If you identify with the above situation, assess the level of cleanliness in your office. Unclean, unkempt offices are a big turn off despite the best material amenities present.

Importance of Office Cleaning 

1. Trash Disposal – Unclean offices jeopardize the health of employees. Trash that is not discarded into the garbage bin and lies scattered around the office, whether in the pantry, on the desk, washroom, or cabins, accumulates a lot of dust and even critters. Many sensitive individuals react strongly to dust; they start sneezing, panting, and producing other allergic reactions.
2. Pantry Hygiene – Hygiene must be strongly maintained in the pantry or canteen. Coffee cups made of paper should be preferred as they can be discarded. Reuse of cups, spoons, and other utensils leads to transmission of disease-causing germs causing illnesses in many employees. Surfaces of coffee machines must be cleaned with an effective sanitizer in order to check microbial growth due to milk spillage.
3. Filtered Water Usage – Water should be thoroughly filtered and purified before storing into water dispensing coolers. Employees who contract infectious diseases due to water and food contamination avail of long sick leaves thus leading to reduced work hours. This could have a huge impact on the business.
4. Toilet Hygiene – Toilets must be cleaned on a daily basis using an alcohol-based sanitizer. Good quality toilet cleaners must be used.  Hiring professional office cleaning services regularly like once a month is a good option for the health of office staff rather than relying on just one housekeeping person. The quality of cleanliness that professional housekeeping staff renders is matchless.
5. Sick Employee Policy – Employees who are seriously ill with a communicable disease must not come to office until they are completely free from the disease. Such individuals can pass off their infection to healthy employees. It is advisable to let them work from home if that is feasible for their role and acceptable to their seniors.
6. Eating Guidelines – Strict guidelines on eating breakfast and lunch must be imposed. Employees must not be allowed to eat or drink in the work area in order to avoid spillage or dropping of fluids and food particles on computers, laptops, carpets, or desks. Employees failing to abide by these laws should be strictly penalized.
7. Indoor Plants – Keep some indoor plants in your office in order to increase oxygen levels which usually dip where too many people are exhaling carbon dioxide. Oxygen-rich air is clean, pure, and energizing.
8. Technology Damage – In unclean offices, where there is water spillage on technological equipment, there are greater chances of electronic malfunction and accidents. Electric shocks to employees, PCs not working, and other glitches slow down the pace of working in an office. The result is reduced productivity.
9. Optimum Level of Work – In order to bring the best out of every employee, it is very important to pay attention to their health. Unhealthy employees are not motivated enough to work. They lack the enthusiasm and energy to work and pay attention to tiny details. In roles that demand a high level of attention to details, an unhealthy atmosphere may breed lack of concentration in the employees leading to high error rate.
10. Noise Cleanliness – This refers to filtering or blocking out loud or irritating noises in the background so that they don’t affect the employees’ work. Compartmentalization of departments is an effective way to minimize noise pollution which deteriorates work quality. Healthy mingling among co-workers is conducive to work quality and productivity. Employees, who gel well or share interesting titbits with each other, increase knowledge and add cheer to the work atmosphere. After all, a healthy employee is a happy employee. And a happy employee is a productive employee.
11. Security – Office cleanliness is important and ensures a healthy working environment when the office is working. However, you also need something to watch over your office when it is kept closed for a period of time owing to certain reasons like transfer of most employees to another branch of the company or temporary shifting of workplace due to renovation. In such cases, you need a trustworthy party to keep a watch on the office that is shut down or inactive for some days or months. Moreover, you need the office in the best condition when you are back. When you hire house watching services, this problem is taken care of. They take care of your office like no other. And when you are back, there is no lag period. You can start your work from day 1 with total productivity.

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Carve out a working space at home

Working on a laptop placed on the kitchen table or even your bed can be an attractive scenario. However, when you work from home, it is important to separate your home life from your work life by creating boundaries that are both physical and psychological. The best way to create a productive and motivating work area is to dedicate a place of your own, with your own desk and storage areas. Ideally, it will be a separate room in the house that you can convert into a workshop, office or mini-studio. If you do not have rooms to spare then opt for a space that will be specifically assigned to you and your job.

Remove the clutter

Opt for a minimalist approach for your work area, by removing unnecessary objects, stacks of books that you do not use, paper clips lying around, etc. Store files away as much as possible and make sure you have very few cables showing from your computer equipment.

Add a little flora

Add plants to your office as they can greatly improve your working environment. Watering your plants daily is also a positive distraction in your day, and some claim that the oxygen produced by the plants will help you concentrate, although they produce just as much carbon dioxide when they are out of sunlight, so the legitimacy of the claim is suspect.

Ease of use is your top priority

Items and equipment that are easy to use are going to improve your work comfort and allow you to do your job more efficiently. A comfortable chair is good but it needs to be elevated enough for you to get up easily. It must also have enough rigidity to allow you to depart easily from the chair, since the beanbag effect is tiring if you have to keep getting up. The position of your monitor should be far enough away to not impose too harshly on your vision.

Your chair, desk and keyboard should also be positioned for maximum comfort and ease of use. If you are sat uncomfortably then it will eventually take its toll on your work. Give yourself extra space for your legs and take regular short breaks to stretch them a little. An ergonomic office chair is an excellent investment, ensuring your concentration at work in addition to avoiding the possibility of developing back problems.

Add one or two exciting visual element

Visual stimulation such as poster frames or paintings can help you inspire and motivate you. If possible, position your desk so that you face the window in order to rest your eyes and give your brain a break.

Install a whiteboard

Use it during a period of “brainstorming” or to write your lists priorities. It is also good for adding notes for ideas and things to do. If you do not write them down then they will often play on your mind. It also stops you from creating little lists on paper, which often become yet more office clutter.

Author: Korah Morrison – Follow her on Google+.

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1. Know the position

Are you hiring a secretary when you really want an assistant? This is one of the most common mistakes, and common reasons why people leave their job – the position didn’t match the description. Review positions that are constantly turning over and find out what it entails. Consider rewriting the job description to better match your needs.

2. Recruit wisely

Certain job boards attract certain applicants. Look into the demographics of any paid listing board and make sure it attracts who you want to attract. If you’re looking for a tech genius, you might not find it in a board dedicated to actors. This is especially true for niche industries that require very specific skills and experiences. Go a search for the position you need and see what comes up. This is where you want to be. And never underestimate the power of referrals.

3. Pay competitively

In a recovering economy, it might seem tempting to hire an army of free interns to run your start-up, or offer minimum wage starting salaries in your corporation, but it will hurt you in the long run. Yes, you get what you pay for and if your compensation should match, or even exceed the market value salary. Professionals who accept low paying jobs might see the position as a bridge to something better, and are planning to leave before they start.

4. Pre-employment screening

Now that you have the perfect candidate at the perfect salary, make sure they really are perfect. Pre-employment screening allows the business to know who they are hiring. This usually includes a drug test and background check, but can include a physical and even aptitude assessment. Again, you can customize your screening program as needed for your industry. Drug abusers and individuals with a history of fraud might not be a good fit for certain positions that include customer interaction.

5. Review, review, review

Employees like feedback and they like knowing how they can improve their job. Offer regular reviews, more formal ones biannually, but other shorter discussions more frequently. By showing the employee you care, and pay attention to them, you are creating a family, and keeping them as a part of the team. And if there is any dissatisfaction, you’ll find out before a two-week notice is dropped.

6. Do not be desperate

If your dream employee just left you after you selected them correctly, paid them well, screened them and made sure you followed-up, don’t worry. Sometimes there are other factors beyond your control, and people decide to switch employment when needed. During this transitional moment, do not hire out of desperation, but continue to do your due diligence in a right candidate. Make times a quick fix turns into a forever nightmare.

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Save Money

The most obvious reason for doing your own repair work is to save cash. It stands to reason that paying for the materials is a lot less expensive than paying for the materials plus the time of the person doing it. You might be surprised to find just how big a saving you can make on some jobs.  If you need some more convincing then try working out the cost of the materials for the next job you need done and then compare this to a quote from a tradesman.

Get It Right, Guaranteed

When you hire someone to do some work you need to trust them to get it right. Most times they will but you could be left wondering whether they put their best efforts into it and whether it will stand the test of time. On the other hand, if you carry out the DIY work on your own then you will know exactly what you have done and the quality of materials you used. Of course, if you don’t get it right first time you should feel comfortable with the idea of learning from your mistakes and doing it over again until you get it exactly the want it to be.

Get Job Satisfaction

It is hugely satisfying to be able to look around your home and see all the great work you have done. This is certainly a lot better than simply coming home one day and seeing the finished job which someone else has done for you.

Plan Other Jobs

Once you complete your first piece of DIY work at home you will start to get excited about the thought of doing more jobs about the place. Even if you have never been particularly bothered about the physical aspect of the property you should soon begin to pay attention to it and enjoy coming up with ideas to improve it. This means that over time you should own a more attractive and more valuable home without having spent a huge amount of money on it.

Learn a Skill for Life

The skills you learn on your home will stay with you for the rest of your life. This means that in the future you could buy a dilapidated home to restore, help a friend with their property or even make a living from your DIY skills. You will always know what this sort of ability could come in handy at some point. A smart move is to learn well at the outset by going on the like of a local plastering course. By doing this you will learn how to do the jobs professionally enough to handle anything in the future.

By Petar Dzhingarov

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If you want your business to be efficient and profitable, you need to improve every sphere of your business. And, most people do like this, but many of them just forget about an HR department, which is also very essential for the company, as they recruit the staff that do their best to help the business owner to reach their goals and to earn more profits. Labor force is the part of any company, which creates the company in the whole and its image.

But, at the same time, there are many tiny companies which can not afford to hire an HR specialist, and they have to hire part-time HR workers which are not interested in the final results of the work they do and in most cases they can perform their duties rather carelessly.

So automating and making the processes of human resource management, more effective should be the primary target of any company.

How to improve HR procedures in the company? How to make HR department work more effective? The answer can be rather simple – to use modern technology and to install an HR tool.

By starting to use any HR automation software, you are to automate every process in the company e.g. setting up a vacancy, choosing the right candidate and taking them on work, adapting them to the team and all other steps that are involved in the HR management process. Such solutions will save your time on every single process. You are going to have less paper work for sure, and it will give you a hand in setting up strict and effective company employees’ policy i.e. to monitor the work of the staff more thoroughly, to organize out-of-work activities at the better level. Your working day is going to be more organized and thoughtful giving your plenty of time to analyze and forecast the labor processes in the firm.

There is a great variety of HR systems on the market. You can choose a solution to any taste and budget. Some of them can be called universal ones, as they offer the solutions not only to the HR process, but as well as to project and task management, tracking opportunities. The producers also offer businesses separate software for specific purposes – only to track issues or to handle projects, which, as some experts say, is better, as the developers have spent much more time to investigate the topic more attentively. In any case, a customer chooses what they really need and desire and try to get more efficiency from the tool they are using.

The key to make business more efficient is just very simple. All you need to do is to purchase and install modern automation software in HR sphere, which just gives a push to your business to expand and to get more successful through improving the hiring and firing processes which have direct link to the company profits and earnings.

Author: Jannet Sparts –Follow her on Google+

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The government’s current “White Paper,” outlining the new single tier plan, is expected to affect different age groups in a number of ways. People who are already receiving a pension will see no changes at all. If you qualified for the “Sepr,” then your payments will continue as before. People already receiving a pension may have been better compensated had they chosen to wait until 2017 before filing, but they have nothing to be concerned about today.

When the New Program Begins

In 2017 the new program will be applied for anyone not currently receiving a pension. One of the changes that will come into effect at that time will be the elimination of the second pension, as the universal flat rate is scheduled to begin in April 2017. Effectively this new universal pension will provide much needed clarity for those who are trying to plan in advance for their retirement. Those who currently have private pensions should take this opportunity to have a pension review with their advisor.

Citizens will know exactly what their government pension will be at retirement, thereby allowing them to plan for their retirement years. As they plan throughout their lifetime for retirement, they’ll be better equipped to judge if they need to put money aside for their retirement years, so they’ll be able to live the lifestyle they want.

Help for the Self-Employed Population

People who are currently self-employed will now benefit under the government’s new plan. Currently, few have funds set aside for their retirement years. With the introduction of the new state plan they will now be able to become part of the new pension system for the first time. The self-employed welcomed this change as it will help them in preparing for retirement and those who do have private pension plans setup can take this opportunity to do a pension review, in order to take into account the new system being introduced.

Caregivers and Mothers

Caregivers and mothers who have not been part of the workforce for any extended period will also benefit. In fact, the new pension plan is expected to affect over 750K people who are considered earners with a low income. Those who do not have 10 years of contributions to the NI will not receive any pension and it’s crucial that they plan for their retirement. Part of that planning will be looking at other options in the marketplace that will help them save for retirement.

Those who currently have accrued pension benefits within the system are assured by the government that they will not be denied any benefits they currently have in the system. Those who will be entering the workforce or who have been recently employed will lose some benefits. This can be offset by knowing what their pension will be upon retirement, thereby allowing them a maximum amount of time to plan for their future. The small reduction in their pension should have no real effect on their retirement years from now. It also gives them time to look at private pension schemes to ensure their future is comfortable.

Retirement in the Future

People who are years away from retirement will have a distinctive advantage. They’ll have years to invest their savings and make plans for the retirement they’d like to have. Financial advisors will be part of their plan in setting long term goals for retirement, doing a pension review regularly, and it’s expected that the generation entering the workforce today will understand the value of planning for the future. It also means that they’ll not lose any pension benefits, as the means testing will be removed.

With the government’s new plan of yearly retirement funds of £7,500, this new generation will see the benefits of a company’s pension plan, look at other investment vehicles and it’s hoped that in the future the country will never again face any type of pension crisis. The bottom line is the entire country will have time to absorb the changes, plan with a financial advisor for the changes and look toward a more secure future.

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Assess Employees

If you have a mobile workforce or a fleet of delivery trucks, GPS tracking can help you more easily assess your employees. When you send your employees out into the world, they are representing you at all times. Normally, you’d have no way of knowing where your employees are going or what they’re doing. With GPS tracking, you can easily see where anyone is at any time. This allows you to compare how quickly employees get their jobs done. You can see who is wasting time and who is working efficiently.

In some cases, you may even be able to use the GPS tracking to see if your employees are driving safely. Some GPS tracking programs make it possible for you to see how fast your drivers are going. If they’re continually speeding and driving recklessly, this can reflect poorly on your company.

Routing Drivers

Another big benefit that comes with GPS tracking is that it allows you to route your employees more efficiently. For example, if you they get stuck in a traffic jam, you can pull up the latest satellite information and see if there is an alternate route that they could take.

GPS tracking capabilities can also make things easier when you need to have a driver come back and make another delivery. You can easily pull up the locations of all of your drivers. You can find the closest one and have them come back and get the product that needs to be delivered.

Besides saving time for your drivers, this can also help you save gas. If you are paying for the gas for multiple delivery drivers or employees, this can really add up. Even a small percentage in gas savings can amount to a large sum of money at the end of a year.

Helping customers

With GPS tracking, you can also provide better and more accurate information to your customers. In many businesses, customers will call to find out exactly where their deliver is. If you don’t know where the driver is, it can be tough to give them an exact answer. However, if you can pull up the driver’s location on a screen, you can find out exactly how far away they are. This allows you to give your customers more realistic expectations.

Regardless of how you choose to get involved with GPS tracking, it has the potential to greatly increase your effectiveness and help you cut costs. While it may seem a bit intimidating or daunting to implement, it’s really not as difficult or complicated as you might think. Start taking advantage of GPS tracking in your business today.

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By proving your earnings   If you were to move into a new rental flat or arrange a mortgage to buy a property, it’s likely you’ll need to provide proof of your earnings. Payroll will be able to issue payslips (if you can’t find your own copies) or refer you to electronic versions to print yourself. In some cases, providing your payslips isn’t enough and payroll may even write a reference to confirm or refer to HR.

By paying your tax When you start, you’ll be asked to provide a P45 a form which details your existing tax code and the amount of tax you’ve paid on any earnings to date. This only applies if you’ve been in paid employment – even just a summer job – in the past. Otherwise, you will be asked to complete a P46 form. Either of these documents will help determine your tax code and thus the rate of tax that you have pay. This code is applied to your payroll information and the payroll team will then make the correct deductions.

By helping you pay off your student loan Many new starters are at the beginning of their professional career, fresh out of college or university. As such, many of them carry the burden of an outstanding student loan which should be paid back once earnings reach a certain level (or at your own discretion). Your payroll team might be able to set up a student loan deduction for you, so that a repayment comes straight out of your salary every month before you’ve had a chance to miss it. This is a great and convenient way to start making your repayments.

By making your pension contributions The payroll team typically handle the staff pension schemes, something that you will probably be invited to join. If you work for a large company, you’ll be included immediately, unless you purposefully opt out. You will receive an employer contribution along with any that you make yourself. If you work for a smaller company, you may need to request your inclusion and might not receive the employer’s contribution yet (rules regarding pension schemes have changed recently and are being rolled out to bigger companies first). Either way, payroll will make the necessary payments on your behalf. Payroll does far more than that and as the years pass, you might find you need them for other reasons, to facilitate parental leave, for example. They are definitely the unsung heroes of the business and people worth being on friendly terms with!

Author Bio: Paul Robinsonis a dedicated writer who has core knowledge regarding the various financial services which are provided by the organizations. Follow him on Google+.

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