Office News

Christmas brings with it much fun and frivolity, celebration and festivities. While the office Xmas party is a time to let your hair down and have a few drinks with your colleagues, you must remember that you still have to work there in the morning, so you don’t want to behave in a way that could embarrass you later. Dancing on the tables may seem like a great idea at the time, but you could end up shamefaced the next day, especially in this whole new world of social networking sites. Within hours your antics could be uploaded to Facebook and spread far and wide. Read More »

A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration has revealed which occupations have higher levels of smokers. Of all the full time employees in the United States aged between 18 and 64, 28% had smoked cigarettes in the previous month. Food-service workers came in highest with 45% having smoked during that same period. The second highest groups are construction workers and miners, coming in at 42.9%.

The study also showed that people who work in training, education and library fields smoke the least, with only 12.3% having lit up in the previous month.

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Sitting at a desk for nine hours a day is detrimental to your figure and it can be very easy to gain excess weight by eating unhealthily or snacking unnecessarily at work. All your willpower will be out the window once someone brings out the chocolates, cookies and potato chips. The hardest part of the day to resist these temptations is around 2pm, when your blood sugar levels have dipped. There are ways to combat the ‘office spread’ and here are some ideas and tips to help you on your way.

1. Eating breakfast before you go to work.

Although you may think that by skipping a meal you will lose weight, this is counter productive. Eating healthily first thing sets your metabolism for the day, and helps you to steer clear unhealthy snacks mid morning when your body craves sustenance.

2. Stay away from the doughnuts, muffin baskets and candy dishes.

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There many ways that we can save energy in the workplace, saving both the environment and the office budget. Businesses can help by purchasing energy efficient equipment, cutting down on waste and unnecessary energy usage.

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and promotes energy efficient products and practices, offering advice and guidelines to help reduce energy wastage.

• When leaving the office be sure to turn off your computers, monitors, photocopiers and printers.

• Using a laptop computer uses ninety percent less energy than a desktop computer, the same is true for using an ink jet printer rather than a laser printer.

• Don’t use screen savers. Read More »

What you carry with you to work says as much about you as what you wear. You want to make the right first impression on the people you meet, colleagues, clients or employees. If you are a manager of a department your worn out backpack may make you look more like an ageing student. A good quality leather briefcase will keep all your important documents safe and tidy, or a smart handbag or manbag. In this hi-tech era you may also need to take a laptop with you to work or meetings and presentations, so a professional bag with suitable shoulder support is a must. Read More »

Swine Flu or the Novel Influenza A H1N1 virus is sweeping the USA, with more cases being reported daily. The World Health Organisation (WHO) raised the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 on the 11th of June 2009. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)’has issued advice and guidelines along with taking steps to respond to the outbreak.

We all need to be aware of the symptoms so that we can recognize if someone has the virus and what to do next. The symptoms of Swine Flu are very similar to seasonal flu and include:

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Working as a team is essential to the overall success of you businesses and developing an effective teamwork structure within your organization takes understanding and experience. Belonging to a team and contributing to the ‘whole’ produces far greater results than everyone going it alone and will improve motivation and communication. Each individual has a particular job within group, but you are all striving for the same goals and the same overall objectives, so being able to see the bigger picture is very important.

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Office Recycling

Every office should have a recycling scheme in place, our planet is our responsibility and the waste recycling habits you keep at home should be continued in the workplace. There are many types of waste products that can be recycled in the office, from paper to computers.

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The best way to get the most out of your working day is to plan ahead, schedule tasks and organize your time efficiently. Prioritizing your workload so you get the most important jobs finished first is essential, no matter what your position in the company.

Here are some tips to help you manage your time effectively:

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Interested in odd or unusual architecture? We have compiled a list of our favorites for your viewing pleasure, some defy all reason, if not gravity!

Stone House (Guimaraes, Portugal)

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