As you may have noticed, cold and flu season is in full effect. Sickness can result in loss of employee productivity and revenue so preventing the spread of germs is important. Providing supplies, a clean office and alternate accommodations for sick employees will help to minimize germs in the office and keep your team healthy. Below are a few tips to help you get through the winter months:

• Be accommodating to ill employees to prevent their sickness from spreading. Despite the common concern many workers have of falling behind when not in the office, it is important to give employees a chance to get healthy. Let your team members know you’d rather have them miss a day or two than make the entire office sick. Consider finding ways that employees can do some of their work from home, if appropriate.
• Make it easy for employees help keep the office germ free. Stock your office with hand-sanitizing gels, facial tissues, disinfecting wipes for workspaces and disinfectant sprays for common areas.
• In addition to cleaning supplies, keep immune system boosters like Emergen-C on hand so employees can stop their colds before they start. Keep citrus fruits, yogurt and tea stocked in the breakroom as well, as these foods are naturally immune boosting.
• Talk to your janitorial staff about extra cleaning during the winter months for areas that are germ hotspots. Have them disinfect all door knobs, office machines and common areas regularly to prevent the spread of germs.
• Encourage employees to get a flu vaccine shot if they are able. Setting up a flu shot clinic at your office makes it easy and convenient for employees and their families to get shots.

While cold and flu season is inevitable, there are many steps you can make to help your team avoid the spreading of germs. Keep your office healthy this winter by stocking up on disinfecting products and educating your team on healthy office practices.

Stress is a normal part of life but too much of it can have a negative effect on your team’s morale and productivity. It can also have a major effect on your bottom line. According to a Harvard study, workplace stress costs U.S. businesses $30 billion a year in lost workdays and employee turnover. Set your employees up for success (and run a profitable business) by trying some of the steps below to reduce stress in your office.

Encourage Breaks

It is important for employees to step away from their desks throughout the day, even it’s just a short break to eat a snack or take a walk. Encouraging use of vacation time (and making it easy to use) will also help your team to come back less stressed and more productive.

Offer Calming Activities

Schedule meditation or yoga classes throughout the work week to give employees the chance to relax and clear their minds. If you don’t have the space for these activities in your office space, partner with a local fitness studio to offer memberships for your team to go after work or during breaks.

Change Up the Scenery

Hosting offsite activities helps your employees to step out of their daily routine. Weather it’s a team meeting at a nearby restaurant, volunteering with a local organization or a company barbecue over lunch, getting a change of scenery will help reduce stress and build personal connections.

Implement Flexible Work Schedules

The demands of a busy work and home life can quickly become overwhelming. Allowing employees to have a flexible schedule will help them to balance life and attend special events. In return, they will be more present when they’re in the office. If your employees can perform work remotely, consider offering work from home days to accommodate family schedules and reduce the hours wasted in traffic.

Facilitate Open Communication

Regularly set aside time to check with your team about stress levels and what is triggering that stress. In addition to showing that you care about their well-being, open communication will help to get feedback and make changes if needed.

There are many ways that you can create a healthy workplace and make your employees happier. By facilitating some of these changes, your team will in turn be less stressed, improving their work performance and your bottom line.

Plants do more than make an office visually pleasing. These decorative features can also improve indoor air quality, boost productivity, and enhance your health. Add some greenery to your office today and start reaping the benefits listed below!

Improve Health

Plants naturally filter toxins from the areas they grow in, helping to clean the air in your office. In addition, plants have also have a calming effect on workers, boosting your team’s mental health.

Boost Creativity & Productivity

Bright colors and vibrant smells can provide inspiration and help to avoid creative blocks. Studies have also found that employees perform better and have an easier time staying focused in offices with houseplants and wall decor.

Reduce Noise

Similar to rugs and upholstered furniture, plants can help absorb noise in open offices. Position large planter pots in between rooms to define areas and reduce the amount of noise carried from space to space.

Before you purchase plants for your office, make sure to research the best plants for particular spaces. Specific environmental things to note are how much sunlight a room gets and the average temperature of the space. Be sure to put a watering plan is place as well so you can enjoy these benefits for years to come!

The start of a new year is a great time to evaluate your branding strategies and plan your marketing approach for the upcoming months. As your company and business trends evolve, take a look at your current promotional products to ensure your message is on brand and that customers will find the items useful. Take a look at the list of 2020 trends below for ideas to make your business stand out and look future-forward.

Eco-Friendly Products
The main trend for promotional products in 2020 continues to be eco-friendly products. As many businesses strive to implement greener practices, choosing products that are sustainable is a simple step towards that goal while showing your customers your company values. On the Keeney’s Promotional website, you can easily filter for items that are biodegradable, organic or made from recycled content.

Reusable Items
Tying in with the goal of being more eco-friendly, the days of giving out cheap, one-use items at tradeshows are over. Instead, companies are choosing to give out higher quality items that customers can use again and again. Popular items include reusable grocery bags, metal straws and lunch sets.

Healthy Lifestyles
With the added dedication to fitness at the beginning of the year as well as the increasing focus on wellness in the workplace, items that promote health are a great giveaway. Step trackers, phone armbands, adult coloring books and yoga mats are all great ways to promote physical and mental health in the workplace.

Technology 
As our lives in and out of work become more focused on electronics, technology products will be used daily by your customers. Branded power adapters, flash drives and ear buds will be useful for your clients and will stay on their desk as a reminder of your business.

As you plan your marketing and events schedule for the upcoming year, remember to place your orders for promotional products early so you’re ready to go! For assistance selecting the right products for your business, contact the Keeney’s team.

The way employees and companies work continues to evolve, changing workplace environments and office setups each year. In 2020, trends will focus on attracting top talent, utilizing sustainable materials, creating welcoming spaces and maximizing usability within the office space. Check out the list below for design styles to watch out for in the upcoming year.

Features to Attract New Talent

Employee perks such as onsite gyms, yoga spaces, and napping rooms continue to grow in popularity and become more common in the workplace. Creating spaces that “feel like home” with comfortable lounge pieces, greenery and a stocked kitchen will help employees achieve the work/life balance they desire.

Sustainable Designs

Operating a sustainable business is increasingly important to companies and their consumers. From purchasing furniture made out of sustainable materials to setting up recycling programs to obtaining LEED certification, offices will continue to look for ways to increase their green practices in 2020.

Bright Offices

Utilizing natural light with large windows and open spaces will help to create bright, welcoming spaces. Building outdoor spaces for employees will also take advantage of sun light and create happy, productive places for your team to work.

Unconventional Workspaces

Creating spaces that are reconfigurable and serve multiple uses are becoming more and more in demand in today’s offices. As rents continue to rise, companies are maximizing usability of each space by creating reconfigurable rooms with movable tables, retractable walls and multipurpose furniture.    With the removal of traditional desks and offices, it is also important to provide quiet workspaces like phone booths or meeting nooks.

Implementing these trends will help to meet the wants and needs of today’s employees and help to create a welcoming and efficient work environment for your team. Schedule a consultation with the Keeney’s team to start incorporating these 2020 designs into your office. Happy New Year!

*Photo courtesy of AIS