"Keep it down over there!"

Does noise negatively impact your day in the office environment? While companies continue to build flexible and, often times, open work spaces, workers around the world have begun to worry more about workplace noise. Among their top concerns are things like increased stress over a lack of quiet spaces. Then there's the increasingly unpopular occurrence of being distracted by their coworkers conversations. All valid concerns that affect the ultimate employee experience. 

How to Foster Wellness in the Workplace

Employees who are physically active have lower healthcare costs, require less sick leave, and are more productive at work, according to a report prepared by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There is no “one size fits all” program, but there are several ways to foster wellness for employees. It starts with a positive company culture, followed by the physical space and environment, and then reinforcing healthy habits and lifestyles.

We talk a lot about the importance of the associate experience. It's important to create a positive one. That's why the associate experience is our #1 priority here at Continental Office. It affects all generations, but, in speaking with Gen Z specifically, they have some concerns. In fact, they have expressed a bit of apprehension that their future work environment won't reflect their own ethics and values. But why? A major source of this uneasiness is some believe there will be differences in ethics and morals across generations. See what our own interns, including myself,  from The Ohio State University have to say. 

Who is Gen Z? Are they really that different than other generations in the workplace? Do we need to plan differently and consider what their expectations will be as they continue to enter the full-time workforce? The answer is undoubtedly yes! It’s an exciting time, because for the first time in modern history, five generations now coexist in the workplace. In fact, by next year, Gen Z will account for 20% of the workforce. We spoke with our Gen Z interns from The Ohio State University to get their take on entering the workforce and how they think about space. 

Nature; we can see it, touch it, smell it and hear it. We are surrounded by it everywhere we go. Yet, we often don’t see it being a necessity within our work environment. Most commonly, a planting strategy is simply not incorporated within the design budget from the early project stages on. However, this paradigm is shifting because the impact of planting is significant. A large contribution to this is the increase of overall well-being of employees and the reduction of absenteeism in the workplace, which, conservatively speaking, often reaches more than 30% ⁽¹⁾ after the introduction of planting according to research.

Do you have a blank canvas of an office that needs furnished? Are you starting to consider when and what furniture to purchase? Is budget a determining factor that will affect your overall design and space planning? If you answer "yes" to any of these, you're certainly not alone. We meet with local businesses just like you every day. What we've learned over the past 80 years is creating a truly great space that will provide an exceptional associate experience is critical.  Selecting the right furniture plays a big role in that overall experience.

In today's economy, the world continues to shrink and the need for talent continues to expand. Companies are seeking every possible advantage to attract and retain talent in order to fuel growth and continue to innovate. The location of a company and the community in which employees live are often taken for granted and not fully leveraged.

The holiday season is here! It's time for eggnog, our favorite holiday movies, and holiday traditions! Goodwill and cheer is all around. Grandma's going to have an unfortunate run in with a reindeer, Ralphie may shoot his eye out, and the Griswald light show is in full swing! It also means your associates are beginning to reflect on the year and consider their overall job satisfaction. So what do today's workers love most about holidays in the office? Randstad USA  did a study that provides us with some tips about how we can continue to create great associate experiences and Forbes Human Resource Council give us some ideas to keep our teams engaged during this time of the year. We'll also share what we, at Continental, do to keep the holiday spirit going for our team.

In our line of work, we hear all of the arguments for and against the open office plan. That's why we don't push for open offices. Instead, we tell our customers to provide choice and flexibility. This means listening to your employees and providing settings and spaces that are right for them. Every office is different, and should be designed based on how we as individuals work. That said, providing choice and flexibility can - and most likely will - result in a mixture of private and open settings.  But, how do you truly make your employees feel happy about their environment? And, what is their biggest complaint?

63 million individuals volunteer annually in the United States, totaling more than 8.7 billion hours of time. We’re proud to give back to the communities we serve, not just with money and resources, but also talent and time. We surveyed several of our associates to find out why giving back is important to them.