Office design 'part of work relationship'

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 16-07-2009

Allowing employees to create their own comfortable environment at work may be important for ensuring that productivity levels remain high.

Colleagues should be able to decide how they want to work, argues John Timpson in his Telegraph column.

While some employees like their own space, others may wish to feel like they are part of a wider community.

"A good employer lets colleagues decide how they want to work. Full-timers who like their own space should be allowed to make part of the office their own," he said.

But when part-timers are brought into the equation, effective space planning should not be forgotten. Adopting practices such as hotdesking may help employers to cut costs on office space, as no areas would be left vacant for longer periods of time.

Whatever workplace design employers choose, the most important factor is to make sure staff feel looked after, said Mr Timpson, adding that in return, bosses can expect their office space to be kept "free from clutter".

Undertaking an office refurbishment to redesign a working space may help to bring a number of benefits. Earlier this week, the director of asset management for Markham, Ontario, Steven Andrews, highlighted to regional paper the Globe and Mail that a refurb helped to create a greater sense of space.