The winter office can be a chilly place to work if it’s not designed correctly. Of course, nobody wants to sit at an office desk when they’re feeling cold and wishing they’d worn another pair of socks.
For that reason, doing some pre-planning and preparing for winter is important. Some of that planning includes changing your office while other elements simply mean helping your employees to feel more comfortable with changing habits.
Here are four ways you can prepare for winter in the modern day office.
- Seal any draughts - Assess your window edges to check they’re not letting in any draughts. If so, make sure you seal them before the winter weather arrives. Also check along your walls for any draughty areas. They appear where you might not imagine!
- Look at your flooring - Laminate and wooden flooring are both great options but they can strike cold in the winter months. Consider carpeting if possible, however avoid mats as these can move and cause a safety hazard.
- Give general advice on winter office wear - As your employees are sitting at their office chairs, they need to be comfortable. You don’t need to tell them to wear a jumper as this is common sense and they probably already know that but if you do have a dress code or uniform, modify this in the winter months for extra warmth.
- Move furniture away from radiators - Do you have office furniture next to your radiators? Perhaps you have office storage units against the wall? If so, move them away as these could be blocking the heat and causing problem with heat circulation.
These are just a few easy ways you can start preparing for the cold winter weather. Of course, nobody knows how bad or otherwise our winter is going to be. With the impact of climate change, we’re seeing warmer summers, often reaching record temperatures, but we are also seeing periods of snowfall and cold temperatures during the winter.
By being prepared for all eventualities, you can keep your business ticking over and your employees will be comfortable at the same time.