Workplaces are constantly evolving with businesses and employees having greater expectations of the environment they work in.

There is also now greater flexibility in how people work, whether that be from home, in the office, or a combination of the two – all of which means it’s important to create a workplace where everyone can thrive!

It probably won’t come as a surprise that many employees find their working environment underwhelming and somewhat dull, something which has seen many companies spring into action to make their workplaces more appealing.

Eliminating the workplace as a chore

The bottom line is that your staff will function more efficiently in an atmosphere they enjoy rather than one which makes the working day a chore. This has the benefit of increasing productivity, keeping staff happy and healthy and giving your business a distinct advantage.

It may not be totally clear exactly what improvements your staff would like to see and it is impossible to cater to every individual taste but some ‘upgrading’ ideas will be self-evident to you and include:

An expert’s view

Simon Howorth, marketing & design manager at DAMS Furniture, a UK manufacturer of office furniture and a Chrisbeon supplier, summed it up perfectly when he said:

“People are increasingly looking for meaning and connection in their job, and the modern workplace needs to play a role in assisting individuals in finding meaning and developing relationships.

“No two employees are alike, yet our workplaces have historically failed to accommodate these variances. It is crucial that each worker is treated as an individual and their needs are assessed, with a work environment that offers a feeling of community and flexibility, in addition to being a source of income.

“This generates a buzz around your company that may attract fresh talent, retain the best workers, persuade potential leavers to stay and boost productivity.”

An important attraction

Businesses need to think about how they can attract staff back into the office and make it an appealing place to work when they are there. Another way of doing this is by making space available within the office for staff to engage in social activities and maybe host events.

We spend a lot of time at work so it needs to be a pleasurable experience alongside a place where employees can meet their full working potential. Doubling up the workplace as a social setting creates an atmosphere of interaction that would not be possible to the same extent for staff working from home.

A workplace where everyone can thrive

It has a positive effect on staff, their production and wellbeing, and the continued success of your business – making the office environment a place where everyone can thrive!

Times are changing and we are finding more and more employers recognising the need to adapt the way they are working with a focus very much on the welfare and wellbeing of their staff.

It’s something we have been aware of for some time and we already work closely with many businesses within Shropshire and much further afield on their office layouts and furniture needs.

A new partnership

As an extension of this, we are delighted to have formed a partnership with Shropshire-based health and wellness coach Laura Butler aimed at helping employers across the Midlands improve working environments and increase morale, loyalty, and productivity in the workforce.

It will hopefully see us creating even more comfortable and inspiring workplaces that meet the needs of employees and create a culture of wellbeing, happiness, and productivity among employees – something that could prove essential in improving staff retention and reducing levels of absenteeism brought about by poor mental health issues.

Part of our specialised service

Our expertise helps firms plan their office space more effectively and make better use of that space in terms of what they put in it – it’s all part of our specialist consultation service which has been built up over many years of experience.

Laura is meeting clients and explaining what works and what doesn’t in terms of wellbeing and mental health and can explain how we at Chrisbeon can help businesses address those concerns in a positive way – it’s an ideal partnership.

We are providing things like sofas and booths, breakout areas, improved layouts, furniture with a softer look and fabrics which all add to the feel companies are looking for, which will hopefully lead to improved levels of staff wellbeing, better productivity and a greater retention rate of employees.

Laura said:

“For me, wellbeing is impacted by your environment and productivity, morale and loyalty to an organisation can greatly improve with some simple yet effective and thoughtful tweaks to the working environment.

“The benefits not only have a positive impact on staff but also on a business so thinking about what can be done to improve the situation and taking appropriate action is a win-win for all concerned.

“We have lived through an extraordinary couple of years when the majority of people were forced to stay at home and remote working became the norm. We are now seeing things opening up again and many people returning to the workplace.

“It’s important for people to feel excited about returning to the office after working from home, to have a safe and productive space that helps them feel motivated and that the company cares about them. Wellbeing is about how we feel and our environment plays a big part in that.

Better mental health

“More than a third of employees in the UK say stress at work has a negative impact on them. Stress, anxiety and poor wellbeing affects productivity and can if left unchecked result in periods of time off work.

“The cost in reduced productivity in these cases and possible loss of an employee moving on to a better working environment can be immense – it is estimated that it costs a company about 33% of the employee’s salary to replace that person, so the importance of protecting this most valuable of company assets is huge.

“I am finding that many of my clients are not just investing in the emotional side of wellbeing but also in the office environment. It is a very quick and tangible boost to a team.

“As part of helping businesses create effective wellbeing strategies, I am delighted to be working with Chrisbeon to improve wellbeing in the workplace, encouraging staff back to the office for better connectivity and interaction with their colleagues and that sense of having a dedicated fit for purpose space that allows clarity and focus for their role.”

We are committed to supporting charities at Chrisbeon so when the opportunity arose to help Erlas Victorian Walled Garden in Wrexham we were only too pleased to be of assistance!

Erlas strives to promote and protect the health of people with disabilities through the provision of meaningful daytime activity, education and work experience in a garden business environment. The charity’s work helps individuals develop mental and physical capabilities – improving their quality of life.

Important role

It’s an amazing charity and does so much good work with people in the Wrexham area to improve their daily lives, so we are delighted to have been able to donate a range of office furniture and supplies to support their ongoing efforts, including:

‘Donation is huge’

Sorrel Taylor, Charity Lead Officer at Erlas Victorian Walled Garden, said: “Erlas Victorian Walled Garden is a working garden for adults with additional needs that is reliant on funding and donations to survive.

“The donation from Chrisbeon is huge and the amount of stationery donated will keep the charity going for months and months. The filing cabinets are lockable so a huge asset as the ones we had really were not fit for purpose

“The charity has had second hand, very worn chairs for a number of years so to have six new office chairs has made a considerable difference to the team. We are so very grateful and pass on the biggest thank you to Chrisbeon from everyone at Erlas Victorian Walled Garden.”

Vital to support charities

Chrisbeon is proud to play a role within the community and is always ready to help a good cause whenever we can. We are living through difficult economic times and we are only too aware of the tightening financial constraints on businesses and other groups and of course charities.

The work of charities is extremely important which is why it is so vital for them to receive the necessary support to help them continue. It is something we are always mindful of at Chrisbeon and will always stand ready to help wherever possible.

For more information about Erlas Victorian Walled Garden, call 01978 265058, email info@erlas.org or visit https://www.erlas.org/

Are things finally getting back to somewhere near pre-pandemic conditions in the workplace? Judging by the general change we have seen in businesses placing a greater emphasis on office working, we would say yes!

Covid is still with us, of course, but it is something we are learning to live with, and the unprecedented circumstances of remote working, which we were all involved in during three lockdowns, are now, it seems, being re-evaluated.

It’s been a bumpy ride

The office furniture world has been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride since the announcement that offices would close and workers would work from home in March 2020, but the end of 2022 has seen many providers return to us with project work.

While many people are still working remotely and will continue to do so in the best interests of staff and business, many others have returned to the office, and firms are taking the opportunity to use this as an occasion to press the reset button and enhance their working environment.

Over recent months we have seen a significant increase in project work involving:

Chrisbeon has always been able to adapt to the times, trends and demands of an ever-changing office furniture world – which is why we have remained so successful over so many years as a recognised leader within our industry.

With you for the journey

It’s not just about selling top-quality products, which is obviously extremely important; it’s also about the complete journey with a client from beginning to end. We provide a full consultative service to benefit our client’s requirements, provide the products and then deliver and fit them.

Our vast experience means we are ideally placed to offer the best advice and work with businesses to ensure they make the most of their office space and equipment if they are looking at a revamp or move to new premises.

We carried out a lot of work during and after Covid on supplying office furniture for staff working from home and still do so, but the trend towards staff returning to the office and greater emphasis being placed on the working environment has significantly grown over the course of this year.

The one thing that never changes, however, is that Chrisbeon is here to meet your office furniture needs – whatever they happen to be!

Helping other Shropshire businesses is something we pride ourselves on at Chrisbeon – and it’s always great to be able to come to the aid of an old friend like Chemical Watch!

Chemical Watch, part of the Enhesa group, is a global leader in the provision of independent intelligence and insight for product safety professionals managing chemicals and recently decided to move premises in Shrewsbury, taking up residence in Ireland’s Mansion in High Street.

Chrisbeon lightens the load

There is so much involved in a move of business premises, which is why so many companies come to us – not only to help with the move itself but also to supply the furniture and assist with getting the optimum use from the space available.

We have dealt with Chemical Watch on and off for many years and were delighted to spring into action when they came to us with news of the planned move, outlining what was required and asking for our input.

A 3D office delight

Our service to Chemical Watch included a 3D plan showing just how the new office furniture would fit into the space and we were also able to help by clearing out their old premises.

As for furniture, we were able to part-exchange their old furniture for new – something more in keeping with the new office space. Part-exchange of furniture is an excellent option, keeping the cost of new furniture down whilst having the benefit of the old furniture being made available to other customers to meet their office requirements.

It also has the advantage of extending the life of the furniture and reducing the amount of items going to landfill.

A great experience

The Chemical Watch assignment went off well and everyone seemed pleased with the end result – despite the tricky situation of parking outside the new offices in High Street.

Here is what Gemma Lomas, of Chemical Watch, had to say:

“We had a great experience with Chrisbeon. Jim Wilson, their sales manager, was helpful from the moment I stepped foot in their showroom.

“He helped me choose some furniture and arranged to part-exchange our old furniture to keep us within budget. After visiting our new premises, Jim was also able to provide 3D plans of how the furniture would fit into the space available to us.

“This was extremely helpful with the office being an old building and having beams and irregularly shaped rooms. Our premises are not easily accessible but the installation couldn’t have gone more smoothly – the removal job was even finished ahead of schedule!”

Recycling and creating an eco-friendly environment are things we are passionate about at Chrisbeon and we are delighted that an increasing number of people are seeing the light and doing their bit to ensure the survival of the planet – but there is still so much more to be done!

There are many simple ways to help achieve this including cutting down on waste, being more proactive when it comes to recycling and being more selective about the products we buy in the first place with a view to sustainability, longevity and disposal.

Vital statistics

To get into the right mindset it’s worth ‘recycling’ some important general facts and figures that you may find interesting:

Stationery – but moving in the right direction!

Our focus as a business is on stationery and office supplies and we pledge always to take whatever steps we can to ensure we and our customers take the eco-friendly option whenever possible.

We have an extensive range of products available at Chrisbeon, including stationery items which don’t compromise on quality while being kinder to the environment. They include:

You can always rely on Chrisbeon to lead by example when it comes to doing our bit to protect the environment – it’s something we and our customers have come to expect and demand from one of the country’s leading office and stationery suppliers.

The well-being of employees became more of a focus in 2022 and companies have stepped up to make supportive changes.

This has led to many offices revamping their layout or furniture, changing the face of offices post-pandemic in line with a number of office trends.

Transformable Offices

Businesses across the UK have now given up expensive fixed sites or large offices and many of them have turned to convertible offices, where not every employee has a personal workspace.

This set-up allows for a higher rotation of staff to come into the office and also more space for meetings or other areas such as wellbeing-focused break-out rooms or lunch areas.

The resimercial trend has seen many offices undergoing a transformation to make the workplace more comfortable and a home from home for employees.

Noise Cancellation

With many employees used to working from home, moving back to the office threw up issues in some workplaces of a noisy atmosphere that affected productivity.

Many companies have created quiet zones for concentrated work and meetings or brought in equipment such as booths and PODs if the layout was fully open-plan. Booths tend to be open but still provide a private space, while PODs have a door to ensure a more soundproof area for private calls or zoom meetings.

We have also worked with clients who allocated other soft-acoustic partitioned areas for small team brainstorming or catch-up sessions.

Social Distancing Safety

In many workspaces social distancing procedures were kept to keep employees and visitors safe and healthy.

Examples include basic changes such as improving the layout of an office for better space up to larger changes such as introducing touch sensors, automatic doors, contactless dispensers and improved ventilation.

Personalisation

With many employees used to their home surroundings, there has been a lean towards making the office more personalised and comfortable by reducing the more formal environment.

Warm lighting, indoor plants, welcoming pictures and ergonomic furniture are among the adaptions many businesses have put in place.

Green Office

A conscious consumer has emerged from the pandemic so businesses are placing a much bigger focus on ensuring that their practices, products and interiors are environmentally-friendly and natural.

Sustainability in the workplace is key and businesses are discovering that they can instigate more environmentally-friendly measures that evoke greener options and meet the needs of long-term solutions, many of which can be achieved within budgetary constraints. Our sustainability blog looks at some options.

We are a proud member of our local community and are always ready to give our help and support whenever we can – so we were only too pleased to be of assistance when a local successful football team came calling.

TF3 FC, based at the Rose & Crown in Stirchley, is getting back into the swing of preparing for a new challenge after a superb treble of lifting the Telford Sunday League Division 1 title, the Sunday Challenge Cup and the Kath Ford Cup last season. It was quite simply an incredible year – an amazing achievement.

An old friend

The team’s manager Scott Shaw is a former employee of ours and he approached us asking if we were able to support the team in some way, and we were delighted to help!

So, when the players arrived for pre-season training we were able to donate footballs and bibs and wish them all the best of luck for the rigours of a new campaign. TF3 FC currently has 20 players with an age range between 18 and 33.

Scott said: “Last season was amazing for us and it took some time for our success to really sink in. Winning three trophies was absolutely brilliant and the team really deserved it after all the hard work they put in.

“It was all the more memorable because of the problems everyone had to endure during Covid. But we are now moving into a new season and it’s about starting all over again and trying to build on what we achieved over the last year.

“We are extremely grateful for the ongoing sponsorship we have and were delighted when Chrisbeon came along and donated footballs and training bibs ahead of pre-season – it really is much appreciated.”

Ongoing commitment

We believe strongly in supporting ground roots sport and are only too aware of how difficult it can be for clubs and organisations to continue in what are extremely challenging times.

It is part of a broader commitment we have to our community which has always played an important part in who we are as a company and is something we will continue to value highly moving forwards.

Many people’s offices are now based at home – but those who are in the office are getting to experience a ‘home from home’ feel as the resimercial trend increases in popularity.

Resimercial describes a mix of residential and commercial – mixing residential design elements into commercial spaces…

Think plants, sofas, artwork, ambient lighting.

Resimercial trend

Resimercial is not a new term and has been on the increase since 2018 – with a huge jump following the events of 2020/2021, and as it continues to gain momentum more and more offices across the UK are recognising the potential benefits.

In a world where employee wellbeing has become the number one priority for many businesses and organisations, resimercial is a common way to improve comfort and reduce stress, as well as increase productivity.

COVID-19 impact

We worked with a business that had 100 desks in rows within the office prior to the COVID19 lockdowns, but they decided to have a facelift.

They let staff work at home if they wanted to permanently but needed a more attractive, more comfortable collaboration/meeting space for when they did want to come into the office to work or have meetings

Sofas and booths

In order to make it a more attractive and comfortable place to work they came to us and part-exchanged 70 desks, instead bringing in sofas and booths.

We fitted optional power sockets and USB ports on the furniture, allowing employees to work from comfortable spaces with access to the power they need – as they may have done at home in 2020.

Furniture colours and fabrics

Here at Chrisbeon we have also seen other industries ‘soften’ their office look, with wooden furniture legs rather than metal legs and changing fabrics to be more comfortable or more colourful.

We can bring in new furniture to adapt a look or layout – or even recover existing chairs for those looking to make a colour change.

We have also seen a huge change in fabrics – in the past businesses, especially large businesses with many employees, would order Royal Blue or Black chairs across the board. In 2022 colour is thought about a lot more.

Productivity and staff retention

We fitted an office in Hadley, Telford, where there were four desks and chairs in an office and all four were different colours to suit the person sitting on, and at, them.

Some early adopters immediately made changes to their offices following the lockdown, but many businesses are just realising that resimercial is an option that can improve productivity and staff retention.

Get in touch

We continue to work with many managers to plan out how they can make changes and what would be best for their site and their industry.

If you believe changing or adapting your office space will benefit your employees, and your business, do get in touch with us to chat through the options.

Not every office space is a modern one – and not every area is square and easily accessible.

We have been delivering furniture to the historic Shrewsbury Flaxmill site for the first time, as it is transformed into new office space for businesses and the local community.

But kitting out historic or unusual buildings as office space can be a difficult job – which is where our 3D CAD planning system comes in.

Computer-Aided Design Planning (CAD)

CAD allows an office to be designed on-screen and gives a detailed 3D insight into how an office environment can look with new furniture – meaning businesses can iron out any potential problems in the planning stage before pressing ahead with a refurbishment or installation.

Historic buildings and awkward spaces are often the ‘quirky’ offices people are looking for – but they must be well planned out in advance.

It may be that the furniture an organisation wants will not fit with the layout or space but with early planning alternative options can be tried to ensure that everyone is happy with the final outcome.

Bespoke Furniture

One of the options we can offer is a bespoke service for made-to-measure furniture. Whether at home or in the workplace we can create bespoke desks that are made to measure around radiators or pillars or anything that means the traditional desk shape is not an option.

This service can also work very well for small spaces where a number of pieces of furniture are needed, but the area is too small for ‘off-the-shelf’ items.

Shrewsbury Flaxmill

Known as the Grandparent of skyscrapers Shrewsbury’s historic Flaxmill has been repurposed and adapted many times.

And we are proud to be working with Historic England as the site evolves into a new workspace and community hub.

The Main Mill opened in 1797 as a purpose-built flax mill and since then the site has grown and changed. It was a maltings from 1897 to 1987, but also served as a temporary army barracks during the Second World War.

The focus of the current restoration is the Main Mill and Kiln and they are set to open this year to welcome people to eat, learn, visit, work and enjoy the listed buildings dating back to more than 200 years ago.

New tenants and new offices

We work with so many Shropshire businesses and working in such a fantastic building with such wonderful local history has been a real experience for the whole team.

As more tenants look to take on the offices we are ready to help those companies and organisations plan their space – designing around the iconic but sometimes awkward layout and the building’s pillars to create fantastic office space.

Hopefully, our visit will be the first of many deliveries we will make into the building over the next few years.

If you are reading this at work or at your computer it is highly likely you are sitting in a chair….

Although standing desks and stools are a popular choice, the computer operator chair remains one of the most bought office items.

We thought we would take a closer look at the humble (or maybe now not so humble) office chair.

What is an operator office chair?

Typically these types of chairs are fully-adjustable swivel chairs with or without arms which comply with the standard Health & Safety requirements for a business – seat height adjustment, back height and back angle adjustment.

There are other optional extras available on certain models, such as pump-up lumbar supports, seat angle adjustment, seat depth adjustment, folding arms and more.

Which is the best chair for working long hours?

A good quality chair is one which comes with three to five years of warranty and has a number of adjustments that can help the user get comfortable.

There are 24-hour rated chairs available and these may include headrests for extra comfort, or memory foam seats – when three shifts of different people regularly sit on the same chair it needs lots of adjustments to suit each user.

Which chairs are best for working from home?

This tends to be down to style and practical issues as homeworkers very often require swivel chairs that fit in with their home office.

This could mean a specific fabric colour or leather to suit their décor, it could be a mesh design rather than fabric to keep them cool if the home office gets the sun or is a warmer room of the home, it may have white components on the chair instead of black so that it can be kept clean more easily or it could be a slightly smaller swivel chair than a typical business swivel chair if space is at a premium.

What is the difference between a gaming chair and an office chair?

Gaming chairs are typically based on a car racing seat design and are normally in faux or real leather rather than fabric – it’s all about the look so very often they will be bright colours or a two-tone design to appeal to a younger market.

Gaming chairs tend to be less adjustable than a typical business office chair but are very often only sat in for a few hours per night rather than all day in a normal office environment.

Questions

If you have questions about the right chair for you – or for your workforce – or would like to see the different types of chairs or even try them out, please do come and visit us in our Stafford Park showroom where we have more than 50 different swivel chairs on display.

And we thought we would finish on a fun fact…

Charles Darwin is the earliest known adopter of a prototype-office chair, grafting wheels onto a normal chair in the 1840s so he could swivel between specimens.

We were really pleased and proud to attend the Shropshire Chamber of Business annual awards ceremony in the county – and see so many of those businesses local to us receiving recognition.

Chrisbeon works with many businesses across the country and beyond but we have made a strong commitment to the companies local to us in Shropshire and the Midlands and have worked with many of them for a number of years.

Shropshire Chamber of Commerce Patron

We are a proud patron of Shropshire Chamber and have been since 2011. This relationship has allowed us to attend many events where businesses from across the county gather together and share knowledge and learn about the great products and services on offer here in the county.

As a supplier of new and used furniture in Shropshire we have also had the pleasure of visiting many offices and organisation headquarters as well as factories, schools and many more – and it is always a pleasure to meet the people on the ground and learn more about what they do.

Shropshire family business

We are also very proud to be a family-run business that first opened its doors in Shropshire nearly 50 years ago!

Our directors are brothers Richard and Craig, their father was one of the founding partners back in 1974 and their mother was part of our sales team for over 30 years.

Richard’s son Tom is the latest in the family line to join the team and the pair were able to come to the rescue of many people who needed deliveries during lockdown – as they were in the same family bubble!

Part of the community

We feel privileged to be part of the community in Shropshire – both the business community and the local community as a whole.

We regularly sponsor the Shropshire Festivals events held across the county each year and the team really enjoys taking part in the Krazy Races Soapbox event, launched in Shrewsbury in 2019.

We regularly support and fundraise for the fantastic charity Climbing Out and have also supported Shrewsbury Town Football Club for a number of years and have an advertising board pitch-side at the Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Telford office furniture showroom

We are looking forward to working with many more Shropshire businesses as we head towards our 50th year in business and if you would like to find out more about what we do please do come and have a chat with us in our showrooms on Stafford Park 4 – we would love to show you around!