Office Worker Advice – Page 2 – London Office Buzz

Dealing with Stress in the Office Environment

Posted on May 29, 2014

Do you dread returning to work after a holiday or a weekend break? Have you noticed changes in your mood, appetite, or health following a promotion or changes to your workload? If so, you are not alone. Work-related stress is one of the most common causes of complaint and absenteeism for employees all over the world, especially for those who work in an office environment. The ILO (International Labour Organisation) has labelled stress a global epidemic that has huge financial and human repercussions.

It is true that not all causes of stress can be fully eliminated from our working lives, but as an office employee, there are a few things that you can do to help you deal with stress in the office. Below you will find some useful suggestions in this respect.

Are you your worst enemy?

It is very common to blame external factors on a stressful working environment. Unrealistic deadlines, an ever-increasing workload, staff shortages, or strained relationships with your colleagues or boss can be sources of stress, but have you become your worst enemy without realising it? Keeping stress under control has a lot to do with our own coping strategies and with your response to external stressors (like the ones mentioned above). In other words, your attitude could be magnifying these sources of stress and making them worse, snowball effect-style.

One of the things to look out for includes the common belief that you are pretty much “invincible” and that you can handle everything on your own. Going to work while you are ill or making overtime a habit are some common actions that can easily end up being counter-productive and leading to burnout. To prevent this, it might be useful to make a realistic list of your limitations so that you don’t take on more than you can handle. It is also important that you learn to delegate tasks and responsibilities on others and that you ask for help at home and at the workplace when you are starting to feel overwhelmed. These are all crucial aspects of stress management. Continue reading “Dealing with Stress in the Office Environment” →

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” →

Office Breakfast Delivery Services in London

Posted on February 7, 2014

‘Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dine like a Pauper’ – a delicate balancing act of what quantities one should consume for the healthiest diet, this old saying has become somewhat turned on its head in recent years.

Breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day: it affects the rest of your day. Skipping this all important meal can lead to a host of irritations that will affect the entire day. Mood swings and gnawing hunger certainly won’t lead to a productive start to your day, and can make you snappish and difficult to get on with – something that is certainly not going to be helpful if there’s a big meeting coming up. After a full night’s sleep, the brain desperately needs to replenish its glucose stores, and so feasting on a scrumptious and healthy breakfast will extend your attention span as well as increasing productivity.

Of course, grabbing a bacon butty swimming in grease and butter – while being delicious and filling at the time – can be no better than eating nothing at all. Full of fat, calories and salt, breakfast meats such as bacon and sausage can sit in your stomach all day, making you feel bloated and uncomfortable. A balanced breakfast with slow-release foods and fruit can work wonders as a morning pick-me-up.

Luckily, in this age of instant messages, email and microwave-able ready meals, the hassle of cooking up a large, healthy and balanced breakfast can be dropped into another’s hands. Whether as part of the catering for a busy morning meeting or just to share with co-workers, there are many catering companies which offer a variety of readymade, delicious breakfast menus delivered to the office.

London’s office breakfast delivery businesses are booming, with companies such as Grazing, Franks Express, Kudos and Office Diner being only a sample few amongst dozens. Continue reading “Office Breakfast Delivery Services in London” →

The Most Sought After Careers and Popular Jobs in London

Posted on January 3, 2014

Being the capital of one of the strongest economies in the world, it is not surprising that London attracts thousands of jobseekers every year, who arrive in the British capital hoping to give a boost to their career by landing a position in the city. According to a March 2013 report published by local London newspaper The Evening Standard, the official unemployment rate in the city is at a four-year low, and currently stands at 7.8 per cent. Data collected by the Greater London Authority show that during 2013, the total number of jobs available in the city has increased by 3.9 per cent when compared to the previous year.

London is also the most popular UK city for graduates who are in search of their first job. This trend has been specially notorious since the economic recession hit, according to the Higher Education Careers Services Unit. But where exactly are the most popular jobs in London and what are the key trends for the near future? In this article we take a look at the most fruitful sources of employment in the British capital and at some interesting data about them.

Finance and banking

With hundreds of financial institutions from all over the world headquartered in London, the city naturally attracts jobseekers who are interested in pursuing a career in finance. The city’s status as a leading financial centre at international level is one of the main reasons why the finance job market in London escaped the worst of the recession. In May 2012, a survey carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research showed that financial jobs in the City were down by nearly 100,000 when compared to the pre-recession years. However, the sector has since stabilised and currently the number of finance jobs available is on the rise. Banking jobs have increased by 3.2 per cent, whereas the bulk of finance jobs available is 1.8 per cent higher than last year.

According to the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, approximately 66 per cent of all graduates who are currently working as financial analysts began their career in London. One thing is clear: the finance job market in London is changing, and while jobs some types of finance and banking are becoming scarce, there are new opportunities in areas like fund management and insurance.

Construction

Construction is a booming sector in London that has benefited from the celebration of the Olympic Games and from some large-scale infrastructure projects, like the Thames Tideway Tunnel or Crossrail, which will require large numbers of construction workers until 2019. All in all, there are nearly 700 ongoing construction projects around London. In the residential sector, there are more than 200,000 London homes with approved building permission. According to the Construction Skills Network, at the end of 2012 there were 260,000 people employed in the construction sector in Greater London.

However, the London Assembly Economy Committee has recently published a report affirming that there are important skills shortages in this particular labour market, especially when it comes to dry liners, glazers, plasterers, and building envelope specialists. These are the areas where the best paying constrution jobs can be found.

Hospitality

London is an industry leader in the hotel and catering industry, and according to some recent reports, the hospitality industry in the capital has outpaced the rest of the country and is showing growth levels that are higher than those of the pre-recession years. By 2020, it is expected that there will be 5,000 new hotel rooms in the city, in addition to the 8,000 that opened up on occasion of the Olympics.

Yet, the latest State of the Nation report shows that the city is experiencing critical skill shortages, especially when it comes to chefs and qualified hospitality managers. While vacancies for front of the house staff and waiting staff are always available in London, the highest paying hospitality jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

Retail

Retail is one of the most important contributors to the economy of London. According to data published at the London’s Economic Plan website, the retail industry employs more than 400,000 people, a figure that represents approximately 9 per cent of all jobs in Greater London. It is expected that within the next ten years, there will be a further 75,000 retail vacancies available in the city.

By far, the most popular retail jobs are to be found in specialist clothing stores, which employ 78,000 jobs across London. Next are food retail outlets, which provide more than 22,000 people, followed by outlets selling electrical goods, books, and furniture, in which more than 10,000 people are employed.

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 Declutter your Office

Posted on September 13, 2013

Given that on average we spend eight hours of our lives in the workplace, it is easy to understand why many of us try to give our office a personal touch. Objects like family pictures, your favourite mug, desk lamp accessories, and postcards from friends or relatives have become a common sight in many offices. However, it is also easy to see how an office can become cluttered in a very short time. In this article we take a look at the benefits of decluttering your workspace and we provide the best tips to declutter your office without having to sacrifice that personal touch that we all love.

The benefits of a decluttered office
There are several reasons why both managers and employees should seriously consider decluttering their workspace. The advantages go well beyond purely aesthetic reasons.

First of all, there are psychological factors involved. Whether at home or at work, when objects begin to pile up around you, chances are that you will end up feeling overwhelmed and disorganised. Efficiency and productivity can then be easily affected.

Moreover, a cluttered office gives a bad and unprofessional impression to clients and visitors, and more importantly, it could present some health and safety hazards and increase the chances of electrical fires or trips and falls.

By making an effort to declutter your office, you will feel lighter, more productive, and on top of things. A decluttering plan can save time and money and help increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace. So just how do you go about decluttering your workspace? Read on for some top tips.

Top tips for decluttering your office desk

When trying to declutter your desk, you might feel you don’t know where to start from. Your computer is a good starting point, as it is Continue reading “How to Declutter your Office” →

How to achieve a healthy office environment

Continued from the Four Office Personality Types: The Climber