The office can be a hit or miss for some. Singapore, France, Germany, and other top-class countries offer great views in their workspace, better amenities, and greater, meaningful work. Oftentimes, what makes or breaks these workspaces is the behavior of its occupants—you and your co-workers.
Are you eager to maintain great working conditions? Follow these simple rules:
Don’t Leave Extremely Valuable Things Behind
When you know you’re going to last at your company, it’s natural to want to personalize your desk. Depending on company policies, employees are usually allowed to hang photos around their cubicle walls or put various accouterments around their workstation. The perceived security of corporate offices may tempt some to go a little overboard in their decorations.
Even with security cameras and 24/7 staffing, no office is safe from thievery. Avoid putting items that you can’t afford to lose on display. If you must, try to lock precious items down with adhesive or a simple lock and chain.
B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Supplies)
A shared workspace or rented office in Singapore or any progressive country will have all the basics your office needs to run your business, including Wi-Fi, electricity, and water. A business will supply the furniture and necessary equipment you need to carry out your functions. However, it may not necessarily supply every little thing, whether it’s as simple as stationary or coffee stirrers.
It’s a good idea to have your own supplies at your desk. You don’t need to buy the whole stationary shop—just make sure you have a healthy stock of goods that you use on the daily. Ballpens, paper, clips, and a stapler are just some of the supplies you might find worth investing in.
Don’t Bring Food That Stinks
Bringing food to the office instead of going out to eat is one of the best ways to save money. Sharing home-cooked or shop-bought food is also an opportunity to bond with your teammates. But bringing a dish that is genuinely malodorous, despite how good it may taste, will negate whatever good intention may have.
Food with a nasty smell is different from foods with a pungent odor. Chicken tikka masala’s pleasant bouquet is vastly different from durian’s pervading smell. At the same time, food with strong smells, even pleasant ones, are usually prohibited from office settings. Strong smells of any kind can be very unpleasant, especially in a closed environment, and may even cause nausea or migraine to some people.
Avoid Being a Plague Carrier
Getting sick is inevitable, but spreading the disease is not. While it’s tempting to go to the office to make your quota or avoid losing out on a workday, it’s not worth carrying your illness to the office. Some of your officemates may have a weakened immune system or may develop complications if they catch your illness on top of their preexisting condition.
When work is inevitable, put on a face mask that is proven to prevent the disease from spreading. Take your medicine or home remedy on the regular and get vaccinated if you haven’t yet. If the illness is severe enough, don’t force yourself to go to the office. Take a sick leave or ask to work at home for you and your co-workers’ safety.
If you and your co-workers feel like a fellow officemate is not doing their part to uphold these rules, it may be time to consult HR. Before it gets to that stage, you and your more diplomatic co-workers may want to approach this officemate for a heart-to-heart talk. One rule that is implied in the tips above is the maintenance of a healthy, open, and collaborative workspace.