Employers ought to treat their staff with compassion when they have experienced the loss of somebody close to them. Before staff sign on the dotted line to start working for your business, you should include your stance on compassionate leave in their employment contract and whether it’s paid or unpaid. The law states you are allowed time off in an emergency to help deal with people in your life who depend on you, such as a child, parent, spouse, partner, or grandchild. Employers in 2022 need to ensure they do their utmost to check in on the welfare and happiness of staff members and pick up on any concerns. Remember, a happy team also tends to be a more productive one. Find out more here in our guide to how modern employers can assist staff returning to work following compassionate leave. How modern employers can support staff ?

How Modern Employers Can Support Staff Returning To Work Following Compassionate Leave

Make Provisions To Support Your Employees’ Mental Wellbeing

In 2022, we appreciate the importance of mental health and the employer’s role in monitoring the wellbeing of workplace employees a fair bit more than we used to. Returning to work after the bereavement of somebody can be an extremely challenging experience for your employees. They may still be going through feelings of trauma and grief on the inside, without giving any clear signs indicating that the bereavement is affecting them. You can provide in-house counselling and therapy services to provide emotional support to your staff from professionally trained individuals, or you can make sure managers go on recognised mental health and wellbeing courses.

Alternatively, you can bring in trained individuals from outside your organisation. If you are particularly worried that a staff member in your business may not be coping or is experiencing a breakdown or serious mental health issues, it’s a good idea to call 999 or 111 and seek further medical assistance to get them the help they really need. It’s an employer’s duty to take proper care of all their staff.

Provide Career-Centred Mentoring Sessions

After taking a little time off work, your employee may need to refresh themselves on a few things, especially if your business is in a fast-paced industry where a lot can happen in a short space of time. Try and help them get back up to speed at work while being conscious of not piling on too much pressure, which could cause unnecessary stress and angst, as they will most likely still be going through a lot. Providing staff with mentoring sessions from an experienced professional in the same or a similar field could help to give them some essential career tips and advice to support their future development at work. If you’re interested in getting employees who have just returned from compassionate leave motivational mentoring sessions, check out PushFar, a modern mentoring platform. It’s always nice for your employees to hear career advice and pointers from people who’ve been there, done it, and got the t-shirt. Keeping the mind of your employee who’s gone through a recent bereavement focussed and properly concentrated at work could help improve their mental wellbeing and happiness, and mentoring could help with this.

Make Sure There Are Good Listeners On Hand

The ability to listen well is a real skill. Employees experiencing grief and bereavement need to know there are approachable staff members that they can go and talk to without any hassle. Therefore, you ought to make an effort to train the managers in your company on how they can listen brilliantly to staff in the team they are responsible for managing. Emotionally supporting employees right across your business is all about having approachable managers. If staff see managers as being unfriendly, mean, or cold, they are much less likely to go and discuss their problems openly with them.

It’s no use keeping all your feelings bottled up when navigating your way through the bereavement process. Talking about things with someone else can really help make you feel a little lighter. It’s widely believed in medical circles that talking therapies can bring a range of benefits to our mental health. However, remember not to be too pushy about forcing employees to speak about anything they may not want to.

Try Not To Rush Things

When dealing with people who have recently gone through a bereavement, slowly does it tends to be the best approach to things. Try to avoid rushing them into things and appreciate that they may find everything a little tricky at first. However, you are still allowed to keep a watchful eye on their performance levels and have a private conversation with them if you notice a pattern emerging of their output declining significantly at work. Grief isn’t really a clear-cut process, things can be vague, and there’s no finite endpoint to it, so there’s no need to rush things after staff return to work from compassionate leave.

Whether staff are working in an office or remotely from home, employers must do all they can to support their emotional wellbeing and check up on them following a bereavement. Modern employers have to recognise that their company would cease to make money and exist without the dedicated staff, so their wellbeing is important.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post How Modern Employers Can Support Staff Returning To Work Following Compassionate Leave appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Article marketing is one of the most valuable tactics used in content marketing strategies. First of all, it allows you to improve your SEO significantly and gain more organic traffic to your website. In addition, providing online users with informative yet engaging content will help you build credibility and online visibility.

Furthermore, a multi-channel approach to article marketing enables you to drive traffic not only from search engines but also via social media, other blogs, email marketing, or paid campaigns. As a result, article marketing can be a versatile tool for ensuring your company’s growth and should be a significant factor in your communications strategy.

In this article, you will find the essential information about how this area of content marketing works, along with four proven article marketing tactics to generate more traffic to your website. Continue reading to ensure you’ll get the most out of your marketing strategy.

What Is Article Marketing?

Article marketing is a form of content marketing. It is one of the most effective strategies for attracting more visitors to your website through search engines. Article marketing is based on creating, promoting, and distributing content that is valuable to an online audience. The primary purpose of article marketing is to provide informative, engaging, and valuable content to attract users’ attention.

Different Types of Article Marketing Campaigns

There are several types of article marketing campaigns that are worth mentioning. You can use them separately or in combination, depending on your goals. Here are the most common types:

• Guest posting – this type of campaign allows you to submit articles to other blogs and websites. This, in turn, will increase your visibility and bring you new readers.
• Repurposing – with this tactic, you write one article and then publish it multiple times on various platforms (social media, email newsletters, etc.). It is advantageous when you want to target different audiences with the same content.
• Infographics – you can easily create an infographic with the help of a software program or online tool. It is a popular type of content that you can share on your social media accounts, email newsletters, and websites.
• Forums and blog comments – when you post in forums or leave comments on other blogs, you can include links to your website or products. Doing this will increase your organic traffic and boost your online visibility.
• Curation – this tactic involves sharing high-quality, relevant content that is published by others across various platforms. You can use this approach to gain more exposure, increase your credibility, and boost your SEO.

How Does Article Marketing Work?

There are several reasons why article marketing is so effective. Firstly, it is easy to set up. Secondly, it is relatively inexpensive. With this approach, you can quickly deliver great content to potential customers, which, in turn, may lead to new customers and increased sales.

To start with article marketing, you need to choose a topic. Then, create a unique piece of content around it. Next, you have to promote the article via email newsletters, social media channels, other blogs, and other platforms.

Finally, you need to establish links to the original article and the content source (your website or blog). The links should be placed at the end of the article and clearly stated in the author’s byline.

How To Use Article Marketing To Generate More Traffic to Your Website?

By using article marketing tactics, you can improve your SEO and drive more traffic to your website. Also, you can build credibility and online visibility while building a loyal customer base.

Use Keywords in Your Content

When it comes to writing articles for your website, it is essential to include keywords in each piece of content. It may not seem like an essential step at first. However, if you want to attract more traffic through search engines, you must use keywords properly.

Find Relevant Keywords for Your Content

It is vital to find the right keywords for your content to attract more visitors through search engines. Doing so will help you improve your results on search engines (such as Google).

There are several things that you can do to find the most relevant keywords for your website. For example, you can use tools such as Google Keyword Planner to determine which keywords are used most often in searches related to your business. Also, you can carry out keyword research using Google Analytics since this tool will provide you with data on keyword searches that have already led users to your site.

Use SEO Keywords in a Proper Way

Using keywords properly may be challenging if you are not used to it. Still, it is essential to write engaging content with keywords without overdoing it. If you want your content to rank higher on search engines, then you must follow these best practices:

• write about what people are searching for,
• use simple language,
• make sure that your content is easy to read,
• don’t repeat words too many times,
• use phrases instead of single words;
• make sure that the structure of your content is easy to navigate through,
• use descriptive headings,
• keep sentences short,
• highlight important points,
• use lists wherever applicable,
• add images and videos.

These elements make content more engaging and help you increase your online visibility. They also make your content more shareable.

Optimize Your Keywords on Each Page of Your Website

When it comes to optimizing your content, it is crucial to ensure that you do not overuse keywords in your content. Nevertheless, if you want your target audience to find your website and read your articles, you need to optimize your keywords on each page and in every piece of content on your website.

Create High-Quality Content

If you want to attract more visitors to your website through SEO and article marketing campaigns, you must provide truly engaging content that will help them solve their problems. In other words, creating high-quality content is essential if you want to achieve better rankings on search engines and generate more traffic from them.

Here are some tips that you can use when writing content for your website:

• write unique content;
• include keywords in your content but avoid keyword stuffing;
• create a strong title;
• use personalized meta descriptions;
• include links in your content;
• use proper headlines;
• keep it short.

Promote Your Content on Other Websites and Blogs

Promoting your content on other blogs or websites allows you to gain more exposure and reach a wider audience. Also, if you pitch your content to influencers who have large social media followings, you will generate a lot of traffic and boost your SEO.

The main goal of promoting your articles on other websites or blogs is to get more traffic to your website and build trust among potential customers. There are several ways to promote your content:

• write guest posts and submit them to popular blogs,
• share your content on social media,
• comment on other blogs,
• use other websites as backlinks,
• use forums as another way to promote your content,
• interact with influencers who have large social media followings.

Create Great Infographics

Creating infographics is one of the most effective tactics to use in your article marketing campaigns. They are used by all kinds of businesses online because they make it easy to share content across multiple platforms. Also, they can be used as social media images or presented to potential customers via email newsletters.

Nonetheless, creating infographics alone is not enough to attract more visitors to your website. You must also promote them properly to ensure that they will be shared on popular platforms and used as social media images. Here are some tips to help you create effective infographics:

• research the topic,
• create a comprehensive outline,
• add a catchy title,
• write good headlines under each image,
• add a call-to-action.

Final Word

In conclusion, article marketing is a great way to attract more traffic to your website and boost your SEO. However, you should know that in order to use this tactic to gain results, it needs to be well-thought-out. In fact, you must follow best practices when writing content, promoting it on other sites, and using keywords.

To do all of these things, you need to have a plan from the very beginning. Therefore, you should identify your audience before writing content. After that, you can create a strategy that will help you achieve your business goals and grow your audience.

As you can see, there are many things that you should take into account when writing articles for your website. However, if you follow the tips mentioned in this article, you will write engaging, informative content that will attract visitors to your website through search engines.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 4 Proven Article Marketing Tactics to Generate More Traffic appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Why Fundraising and Donations Are More Important Than Ever for Non-profit Organizations

The Coronavirus had a serious detrimental impact on the operations of non-profit organizations across the USA and the entire globe. Many charities have recently experienced an increase in demand for their services from more people finding themselves in difficult precarious situations. However, at the same time, during the pandemic there was a significant decrease in the funding charities could access. The impact of Coronavirus caused 75% of non-profit organizations to have to make cuts to their budget.

We have come up with some reasons why non-profits today are in need of donations from the public to support them more than ever before.

Funding Was Seriously Affected During the Pandemic

Coronavirus and the lockdowns were a difficult period for us all. The economy across the globe came to a sudden and unanticipated halt, and many people were put on furlough, forced to work remotely from home, or made redundant. Coronavirus had a big impact on the finances of individuals and families right across the country. Poverty levels in the USA soared as a result of the pandemic, and unfortunately 57.3% of households earning less than $35,000 a year experienced income or employment loss.

Logically, when people have less money in their pocket, their capacity to be able to give their spare money to non-profits is severely affected, as they have to make sure they can pay to cover their own bills, rent, mortgage, car, healthcare costs, and so on.

Most Fundraising Events Can Now Take Place

Since April 2021, most states have lifted stay-at-home orders and interstate travel restrictions. In virtually every state, you are now able to go to shopping malls, eat and drink in restaurants and bars, socialize in public spaces, go into the office, and so on. And guess what? The lifting of the lockdown restrictions means you are now able to go out and do fundraising activities for non-profits. So, get out there and raise money for a worthy cause.

You can get creative with your fundraising effort ideas too. Whether you decide to run a long distance and sweat loads in a fun fancy-dress costume, host a laughter filled trivia night, or put on a themed gala night where guests can be inventive and show off their best attire, it’s great to help non-profits out by hosting events to fundraise lots of money for them again. Looking to use a fundraising platform with no hidden fees that will make it easy for your supporters to donate money for your charity events? Then you may want to take a look at Givebutter and its people-centric online fundraising platform.

They Depend on Donations and Fundraising Efforts from Volunteers to Carry Out Their Work

Non-profit organizations rely a great deal on fundraising activities by volunteers, federal grants, monthly donations, and funding contributions from philanthropists to function properly as an organization, and to help out their beneficiaries and those who really need their support the most.

Without people’s generosity and their sense of humanity through kind heartfelt donations, a lot of non-profit organizations would simply not be able to provide valuable support for their cause or even be capable of surviving in 2021. Charities need money and donations to pay their salaried employees, cover expenses and running costs, and most importantly to support their cause and make a real difference.

How Non-profits Differ from For-profit Businesses

There are various ways that non-profit organizations differ significantly in how they operate from for-profit money-making private sector businesses.

One key way that non-profit organizations are different is that the beneficiaries of their services are not customers. For example, in a Children’s Cancer charity, children living with cancer and receiving a non-profit’s help and support are not their ‘customers’.  Whereas for-profit businesses create value for a customer, and gaining new customers provides them with an important source of revenue. Non-profits therefore have to be creative and work hard to come up with ways that they can generate money and continue with their vital charitable work.

There’s also the ethical element as the purpose of charities is that they are there to provide support for charitable causes. Non-profit organizations may be set up for a variety of reasons such as preserving a landscape, protecting wildlife, or supporting vulnerable people and those living with serious medical conditions and providing help to the loved ones supporting them. The goals and missions of non-profit charitable organizations and for-profit businesses are quite different.

So, show your humane side and go and support a worthy cause because non-profit organizations need your generous donations now more than ever in order to enable them to recover and bounce back from the impact the pandemic has had on their finances. The world is much better off thanks to all the support provided by non-profit organizations and their tireless efforts.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 3 Reasons Why Fundraising and Donations are More Important Than Ever for Nonprofit Organizations appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Self-employment means giving up a guaranteed salary, benefits, and job security. However, there are very real benefits to self-employment as mentioned above, and if you have your own big business idea, self-employment is the only way you can capitalize on it.

The best thing about self-employment is how flexible it is — you don’t have to run a small business or have a new and innovative idea to become self-employed. As long as you have a service or product to offer in exchange for money, anyone can be self-employed successfully. Here are five tips for doing self-employment the right way.

Decide What Services You Want To Offer

Obviously, the most important part of self-employment is having a reason to employ yourself in the first place. Fortunately, as long as you can provide a service or product of value for a significant consumer base, you don’t need to have a traditional business idea or a specific background to become self-employed.

For example, while a person who went to NP school might not fit the traditional model of an entrepreneur, many qualified nurses establish successful private practices and businesses. If you’re going to be selling a service, it’s important that you choose something you’re good at and that you enjoy or at least are able to tolerate doing for long periods of time.

Since you’re giving up traditional employment in order to start your venture, the least you can do is enjoy your job a little more than before. After all, fulfillment is often the goal of many employees, and why shouldn’t you pursue a career that is both emotionally and financially rewarding?

Determine What Kind of Self-Employment Is Right for You

Self-employment comes in many forms, each with its own set of demands and challenges. The most archetypical form of self-employment is by being a business owner.

If your self-employment is based around producing a product, establishing a small business might be the best way for you to set yourself up for expandability later on in the future. Small businesses have the advantage of being able to be made into large businesses if you’re successful, allowing you significant opportunities to earn more money in the future.

However, being a business owner requires you to have good managerial skills, and also requires a significant investment upfront in order to purchase office space or manufacturing space for your business, buy resources and hire employees.

Another form of self-employment is being a freelancer. Freelancers are independent workers who offer a service of some sort in exchange for money. Self-employed writers, artists, and musicians are often freelancers, as well as skilled tradespeople such as plumbers or electricians.

Freelance work can be preferable because it offers many of the benefits of self-employment, such as being able to set your own hours without the stress of a boss, without the upfront costs and risks of investment that starting a business entails. However, there’s little room for advancement as a freelancer without expanding into a business, and you’ll have to find work for yourself.

Create a Schedule and Stick to It

One of the biggest challenges for self-employment is actually a consequence of one of the best benefits. Although you’re able to set your own hours without someone hounding you, that also means that you’ll have to be disciplined and able to force yourself to finish work, or else you won’t get paid.

While having deadlines imposed on you can be incredibly stressful, not having concrete deadlines can seriously affect your ability to earn money if you’re prone to procrastination. As a self-employed business owner or freelancer, it’s important to set your own schedule and stick to it. Your future self will thank you.

Manage Your Money Well (or Hire Someone To Do It for You)

Another consideration when you’re self-employed is that it’s up to you to grow your business or client base. It’s important that you invest money where you have to in order to be able to expand your operations.

Many self-employment individuals also struggle with organizing and balancing payments from different clients and managing employees’ salaries. If you’re having trouble with keeping track of your money, consider hiring an accountant or an assistant to help take the load off you.

Put Your Own Health Above Everything Else

Finally, the most important consideration you have, especially as someone who’s self-employed, is your own health. As your own boss, you have to learn to let yourself relax and not overwork yourself. If you find yourself drained and burning out, it’s okay to give yourself a day off now and then. You won’t be able to earn money or do anything if you wreck your health.

While self-employment can be risky, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to make money doing what you love and being free to decide your own future. With these five tips, ideally you’ll be able to start your very own self-owned business or freelancing operation successfully. In turn, you can finally enjoy the rewards of all of your hard work… all without needing to answer to anyone else.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Being Your Own Boss: 5 Tips For Self-Employment appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

New research into injury incidents in the UK reveals that a shocking proportion of the population has suffered a severe injury at work within the last five years. 

The research into 1,000 adults across the UK, conducted by Fletchers Serious Injury, revealed that 27.6% of those who have suffered a serious injury within this timeframe, such as spinal injuries, burns, and damage from slips, trips and falls, sustained the injury via an accident in the workplace. 

The findings also revealed a concerning unwillingness amongst those who had suffered an injury to pursue a claim in order to receive the compensation and support they need to get their life back on track, with almost a fifth (19.1%) saying that they would not pursue a claim if they suffered a serious injury. 

When asked the reasons behind this reluctance, one in eight respondents (12%) admitted to being worried about incurring a backlash from their employer and having their career prospects damaged by claiming for a workplace accident.

When quizzed about their other motivations for not pursuing justice following an accident at work, 41% admitted that they would not know how to pursue legal action. This points to a potential shortfall in employers making their employees aware of their legal rights and ensuring they have the correct legal documentation (such as detailed employee handbooks and health and safety manuals) in place. 

Men were also revealed to be more at risk than women, with a third of men (33.1%) having suffered a serious injury at work, compared with 18% of women. Young men, here defined as those aged up to 35, were even more severely affected, with almost six in 10 having experienced some form of serious injury (59.2%). 

Age was also a contributing factor, with younger workers noticeably more likely to suffer an accident at work than their older counterparts. On average, 36.6% of those aged 18-44 had suffered an accident at work, compared with 13.3% of those aged 45 and above, making younger workers almost three times as susceptible in this area. 

Adrian Denson, chief legal officer at Fletchers Serious Injury, commented: “When a person suffers a serious injury at work, coping with the direct physical and psychological consequences is extremely difficult indeed. And as they focus on each small step along the long road to recovery, it can be easy for the person to put their legal rights to one side. The very thought of bringing a legal claim can be daunting with many people not really knowing where they would start. 

“Even more concerning is the substantial number of people that may be suffering in silence out of fear that seeking the help they need will affect their career further down the line, as well as their employer’s bottom line. This is a false, and damaging misconception – particularly when a serious injury can lead to a person being unable to return to work for a long time and often, when they do return, can still limit their ability to carry out their work without pain or worry.

“Virtually all employers are required to carry liability insurance, meaning that any legal action would be against the insurer rather than the employer directly. And there are important legal rights that protect a person who does pursue their right to claim for an injury at work, meaning that any decent employer should be very unlikely to hold it against their employee.”

Of course, there are various ways to ease pain and relieve inflammation resulting from these injuries, and individuals may opt for that route in case they do not want to pursue their legal rights.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post One In Four Serious Injuries Occur In The Workplace, According To New Research appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Britain’s beaches and parks may be filling up as the lockdown eases – but getting workers back into the office is still a significant challenge for many employers.

Businesses across the country are debating when is the right time to ask staff to return to the workspace, and what should be done in the meantime to make the prospect more palatable.

What many are realising is that following government guidelines can only take you so far. The real conundrum is how to address the anxieties of employees and give them confidence that coming back to work will be safe.

Bringing back employees on a rota system, so that not all are in the workspace at the same time, is proving popular with many businesses, gently easing employees into a new way of working.

Others are taking out desks to create space, removing hot desks and introducing sanitiser stations to give staff a sense of security.

Whether the pandemic will lead to permanent changes in the office environment, and even in workplace design, as health and cleanliness takes a higher priority, is already being debated.

However, the key for now is to make immediate changes which will entice people back to work.

So thus we’ve narrowed down 11 Essential Tips for employees once they return to office:

1 Install new building signage – floor markings, social distancing signs and posters about washing hands can all give employees a sense of reassurance that something has changed.

2 Install hygiene screens – by creating a barrier between workstations, designed to catch germs and prevent them spreading, employees can return to work with greater confidence.

3 Look at space plans to reduce hotdesking and increase fixed positions – despite spending the last ten years persuading employees to embrace hotdesking, many companies are having to backtrack. Employees will not want to sit at a desk that has been used by other people during the day.

4 Reduce the canteen and welfare facilities where crowding could take place ­­– bowls of fruit in communal areas and staff buffets are going to have to go. Anywhere where there could be a high volume of people in one place is going to make employees fearful.

5 Encourage people to use stairs rather than lifts and escalators if they can – these are areas where overcrowding could occur. Encourage staff to leave the lifts for those who really need them – and lower the number of people they can carry at one time.

6 Introduce hand sanitiser stations – these should be installed not only in foyers and entrance halls but across the office.

7 Increase the cleaning regime – cleaning regimes will have to change to suit the new normal. Big organisations may well go back to having cleaners working throughout the day. Smaller businesses will need well organised rotas, with visible tick charts in place to prove that areas have been cleaned. This can also increase confidence for employees.

8 Reduce the amount of furniture on site to cut down footfall ­– by removing desks and creating space, social distancing becomes more feasible. At Tesco’s head office, for instance, they are removing every other desk – and physically changing the footprint of the workspace. Employees know they can stay safe because desks have been taken out of use.

9 Reconfigure the furniture that you do keep – clusters of desks close together will no longer be possible. Re-arrange furniture so that people are not walking close to desks – or consider utilising smaller desks.

10 Ensure those who are working at home are doing so safely and comfortably – especially if they are going to be asked to do so long-term. Arrange for ergonomic desks and chairs to be sent to them; it is the responsibility of the employer to look after their wellbeing in working hours.

11 Consider who is the right person to take charge of ensuring the office is clean and safe – and ensure they are properly trained. This may be the Facility Director or Head of Estate. In an SME it may be the Office Manager. They should work together with HR and Compliance to ensure communication of safety rules is strong – and that rules are adhered to.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 11 Practical Tips For Employees Back In Office appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Offensive Odour Tops the List of “Most Irritating” Co-Worker Habits!

• Britons work more hours than anyone else in Europe; a total 42 hours and 18 minutes a week.
• Offensive body odour tops the list of “most irritating” co-worker habits – with 43% of the vote!
• Communicative difficulties like “interrupting when people speak” annoyed female workers the most.
• Male workers are maddened by mess and strong odours, like colleagues cooking smelly dishes at lunch.

Britons work more hours than anyone else in Europe, according to the EU’s own figures; a total 42 hours and 18 minutes a week. The only other major economy where people spend more than 40 hours a week in the office (on average) is Germany, with 40 hours and 24 minutes.

It is therefore imperative we get on with our colleagues, after all, we spend more time with them than our own family and friends! However, sometimes, this is easier said than done. It’s only natural that our colleagues will (occasionally) rub us up the wrong way!

Inspired to explore the relationship we have with our co-workers, Vapourcore.com conducted two surveys. First, 1,002 working Brits were surveyed and asked to list the “most irritating” habits they have noted in the workplace. Then, once a list was compiled, another survey was conducted to identify which 10 habits were the most unbearable!

Vapourcore found the most featured response was “offensive body odour” with 43% of Brits agreeing poor personal hygiene was highly offensive in the workplace. The next most irritating habit was “ignoring emails” (31%), followed by “not washing up” – at 30%.

Other results in the top five include “messy desks” (26%), with one respondent noting their colleagues overuse of tissue paper, which never ends up in the bin, just piled high on the offender’s desk. “Interrupting when people speak” featured fifth – at 21%.

Further down the top ten is “staying in the toilet too long” (20% – with noted ‘records’ of colleagues staying up to 30 minutes in the loo!), “talking loudly on the phone” (18%) and “smelling of cigarettes” – at 15%. While “cooking smelly foods” in the staffroom (12%) and “wearing the same clothes” too often (10%) closed the list.

Unsurprisingly, there was a difference in response between the sexes. Indeed, both men and women were highly irritated by offensive body odour but communicative difficulties annoyed ladies the most, with ignoring emails and interrupting when people speak frustratingly put forward by female respondents. It was also the fairer sex who picked up on their colleagues wearing the same clothes more often than their male counterparts.

Alternatively, men were far more repulsed by mess – with not washing up and messy desks presented as maddening. Male respondents were also more likely to pick up on overbearing smells, with cigarette smoke and smelly foods making them feel uncomfortable in their workplace environment.

Charles Bloom, managing director of Vapourcore.com, comments:

“When you’re working with people for over eight hours every day, conflict is unavoidable. It’s human nature! We don’t get to choose our colleagues, but we must work as a team – otherwise, it has a negative effect on business.

Communication is key. If certain “irritating” behaviors are reoccurring, and there is something you can do to change it, communicate your point and action plan moving forward. For example, if you are noticing the washing up piling up in the staffroom sink, suggest a rota whereby each employee has their turn clearing up.

Of course, things like offensive body odour are personal and therefore more difficult to address but this doesn’t mean you should suffer in silence. You’re in work often enough to know it has to work for you too.”

This is an article provided by our partners network. It might not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of our editorial team and management.
Contributed content

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Survey Reveals The “Most Irritating” Co-Worker Habits 2018 appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Taking the plunge to work for yourself and go freelance can be quite daunting. You leave the security of a wage each month and having the enjoyment of working with other people and you step out into the unknown of working for yourself and not entirely knowing when the next paycheck is coming in or where it is coming from. But working freelance can also be exhilarating and exciting as you turn what you do into your career and business that can provide you the flexibility of striking that work and life balance just right. So how can you make the most of your freelance career? I thought I would share with you some of the things you could try.

Having a dedicated space at home to work

When you start out with your freelance career you are probably not sure what to do with yourself, and being at home can mean that you are faced with a lot of distractions. It might be household chores you want to get done, or watching daytime TV and not focusing on the work or job at hand. This is when having a dedicated working space at home can make all of the difference. It doesn’t necessarily have to be your own office, but at least having a place at home such as desk in a corner or an area to work in can help you to remember that when you are there you are working.

Considering working outside of the home as well

One of the best things you could do when you decide to go freelance is actually work outside of the home as well. Giving yourself a change of scenery, perhaps communication between people and the social aspect can really help you to stay motivated. This is when a shared workspace could work really well. It is also a great opportunity to network with other people and you might even make some new friendships or work connections that could help you in the future.

Figuring out the best time to work for you

Working for yourself means managing yourself more efficiently, and so you may want to try and work out the best time for you to work. It could be that you are at your most productive and creative first thing in the morning, or it may be that you are a bit of a night owl and find that you work better well into the night. Know your positives and your weaknesses when it comes to your working day and the beauty of working for yourself means that you can take full advantage of any point.

Thinking outside of the box when it comes to gaining work

Finally, think outside of the box when it comes to gaining work. This is so that you can make the most of your freelance career by being in the position to pick and choose the jobs and projects you take on, rather than taking on an anything. Social media is a great place to look for work as well as freelance working sites like People Per Hour where you can advertise your freelance services as well as pitch for jobs.

I hope that these tips help you to make the most out of your freelance career.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Making The Most Out Of Your Freelance Career appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.