Innovative Professional Offices (www.InnovativeProfessionalOffices.com), the leading provider of office space for rent in Ottawa and Mississauga, is weighing in on a recent article by U.S. News about workplace trends that are making jobs harder.
Factors that are making jobs less pleasant for workers include declining support positions, fewer amenities and feeling pressured to remain “connected” to the web at all times. (Source: Green, A., “5 Workplace Trends That are Making Your Job Harder,” U.S. News web site, June 29, 2015; http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2015/06/29/5-workplace-trends-that-are-making-your-job-harder.)
Although some workers may complain that there are fewer office amenities, Eshai Hirshberg, director of Innovative Professional Offices, notes that this can actually have a positive effect on an organization—namely it cuts down on overhead costs.
“Many workplaces don’t realize how much of their budget goes toward little things, such as disposable utensils or even complimentary drinks for staff,” says Hirshberg. “Encouraging staff to bring their own utensils, or even supplying non-disposable ones, can go a long way toward cutting down on costs. Money saved on amenities can be reinvested into the company.”
Another trend is “hot-desking”—where companies eliminate designated desks and offices. With hot-desking, employees choose where they want to sit on a daily basis. It may not give workers a chance to settle in to one location and personalize it, but, according to Hirshberg, it can actually encourage employees to get to know each other better.
“An open office floor plan encourages teamwork and ensures that there will be no wasted office space,” Hirshberg adds.
An increasing number of workers are also feeling pressure to remain “plugged-in” to their work at all times—whether by responding to after-hours customer inquiries or bringing work home with them on evenings and weekends. Hirshberg says that it may be easier, but it’s not necessarily better for workers to stay connected at all times.
“Employees who feel the need to respond to e-mails and voicemails at all hours of the day will eventually feel overwhelmed,” concludes Hirshberg. “The staff at a qualified business center, such as Innovative Professional Offices, can take some of that pressure off by providing call answering services and respond to e-mails.”
For more information about Innovative Professional Offices and their fully furnished executive office suites for rent in Ottawa, Brampton and Mississauga, visit www.InnovativeProfessionalOffices.com.
