Author: Iris Beau

When winter hits, it is also the cold and flu season, which will inevitably impact your workforce at some point. Not everyone is ill enough to take time off work when they get sick during the winter, but if you are not careful, cold and flu can decimate your workforce. You want to avoid struggling to operate your business due to staff illness and do everything you can to reduce the transmission of sickness and infection during winter. Below are some tips to help you do this and ensure that flu and colds do not stop your business dead in its tracks this winter.

Outdoor Workers

If some workers are outside or in a warehouse, they will have different requirements than those working in an office environment. If you have employees working outdoors or in a colder setting than an office, you will want to provide them with suitable clothing. Ensure that your workers are kept warm, and if they have to go outside, they have waterproof clothing, it can help to keep them happy and healthy this winter and minimise their falling sick.

Encourage Cleanliness

You also need to encourage cleanliness in your workers and have them wash their hands to help prevent catching and transmitting an illness. Having signage to remind people to wash their hands does help, and you can also provide anti-viral wipes so people can sanitise their workstations, which is vital if more than one person uses the same station. People who are vigilant about germs and wash their hands regularly can significantly decrease their chances of falling sick this winter.

Encourage Sick People To Stay Home

Some people do not like to stop, even when they are sick, and while this spirit is commendable, it can also spread illness in your workplace. Have a policy in your workplace that encourages people to stay home when they are sick and unable to focus 100% on their jobs. Ensure workers know it is okay to get sick and that staying home is ultimately in the business’s best interests when you have an infectious illness.

Keep Your Workplace Clean

It is also essential to keep your workplace clean, which can help prevent illness from spreading in your workplace. You can hire a reputable cleaning company to clean and sanitise your workplace regularly, which can help prevent sickness from spreading. Have the cleaners focus on areas where people have been sick recently, and ensure they use anti-bacterial cleaners to kill any remaining germs and reduce the chance of them spreading further.

Use Common Sense

It is impossible to eliminate colds and flu from the workplace, and they will get in no matter what you do. However, you can reduce their impact by having your workforce remain vigilant and encourage cleanliness in the workplace. Encourage workers to rest when they are sick and keep a clean workplace, which can significantly reduce the impact of colds and flu on our business this winter. If someone has a cold and comes into the workplace, have them wear a facemask to reduce spreading it to everyone else and protect the rest of your workers.

The ceiling in your building can play a vital role in how well it functions, and it is something you will need to put thought into when fitting your space with new ceilings. You will want to ensure that you invest in quality materials and have an experienced and reputable company install the for you, and they can help transform your building with the new ceilings they install. There are various types of dropped ceilings you can install in your property, depending on the requirements for the space, and some of the different options are listed below.

Light reflecting Ceiling Tiles

When your building is particularly dark and gloomy, you will want to find ways of getting as much light into it as possible. An excellent method of doing this is installing light reflective tiles in your building, which can help significantly brighten the space. These tiles will reflect natural sunlight and electrical light from the fittings you install, help light up dark areas and make them much brighter and happier spaces.

Acoustic Ceiling Tiles

There are two types of ceiling tile you can get that can help you cope with noise levels in a busy office: sound-absorbing and sound-insulation ceiling tiles. Installing sound-absorbing ceiling tiles in your building will help reduce the noise level in the space you are insulating, making it more comfortable for work. Using sound insulation tiles will help protect the surrounding area from the noise generated from the space. You will need to ensure you select the correct type of ceiling tiles for the job you want the ceiling to do, and most of them are made using fibreglass. Speak to experts before purchasing your acoustic ceiling tiles; they can help you make the correct choice for your building.

Fire-Rated Ceiling Tiles

You can also choose to install fire-rated ceiling tiles in your building, and there are areas in commercial buildings where you must install these, such as access ways to fire escapes. Fire-rated ceiling tiles are rated to last 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 120 minutes, and these can help slow down the spread of a fire if one should start. There are various styles and designs of fire-rated ceiling tiles you can use in your building, so no matter your taste or your budget, there are suitable options available.

Humidity Resistant Ceiling Tiles

There may also be parts of your building which can tend to be humid, such as kitchens, bathrooms, gyms, and shower rooms. In these areas you will want to use humidity-resistant ceiling tiles that can help prevent mould and mildew from forming and keep the area clean. You can also clean the tiles easily by giving them a quick wipe down, and they can help keep the area sanitary. There are various options available for these types of ceiling tiles, and you can find something to suit the décor of your building that will look fantastic.

These are some of the most common ceiling tiles you can choose for your building, and you must ensure you select the correct ones for your building and how you use your space. Consult with experienced office designers, and they can help ensure you make the right choice of ceiling tiles when fitting out the building.

When your business is moving into new premises, it is beneficial to use the services of a reputable design company to help you create the perfect space for your business. There are many advantages to using a quality office design service. It will help you make a practical-looking office space that can help increase productivity in your employees. It is also advantageous if you can find a company that offers both office design and fitting-out services, saving a lot of time and hassle and ensuring you get precisely what you want. Below are some tips to help you find suitable companies and ensure they are ideal for your office design and fit-out project.

Work Out What You Want

One of the first tasks you must do is determine what you want in your office space and the finished standard. When selecting this, you will also need to set a reasonable budget for the project that is big enough to get what you want to do without cutting any corners. You will need to look around for inspiration to decide what you want to do with your office space, and you can click here to get some ideas which may be suitable for your business. Once you know what you want and have an appropriate budget, you can start looking for reputable companies to help design and fit out your new office space.

Look For A Local Company

It often makes things easier if you are using the services of a local company, so you should include your local area in the search term you use in your preferred search engine when looking for companies to design and fit out your office. Look for companies with excellent reviews and look at their websites to see what you think of them. When you find a reputable company such as Gravity Office Interiors, you can add them to a list of potentials before looking for more. When you have a decent number of companies on our list, you can start looking at their reputations in more detail to see which is the best option for your business.

Compare The Reputations

There are a couple of ways to look at the reputations of companies you are considering using and social media platforms is an excellent place to start. Most companies will have some presence on various platforms, such as:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• TikTok

Read the reviews and comments left by previous customers and see how each company is rated. You can use the information you find to reduce the number of companies on your list to two or three and then contact them.

Getting Quotes

It is always an excellent idea to get multiple quotes, so you can contact the best two or three companies from your list, explain your project details, and ask for a quote for their services. You will need to spend time with each company and go through your requirements in detail, and once you have spoken to all of the companies and received their quotes, you will need to determine the best option for your business. You can then get ready to start your project and prepare to open a new office space for your business to continue its success hopefully.

There is a higher level of expectation these days for businesses to help take care of the mental health of their employees, and there are many things they can do to facilitate this. Giving your employees the tools and support they need to care for their mental health can pay dividends for your business when your employees are more productive and happier.

You can do various things in the workplace for your employees to ensure their mental health is taken care of, which can help other areas of your business, such as communication. Below are some things you can consider offering your employees to ensure their mental health needs are met and that you provide an excellent workplace.

Workshops & Team Building Activities

An excellent way to show your employees you care about their mental health is by holding workshops and team-building events focusing on the subject. You can consider using a reputable company such as XL Events mental health team-building activities, which can help increase empathy and communication in the workplace by working on mental health issues.

Give Employees Surveys

You will want to give your employees satisfaction surveys every six months or so, and the information these provide can be useful. It can track staff sentiment, and you can have these anonymous if you prefer so that people can speak freely without fear of retribution.

Work On Communication Skills

Enhancing communication in your company can also help improve the mental health of your employees, and it will also directly benefit your business. Communication skills can help your employees better service their customers and liaise with suppliers, improving the company’s level of service.

Set Clearly Defined Goals & Expectations

When your employees have goals to work towards, it helps them focus much better and gives them something to work towards and a career path. Each employee will need to have goals set and a level of expectation, which you can do in your employee’s yearly reviews, ensuring you monitor progress regularly.

Encourage Socialisation Outside Of Work

You will also want to encourage your employees to get together socially outside of work, strengthening team bonds and improving teamwork within your organisation. You can organise a monthly gathering where you can get together, forget about work, enjoy a few drinks and some food, and socialise with everyone.

Show You Are Vulnerable

Managers should also show that they have a vulnerable side, as many people put them on a pedestal without appreciating that they are also human. Having managers show that they are also vulnerable can help open communications with employees so they can communicate much more freely.

Encourage Mindful Activities

You also want to encourage your employees to do mindful activities, and there are various ways you can do this. You can offer free Yoga sessions at lunchtime, form a sports team from employees of your business, start a walking or running club and go out at lunch or after work. When people are active and exercise, it helps make them happier, which can help them be more productive in the workplace, so it is something employers should encourage.

When you are a foreigner living in Thailand and facing litigation, it can be a worrying time, and you will need to search for the best Thailand litigation lawyer you can afford. You will want to take your time selecting the best lawyer to represent you and ensure you do your homework, which can give you the best chances of successfully defending yourself. You can find some advice below that can help you select a suitable lawyer that you can afford and will do a fantastic job of helping you win your case.

Understand The Thai Law

One of the first things you will need to do is understand what you are facing and research the laws of Thailand. You do not need to become a law expert, but you will need to understand the gravity of what you face, and it can also help you select the best lawyer for your circumstances. Once you have an idea of what you are facing, you can start looking for a suitable litigation specialist to represent you in court.

Starting Your Search For A Lawyer

You will next need to start looking for a reputable lawyer to represent you, and an excellent place to start is asking for recommendations from people you know. You may get a few decent suggestions, but do not worry if you do not, as you can also use the internet to find yourself a lawyer. You can look at the various websites you see online and note the ones you think may be suitable. However, before you start calling them, you will want to do some more research, and social media is an excellent tool for this task.

Investigating Their Online Reputations

You can use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and others to see what people think of the services of the companies you are looking at potentially using. You can see the comments people leave for the law firm and how they rate them, giving you insight into their services. You can then contact the companies who seem decent and ask about their services.

Speaking To The Law Firms

You can now contact the lawyers that are left on your list and ask them lots of questions to help you decide whether you want them to represent you or not. You will need to select one that you can communicate easily with, and many lawyers will have a decent command of English, although not all. Once you have spoken to them all, you will need to decide which one to use to represent you in court and cross your fingers that you are successful and have made a good choice.

If you’ve always wanted to start your own business but are hesitant because of the lack of funds, it’s time for you to consider getting an unsecured business loan. These types of loans are ideal for entrepreneurs looking to launch a startup due to the fact that they don’t require collateral in return for the loan. Best of all, you get the money as soon as possible so that you can get everything that you need ready to launch your new business.

Benefits of an Unsecured Business Loan

When launching a startup, it’s safe to say you haven’t been able to acquire any valuable collateral just yet. As a result, many banks won’t be too keen on lending you money when you have nothing to offer them in exchange. But with unsecured startup business loans, you don’t need any collateral.

Another benefit of an unsecured business loan is that you get the money you need rather quickly. This money can be put to use in more ways than one. For example, you can use it to make a deposit on the space for your business, to buy equipment you need, gather your inventory, and pay employees until you have a steady revenue coming in.

Turning to an unsecured business loan as opposed to a credit card can also be beneficial as you have a fixed term and interest rate and your monthly payment stays the same until you complete it.

Unsecured business loans can also be beneficial for already established business owners who may need a little bit of help getting through a particular rough patch and are in need of some cash to get their business back on track.

The Process

If you are interested in applying for an unsecured business loan, chances are you may be wondering how the process works. The truth is, it’s quite simple. Once you apply for the loan, all you need to do is wait for approval. You do not have to itemise your holdings and the loan provider does not need to appraise any collateral, so the approval process is rather quick.

Once you have been approved, you will get your money almost immediately due to the fact that very little paperwork is required. After receiving your loan, you can put it to use however you see fit!