A tidy office is important for employee wellbeing and efficiency. Find out how to tackle excess clutter in the workplace and get tips for storage solutions and policies that last.
Keeping on top of office clutter can seem like a never-ending task. Even without all the personal items on desks, the amount of office stationery, equipment and other paraphernalia can be overwhelming. Not only that, but it can make things stressful when bringing clients or customers to the office.
Here are some tips for keeping your workplace spick and span…
Invest in designated storage
Storage is often a key part of designing an office, but as time passes, the pre-built storage may not be enough to keep things tidy. Company needs might change over time, so it’s best to evaluate your storage as the business grows. Make sure there are plenty of baskets, boxes and storage options available for hiding away office clutter.
Make tidying up a team effort
Making the office tidy-up a team activity encourages everyone to pitch in with keeping things clear. You can set up a reward system for those who go the extra mile, or even for regular tidying efforts to keep people motivated. Even if it’s just keeping the business as usual clutter organised, making it a team effort can help everyone to feel connected to their space.
Give everyone responsibility
Although it might seem like an extra effort to be responsible for certain tidying tasks in the office, it’s a fair way to make sure everyone does their bit. Having an office rota that’s fairly divided means everyone chips in, and the office will look cleaner and tidier than ever. You could also introduce a clean desk policy to make sure the office is tidy by close of play every day.
Cut down on waste and wasted space
A major problem in an office is the amount of waste generated. So much paper, cardboard and packaging is created simply by using the office on a daily basis. One way to tackle this is by going paperless. And instead of having cluttered meeting rooms full of paper and coffee cups, why not try stand-up meetings? It keeps things efficient and saves on tidying up every time a client comes in.
Transfer to the cloud
Storing important files is sensible, but – depending on your industry – they don’t need to be in filing cabinets. If you can, move your document storage to the cloud where it can take up space virtually not physically! Scanning in older documents and getting rid of the originals is also sensible where a physical copy isn’t needed any more.
Images courtesy of Press Association
