Build September 2016

Build Magazine 71 filing cabinets, desks, chairs, drawers and lockers, which can see the employee with a measly 0.5m2 per person.’ Other professions regularly requiring their employees to work in cramped spaces include jobs roles such as; cruise ship staff, flight and train crew. Certain job roles such as an airline crew member is unlikely to see much of an improvement in workspace in the foreseeable future owing to the nature of the job. However, other sectors are able to explore additional avenues in order to address the problem of shrinking office space. Commonly used by businesses that have a greater number of employees than desks; hot desking sees employees sharing their work station with other colleagues. Typically, after one employee finishes their shift, they pack up their materials and clear their desk for the next employee. Virgin detailed some of the potential merits and flaws of this practice: Benefits of this include: Savings: It is thought that hot-desking can reduce a company’s costs by up to 30%, with UK businesses able to save a total of £34 billion a year. Meanwhile, the potential disadvantages are: Hygiene: Risk of infection is thought to be higher in offices where hot-desking is present, with only one third of workers washing their hands after visiting the bathroom. Clean desk policy: Offices which use hot-desking more often than not introduce a clean desk policy, meaning no personal belongings are allowed on desks at the end of the day, the impact of this on work is the subject of much debate. Collaboration: Despite hot-desking supposedly being a way to promote this within the workplace, many argue it is hampering staff: “Employees that do not have a desk of their own have a weaker sense of cohesion within a team.” Sometimes the best option for your business (and particularly your employees) is to move premises. Darren Best, MD of London-based estate agent, www.savoystewart.co.uk commented: “It is essential that your business premises is fit for purpose. Employee health and safety is paramount, and a better working environment will yield enhanced business results.” It is mandatory that all legal requirements are met when moving business premises for example; giving notice, offering redundancies, and the secure handling and transportation of certain documents. While improvements have been made across the majority of job sectors; many employers continue to disregard workplace guidelines, subjecting their employees to cramped workspaces. The problem therefore lies in how such practises can be monitored. Employees should address workspace issues with their employer, and should this prove fruitless; advice can be sought from citizensadvice.org.uk . Personnel