Your employees are coming back to the office, and you need to make sure that the workplace looks as good as new to welcome them back. It has been a long and difficult year, but at least things are starting to look a bit better. So why not get some renovations done around the office. For an office refurbishment project, you need to identify the areas at the workplace that need some changes or additions. Consult with some experts according to your needs, and then get right to it. Get in touch with an office refurbishment company that can help you out in this regard. And to get you started here are a few things you should look into to renovate your office.
Start with the Furniture
The office furniture is the most important part of your office. Lack of proper furniture will lead to an uncomfortable working environment. That in turn will affect the overall performance and productivity of your employees.Â
Assuming that no one’s been to the office in a long time, the furniture over there is probably not in a good state. The dust itself can cause a lot of surface-level damage to the chairs and tables. Besides, there is a chance the furniture is infested with pests or mites if it is made out of wood. Hence, you will either need to refurbish the furniture or replace them with new ones, depending on the condition they are in.
Check the Electricals
The electronics at your office should not cause too much of a problem. Unless something went seriously wrong with them during the lockdown, they should work fine. Some of the electronics, like desktops, photocopiers or fax machines, might take some time to turn on, but that is understandable. They have not been used for a long time after all. Other than that, everything else should be fine.
The electricals at your office, however, need to be thoroughly inspected before you can let your employees back in again. Start with the wiring; get an electrician to look for possible leaks or tears in the wire covers. Then, move on to the power outlets; check every one of them. Finally, check to see whether the lights, fans and ACs are working properly or not.
Replace only what you must when it comes to the electricals and electronics at your office. These things can be expensive, especially if you are considering replacing the wiring or buying new photocopiers. So you will have to look for ways to minimize the expenditures.
Install Shields and Barriers
By the time they return to the office, most of your employees, if not all, should be fully vaccinated. Yet, you should consider taking necessary measures at the office just to be safe.Â
One important measure you need to take is setting up shields on everyone’s desks. That will not be necessary if everyone has a cubicle of their own. However, you should install such shields if multiple people are using a common table or desk, and are sitting near one another.
Having shields on the desks will also allow your employees to work without having to wear masks or shields on their faces. Thus, it makes for a more comfortable situation while working.
Expand the Meeting Room
For the first time in about a year or so, your employees will be coming together for physical meetings. Although they probably dreaded the idea of such sessions before, your employees are sure to be excited about being able to attend meetings in person. The thought of no longer having to join virtual meetings will surely give them some motivation to attend the physical ones.
You can expect a lot of people to attend these meetings. Hence, now is a good time to expand the meeting room at your office. The expansion will also help everyone maintain social distancing. Unless the existing space is already big enough, you should seriously consider making it a bit bigger to accommodate everyone safely.
Make More Space in the Break Room as Well
Like the meeting room, you might want to expand the space in your break room as well. Apart from the need for social distancing, you can expect a lot more people going there during their breaks.Â
Many of your employees missed gossiping in the break room. Before the pandemic, many of them were probably eager to come to the office so that they could chit chat with their colleagues. And now, after a long and tiring year, they can finally get back to it again.Â
While expanding the space, you can also consider making some changes to the amenities in your break room. Adding some new chairs, tables, shelves and cabinets should give the place a fresh new look.
Once you get these done in your office, you will be ready to welcome your employees and colleagues back to their physical workplace.