Posts Tagged ‘Work’

Article by Brian Keating

The configuration of a traditional office environment can hinder the way companies work and conduct business. The idea that people are expected to work together is challenging in a traditional work space. The segregation of employees and the politics associated with the workplace hierarchy all fail to unify a workforce. Many businesses are turning to modern office remodels as a solution to create a more collaborative work environment.

There are many benefits to having a collaborative work environment, but lets first discuss the challenges and setbacks associated with a traditional office–one that is composed of cubicles and private offices. Since each workplace has different work styles, the work environment must best suit each individual. When each person is confined to a cubicle or private office, not all work styles are satisfied. In turn, a business loses workplace productivity and experiences a decrease in collaborative efforts among employees.

A modern office environment creates opportunities for collaboration–an essential component to having a successful business with satisfied employees. No longer do people need to be secluded in cubicles or offices in front of a personal computer to be productive and successful at their jobs. Research has shown that more people prefer an open, modern office environment as opposed to a traditional, closed-off space.

Benefits of a collaborative work environment apply to employees of all ages, whether they are Gen Y or Baby Boomers. The following benefits are seen most often with open, collaborative spaces:

• Collaborative work environments tend to connect the workplace, bringing about a sense of community regardless of department or rank. Everyone feels included and part of a team, and aware of happenings in the workplace.

• Workers are more productive in a collaborative environment. Not only does it invite collaboration of ideas, but an open environment decreases procrastination and distraction.

• When a workplace promotes collaboration it enables more opportunity for mentoring, learning and development.

In order to reap the benefits of a collaborative work environment there must be a balance. People still need access to private work spaces, an escape from distractions and a balance between interaction and privacy. To best achieve a collaborative work environment, private work spaces for independent work should be paired with open and inviting with areas for interaction and collaboration.In the end, it all comes down to who’s the most innovative in how products Innovation drives growth, productivity and success. Creative has developed unique expertise in the integration of Workplace Interiors and Technology to achieve business results.

We use a six-step process we’ve developed for every assignment. Here, in broad strokes, is how it works:We UNDERSTAND – your company and your goals

We OBSERVE – the way your company works

We BRAINSTORM – potential solutions

We MODEL – proposed solutions

We IMPLEMENT – the best solution

We ASSIMILATE – to ensure the solution is successfulGet a handle on how your organization can gain a strategic advantage through innovative workplace solutions.

Related Environment Articles

Article by Aaron Meredith

Many people who are building home based internet business and work from home never take the time to consider their work environment and the condition that it is in. Your work environment is very important as this is where you will either get important tasks done and meet with success or struggle to complete the essential tasks and meet with failure. There are some things you can do to set up your work area that make it much more conducive to you being productive and will allow you to ensure you get important tasks finished. When you are able to complete key important tasks in your business, you will have more success, it’s that simple.

First and foremost, you want to ensure that your work environment is comfortable. If you are working in an environment that is not comfortable, you are less likely to spend extended periods of time in that environment completing the tasks that need to get done. I personally enjoy my work environment and as a result of its comfort I have no problem spending hours on end in my office hammering out the work that needs to be done to grow my business. The more comfortable and the more you enjoy your environment, the more likely you will be to spend the time there working and getting everything done. This might not seem like a big deal but trust me it is. By increasing the level of comfort and actually enjoying my surrounding, my productivity increase by leaps and bounds.

You want your workspace to be set up in a location that allows in a lot of natural light. Just think about this, do you think you would be more successful working in a dark gloomy basement or in a room/office with nice large windows where you can let in plenty of air and light? Having decent amounts of natural light available in your work area will up your productivity by making your environment more enjoyable. If at all possible, set your office up where you can get some natural light.

As for the office area itself, you want to operate in a clean and organized environment. There are a couple of reasons for this. First by having a workspace that is clean and organized you feel more professional and more in control. This will increase your self-esteem and because of this you will do better work. By feeling professional and in control, you become professional and in control and subsequently act and perform in a manner consistent with those thoughts and feelings.

Second by having a neat and tidy work environment that is free of clutter, you can put one task in front of you and focus on in single-mindedly. By being organized and putting one and only one task in front of yourself at a time, you can work through that task fully before moving on to the next. This will make you more efficient and productive, allowing you to get more done. When you are able to accomplish more of the activities that are critical to your business, you will meet with more success.

Your work environment can have a serious impact on the level at which you achieve in your home based internet business. Take the time to evaluate your work environment and ensure that it’s set up in a way conducive to you being productive and successful. The more you can enjoy and feel comfortable in your work environment, and the more organized you can be, the greater will be your productivity and level of success.

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Article by Dietrich Elliot

Every day thousands of people show up for a job they hate. Is it because the work is knuckle-scrapingly hard? No. Is it because the job is mind numbingly boring? No. It is because every day someone at that place of work makes life miserable for that employee. It makes suffering through until days’ end almost unbearable. It rears its ugly head as discrimination, be it sexual, racial, ageism or religious. It’s a boss who sexually harasses an employee or someone who chronically tells lewd, unwelcome jokes in the workplace. It’s a fellow employee in the next cubicle who gossips, bullies, sabotages or belittles the accomplishments of his neighbor and the boss who allows such behavior.

What these people are experiencing is a Hostile Work Environment and the U.S. Government passed laws like Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of1967, and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prevent such things.

In America, we have the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. We have the right to work a job without being made to suffer to do it. While women have long found themselves the focus of unwanted or unwelcome attention such as this in the workplace, they are not alone suffering this kind of humiliation in Hostile Work Environments. But with the sexual revolution of the 60′s and 70′s, as more women found their way into the workplace, they were the first to bring the problem of Sexual Harassment and Hostile Work Environment to the attention of the courts. With the awareness in the last two decades of the ramifications of bullying and incidents that inspired phrases like ‘going postal’, it would seem that this kind of situation should be lessening in the workplace. But every day, it goes on. Every day, employees reach their limits. They are desperate to keep their jobs in a worsening economy and are forced to swallow their anger.

So what constitutes a Hostile Work Environment? The phrase covers a rather narrow term of definition, legally. Yet it defines a workplace situation where an employee cannot reasonably do his or her job because of rude or hostile or sexual behavior in the workplace specifically directed at a particular protected class of employee. Harassment can come either from a boss, supervisor or from another employee, or by the management’s failure to deal with such situations.

In other words, a boss who is generally hostile and rude to everyone may not constitute a Hostile Work Environment, but a boss who targets a specific person who belongs to one of these protected classes may, in fact, constitute a Hostile Work Environment. A boss who uses rudeness or hostility, or discrimination to force an employee to quit his or her job so that the company is not forced to pay unemployment insurance to that employee may constitute a Hostile Work Environment. A Hostile Work Environment Attorney can bring a lawsuit against management that either refuses or fails to take action against such behavior after the harassed employee goes to management for help. However, the victim’s behavior will also be taken into consideration in a lawsuit. If a victim responds with hostility of his or her own, that can nullify any lawsuit. And the harassment must be ongoing and severe.

Hostile Work Environment Attorneys say that the perpetrators in Hostile Work Environment cases count on intimidation and the desperation of these employees to keep their jobs to forestall any legal action. Some, unbelievably, cannot even conceive of this as harassment. Some 35% of all women surveyed in a 2007 study claim they have been subjected to harassment of some kind in the workplace. It’s estimated that only 5%-15% of all Hostile Work Environment cases are ever even reported. This might be partly due to the fact that management is already aware of the problems in the ranks and have chosen not to act. Whistle blowers are often the target of management’s wrath and the ostracization of that employee by others. So it seems like a vicious Catch 22.

Kenneth Wygand, a Los Angeles accountant, found himself the unwelcome target of Harassment by a boss who learned of Kenneth’s homosexuality. Kenneth became the brunt of office jokes and was intentionally left out of meetings. When he complained to a partner in the firm, he was assured that something would be done, but nothing was, and afterward, was characterized as ‘difficult.’ His supervisor continued to harangue Kenneth, pushing him to quit, rallying the other employees to ostracize him as well for fear of losing their own jobs. He was given terrible reviews and missed out on salary increases. But the boss simply defended his actions, saying that Kenneth was not performing up to standards. Out of desperation, Kenneth consulted a Hostile Work Environment Attorney and sued his former employer, and won a sizable case.

The fear of losing ones job is a powerful force. So many remain silent in the face of this destructive and debilitating behavior. But if the situation warrants, an experienced Hostile Work Environment Attorney can be your advocate where there is none in the workplace. If you feel you are a victim of a Hostile Work Environment, contact a Hostile Work Environment Attorney who specializes in workplace harassment issues who will help you get the compensation you deserve.

From the TV show In Living Color.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Article by Marcus Taylor

Bleak offices, factory production lines, windowless offices and smoky environments were all commonplace. Staff were managed on the original ‘theory x / theory y’ school of thought, which involved managing staff very tightly, with centralised decision making, little flexibility, a strong and process-driven operating environment and strict management controls.

Why is a good working environment so important?Numerous studies have shown the importance of a pleasant and healthy working environment. On Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – an established model of working satisfaction – a safe and healthy work environment is one of the most basic of needs for any employee.

How have things changed?Government legislation was one of the first steps to improving the working environment, addressing everything from working hours regulations, to the control of hazardous substances and protective clothing, all designed to improve the basic working conditions of staff. At a basic and fundamental level, this started to tackle the abysmal health and safety records of employers (hark back to the working environments of our Grandparents and injuries / deaths in service were not uncommon in many physical occupations). The positive effects on the workforces were noticed: reduced absence, sickness and staff turnover, more productive working time and fewer incidents in the workplace.

Developing the ‘softer’ sideMore recently, organisational psychologists started to investigate the links between ‘softer’ factors at work and business productivity. Staff morale and motivation was found to have proven links with business results and productivity and far greater emphasis was put into boosting employee goodwill, through strategies which included improving working environments. As society began to undergo a wider transformation, with greater numbers of skilled jobs, competition, qualified staff and changing expectations, employers were suddenly obliged to start making efforts to keep the best employees.

They began hiring experts to create pleasant working atmospheres. Everything from soothing office d