Many workers have been working from home for nearly two years, so may not be used to working in an office. But as an employer, you may be hoping to get them back to face-to-face working, which may mean setting up a whole new working space for them. This isn’t always easy. You may be wondering what you need to provide for employees and what kind of space you might need, especially if you’re planning on new ways of working such as hybrid working. This blog is all about Setting Up a New Office. Here are some tips for setting up a whole new office space.
Get the right tech in place
The right technology is important in an office. You want to ensure staff have everything they need to move seamlessly between work and office life. You may want to hire a contractor such as IT Authorities to get your new office set up with the right tech and all the gear people need. Also, it’s worth considering having an IT maintenance contract, so if things go wrong, someone is there to fix them straight away.
Ensure you have the right facilities
There are a number of facilities essential to any office space, no matter what your business does:
- Toilets
- A kitchen area with coffee making facilities
- Break areas
- Water coolers
- Meeting spaces
If you’ve bought or are renting some commercial space, it’s important to get all facilities in place before people start moving in. This ensures people can be happy and productive at home.
Put the right security in place
Office buildings can sometimes be targets for theft or vandalism. This is why, when you design a new building, you need to put visitor management systems in place. This ensures that only staff and approved visitors can enter, and that your building is kept safe. Barriers and swipe cards can help, and photo ID can help you identify who should and shouldn’t be in your building.
Make the most of your space
Many workers now do hybrid work, so half their time is in the office and half at home. This means that it’s easier to maximize your use of space. Consider hot desking, so people don’t have a fixed desk, but can move around and collaborate with other team members.
Follow OSHA guidelines
OSHA – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is there to ensure the safety of employees and visitors in workplaces. That’s why it’s so important to follow their guidelines and standards. If an employee has an accident, which was due to you not following OSHA guidelines, you can find yourself in a lot of legal trouble. It’s worth looking up their guidelines online or getting a specialist in to do a risk assessment, so you can ensure that people are kept safe.
When you’re setting up a new office, it’s important to get it organized and ensure people have everything they need to be comfortable and do their jobs properly. It can sometimes take a while to get things just right, but once set up, you’ll have a place where people can be productive and happy.
