planning. Establishing requirements and priorities for a new location during the early planning stages will help inform decisions down the road. It will also establish a vision or objective for the move that will guide the entire process. Engaging with affected parties such as employees and clients will also help ensure the appropriate site is selected. It will also help reduce confusion and anxiety that inevitably is associated with a move. As a result, communication with employees, clients and other stakeholders is crucial to ensure a seamless move.

Continue reading “A Guide to Company Relocation” →

Company Christmas Parties: How To Make Sure Your Office Christmas Party is Tax Deductible

Posted on November 1, 2014

Like most employers, you should have by now reached the time of year where you start thinking about your Christmas party. Whether you’re hosting at your premises, looking at swanky hotels, or pouring through novel ideas, there are ways to keep your workforce entertained while ensuring it’s tax deductible.

There is, however, a catch. Your tax deductible Christmas expenses have a limit of £150 per person in attendance. A simple understanding of how to keep your Christmas party tax deductible can avoid nasty VAT surprises, while allowing you to throw the perfect bash.

Understanding the Rules Surrounding Tax Deductible Christmas Parties

First, that £150 per head doesn’t just apply to your employees. It’s applicable to whoever is in attendance, which means it’s tax deductible for your spouse, their spouses, and whoever else they bring along. Now here’s the tricky part; if you go even one penny over that £150, the whole event is subject to the usual VAT rules.

To meet these terms, bookings must be made in the business’ name. So when you call a hotel or restaurant to make a booking, book it under the name of your business and not the director or events planner. It’s also worth noting that this £150 per head expense is per-annum. So if you hold more than one event in a year, the aggregate cost must not exceed £150. In order for it to be classed as a party that’s tax deductible, it must be open to all of your employees. If your employees are at different locations – because you have a lot of branches – you’re allowed to hold parties at all of these locations. Continue reading “Company Christmas Parties: How To Make Sure Your Office Christmas Party is Tax Deductible” →

The Importance of Business Etiquette

Posted on June 20, 2014

Many of us know when someone has committed the crime of bad etiquette. We feel as if we’ve been insulted, without being able to pinpoint why. Good etiquette has the opposite effect. We feel inclined to help the person who displayed it, and we tend to trust them more. What makes for effective business etiquette today, includes how we communicate online, as well as in person.

Telephone Etiquette – ensure you have a standard greeting in place when answering the telephone. This includes the company name, salutation, and stock answers on behalf of people who are not available for any reason. Telephone tone of voice is very important. You need to sound friendly and personable. Never sound hurried or harassed. If given details over the phone, make sure you repeat spellings and numbers back to the caller. Write messages down on a time and date notepad, and deliver them as quickly as possible to the intended recipient to avoid repeat phone calls.

Meetings Etiquette – No matter if the board is meeting together, or a consultant is coming to chat with the manager, all meetings should be set up properly. This is to reflect a considerate corporate image. Guests to your office will have travelled, and may need parking validation. Some companies opt not to pay this; however, this small consideration goes a long way. Make any visitors’ attitude more favourable towards your company by offering refreshments on arrival, ensuring water and coffee is on hand during the initial stages of a meeting, and offer to safeguard any belongings for the visitors. When it comes time for departure, be prepared to offer any advice about traffic or travel the visitors might need. Continue reading “The Importance of Business Etiquette” →

The Work – Life Balance

Posted on April 4, 2014

Whether you are an employer or an employee, chances are that you are aware of how important it is to maintain the right work-life balance. Taking a balanced approach to both your working and your personal life is an essential element of success, as the negative effects of an unbalanced lifestyle have been well documented. A happy and highly motivated task force results in enhanced productivity, a healthy working environment, and better interpersonal relationships both at home and at work.

However, it is not always easy to apply the principles of the work-life balance concept. If you are having difficulties with this, read through this article to achieve a better understanding of the factors involved and to learn some useful tips.

Taking a closer look at the work-life balance concept

As you probably know, the work-life balance concept is a relatively recent ‘invention’. During the nineteenth century, the duration of a typical working day was well over ten hours. Soon after, trade unions and workers’ associations campaigned for the reduction of the working day to eight hours. The eight-hour working day is now seen as standard in the majority of industrialised countries, but according to statistical data, a large percentage of workers still spend more than eight hours per day at the workplace or taking care of work-related matters.

This is why the work-life balance concept came into being. The expression itself was coined in the early 1970s, as researchers found that the boundaries between the professional and the personal spheres were often blurred. Later on, studies showed that this imbalance could lead to mental and physical fatigue, poor productivity, and a range of health conditions, including a weak immune system, depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disorders.

Nowadays, employers and employees recognise that balancing the personal and the professional is an essential element of good health and successful businesses. But how exactly can this be achieved? Continue reading “The Work – Life Balance” →

Work and Career New Year Resolutions for 2014

Posted on December 20, 2013

The countdown to Christmas has already started. In addition to being the best time of the year for family gatherings and for taking some well-deserved time off, the transition period between one year and the next is also great for setting up personal and professional goals. New Year resolutions are often consigned to oblivion after a few weeks, but more likely than not, this is so because the resolutions were not realistic enough. When it comes to the workplace, this period is the perfect time of the year to take stock of our achievements and to set out a few reasonable objectives for the year that’s just about to start. In this article you will find some useful suggestions that might inspire you to start the new year in the office with motivation and enthusiasm.

Start the year with a positive attitude

Although this may seem obvious, a positive attitude can make a world of a difference when it comes to your working life. If you only decide on one New Year resolution for 2014, make it taking yourself less seriously. Of course, there are stressful situations that you will have to deal with, such as dealing with difficult customers, meeting strict deadlines, or simply surviving the kind of days when everything seems to go wrong. But if you think of it, chances are that you will not be the only one in the office feeling overwhelmed by this type of situations. Taking negative things with a pinch of salt and with a lot of humour can help reduce the tension in the office atmosphere.

Avoid gossip and criticism

Whether we like it or not, office politics are a fact of life in most workplaces. Having to spend at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week surrounded by people with different personalities and points of view can be hard and lead to much complaining and criticism. Many employees see criticism and gossip as a way of blowing off some steam, but in the long term, this will end up being counter-productive. Gossiping about others in the office undermines motivation, team spirit, and ultimately, productivity. Make a point of doing your part to contribute to a healthier working environment by avoiding listening and spreading gossip and criticism. Continue reading “Work and Career New Year Resolutions for 2014” →

How to Keep your Office Healthy

Posted on December 6, 2013

If you run a business or are an office manager, chances are that one of your main concerns has to do with keeping up productivity levels so that your company can compete in the local economy. As you probably know, one of the most important factors affecting productivity is absenteeism. According to the most recent Absence and Workplace Health survey, workplace absenteeism costs the British economy a whopping £14 billion a year. Most of it is due to sickness, as research has shown that the average British employee takes up to four more times the amount of sick days off than workers in other developed countries.

Because the business implications of absenteeism due to poor health are so important for companies, it is only natural that business owners will want to prevent health issues among their employees as much as it is reasonably possible. This is particularly important during the winter season, when health problems rise substantially. In this article we offer some useful suggestions that can help you keep your office healthy and provide a better working environment for your staff.

How to achieve a healthy office environment

Keeping your workforce healthy cannot be achieved by simply targeting one factor. It is important that office managers and business owners have a holistic perspective of what can be done in this respect, as the health of your workforce depends on both physical and psychological elements. So what are some of the things that can be done to improve the physical environment of your office in order to make it healthier? Continue reading “How to Keep your Office Healthy” →

The 4 Office Personality Types – The Climber

Posted on October 18, 2013

Continued from the Four Office Personality Types: The Nice Guy/Girl

All we can say is may the various gods help you if you ever have to deal with this one (and chances are you will, as The Climber inhabits nearly every office). This office personality type can be scary and intimidating, and chances are that it’s not just your perception. The Climber gets noticed, whether he / she wants it or not. They probably don’t care anyway. On your first day at work, they were the ones who were probably too busy to greet you, and well, we hate being the bearer of bad news, but The Climber was most likely busy analysing whether your position was a threat to them in any way, and if it was, they were already plotting how to turn the tables in their favour.

Needless to say, The Climber is not particularly happy to work with other co-workers, unless working together gives him or her the opportunity to gather valuable information that can be used to go up higher and faster. There is yet another reason why The Climber is not precisely what you would call a collaborative member of staff: they just do not have the patience to put up with others. For The Climber, work is all about setting and reaching goals that will take them to the top. This means that Climber-type personalities are massively driven and ambitious, and they really push themselves hard. The vast majority of staff can simply not keep up with their pace, so less ambitious co-workers are perceived as a hassle by The Climber.

One thing you need to know is that you must brace yourself when dealing with The Climber. Often, he or she will make sarcastic or blunt comments, and you only really have two options: either ignore them, or sink into depression. The Climber is the natural enemy of The Nice Guy / Girl, and after reading about both personality types we are sure that you can easily see why. Continue reading “The 4 Office Personality Types – The Climber” →

How to achieve a healthy office environment

Continued from the Four Office Personality Types: The Climber