Search Results

As the UK faces a recession and escalating cost of living crisis, facilities managers may feel pressure to reduce budgets by cutting services. However, such short-term measures can backfire, undermining employee wellbeing, productivity, and sustainability initiatives. In these challenging times, organisations need reliable partners providing holistic solutions that uplift people by enhancing workspaces. Workplace, founded in 1999, has navigated multiple recessions while helping clients prioritise their most valuable asset — their people. During the late 2000s financial crisis, which lasted for five quarters and was the deepest UK recession since the Second World War, Workplace adapted its services to support clients through the credit crunch and rising unemployment. In the brief but severe COVID-19 recession of 2020, Workplace swiftly adjusted its offerings to address the pandemic's challenges, ensuring the health and safety of client workspaces. Now, as the UK experiences another recession in 2023-2024, with falling GDP per capita and a decline in school attendance, Workplace continues to combine essential services like commercial cleaning with specialised offerings spanning mechanical, electrical, and technical maintenance. This creates safer, healthier, and more efficient facilities tailored to each client's unique needs. During difficult periods, assess current spaces and contracts to identify gaps in service that hinder goals around employee experience, inclusion, sustainability, and more. Workplace offers customisable facility solutions to help organisations fortify their foundations and adapt to evolving needs through options like: Advanced Cleaning & Hygiene Electrostatic disinfecting, antimicrobial surface treatments, and touchpoint sanitation cost-effectively reinforce occupant safety and public health, potentially reducing absenteeism and healthcare costs. Consumables Optimisation By switching to our core range of high-quality, eco-friendly cleaning products, clients can streamline supply chain costs without compromising effectiveness or sustainability, leading to long-term savings. Waste Reduction & Diversion Strategic waste audits and ethical disposal partnerships help clients minimise environmental impact, boost landfill diversion rates, and reduce waste management costs. Green Cleaning Protocols Adopting chemical-free, non-toxic cleaning products and practices not only reduces environmental impact but also minimises exposure to harsh chemicals that may irritate occupants with sensitivities, potentially reducing absenteeism and healthcare costs. Transitioning to eco-friendly products can lead to long-term savings through bulk purchasing and reduced packaging waste. Beyond these specialised offerings, Workplace encourages proactive collaboration to re-evaluate core services and budgets if your organisation faces recession-related constraints. We pledge flexibility in adapting solutions to your present financial situation while upholding health, safety, and sustainability standards. Embrace Proactive Partnership Schedule quarterly reviews to align service levels with evolving building usage and occupant priorities, optimising cost-efficiency. Conduct regular quality assurance walkthroughs to rapidly remedy issues, preventing costlier problems down the line. Seek occupant input via surveys and focus groups to guide continuous improvement plans that maximise return on investment. Establish mutual performance benchmarks and share data to track progress and identify cost-saving opportunities. Host strategy sessions to forecast upcoming needs and co-develop solutions that balance effectiveness and affordability. As economic challenges persist, secure your footing through strategic facilities management — not indiscriminate service cuts. Seize this opportunity to fortify workspaces that support your people and principles. Partner with Workplace, a company with a proven track record of helping clients weather economic storms since 1999, to create customised, sustainable facility service plans that enable your organisation to withstand turbulence and position for future success. Contact us today to explore flexible facilities solutions that optimise costs without compromising quality. Invest in strategies to uplift your properties and people as economic tides turn. Together, we'll weather this storm and build resilience for brighter days ahead.

This Dyscalculia Awareness Day on March 3rd, at Workplace want to draw attention to this common learning disorder that makes it difficult to perform maths concepts and calculations. Research shows that around 6% of people have characteristics of dyscalculia, which often significantly impacts their ability to carry out essential workplace tasks (BDA, 2024). In commercial cleaning and facility management, employees regularly need maths skills for inventory, measurements, budgets, billing, scheduling, and more. As an industry providing critical health, safety and sustainability services, correctly performing numerical tasks is imperative. Dyscalculia makes it hard to intuitively: Quantity without counting Comparing/ordering number values Recalling and applying numerical facts and procedures Adults with dyscalculia may particularly struggle with: Clocks, schedules and calendars Large numbers and money concepts Budgets, bills, accounting Maps, directions, distances These difficulties can significantly impact confidence, work performance, and mental health. At Workplace, we provide accommodations like: Providing extra inventory count time Supplying calculators, conversion aids & templates Having colleagues double-check costing figures Modifying duties to minimise calculations Building leadership and coworker dyscalculia awareness We also supply built-in dosing systems to eliminate calculations, improving all workers’ confidence in properly mixed solutions. The convenient bottled concentrates easily dose shots directly into buckets or trigger sprayers. Then just top up with water for ready-to-use solutions. This streamlined system eliminates the hassle of dispensers, pumps or accessories. The ultra-concentrated formula also reduces plastic waste and transport emissions with less packaging and fluid to ship per use. With greater workplace awareness and support for neurological differences, we can help those with learning disorders fully contribute. Our diverse workforce includes and values those who think differently. Let's keep accommodating all minds and abilities!

At Workplace, our services rely on remote teams operating independently to maintain client facilities after building users have depart for the day. While the pandemic eventually drove hybrid approaches for our headquarters employees, enabling partial office attendance, personnel directly delivering services on-location remain fully distributed by nature of their roles. Whether working solo or grouped in small coordinated teams, effectively supporting those remote workers requires proactive investment - from inclusive policies to open communication channels. Here we share Workplace’s best practices for efficiently empowering and managing distributed staff. Train Managers in Recognising Neurodiversity We believe neurodiverse teams fuel innovation through diverse perspectives. We train managers in spotting potential learning differences like dyslexia or signs of autism, ADHD or anxiety. Destigmatizing and supporting disabilities, diagnosed or not, allows more people to thrive. Adjustments get tailored discreetly, as comfort allows. “I appreciate how understanding everyone is of my sensory needs – it makes my job possible,” noted cleaner Maria S. Check In Regularly on Health and Connections Without daily office interactions, it takes effort to gauge remote staff wellness. We implemented platforms allowing personnel to flag needs via our the Hub in their colleague portal or via our HR team directly. Managers also conduct regular check-ins, plus chat groups enable broader peer discussions. Coordinate Logistics Proactively Distributing schedules, site details, equipment lists and contact info requires organised coordination. Group messaging provides reminders while allowing shift coverage requests. Clarity and structure keep operations running smoothly despite distributed environments. Recognise Efforts to Foster Inclusion When remote workers feel valued as individuals, they extend that care to their tasks. We highlight team members monthly who go above standard service, thanking them publicly online and privately for supporting long or late shifts. Birthdays also get recognised across national teams with e-cards – creating smiles amongst independent groups. While remote facilities teams precede the pandemic, demand has grown for sustainable people-centric service models safeguarding employee welfare and satisfaction – benefitting clients through accountable, consistent care for their spaces and assets. Workplace will continually refine best practices upholding our distributed workforce’s wellbeing so they feel supported delivering services customers rely upon.

Do you know where your data resides? For most companies, the answer is likely uncertain. Workplace recognises that people are the priority – both our personnel and all those we serve. As an organisation providing environments for major brands to grow, we believe facilitating trust and safety is an imperative responsibility. That's why Workplace pursued the Cyber Essentials certification. Our accredited security posture verifies rigorous defenses govern systems and processes handling client data. From access controls to encryption, vulnerability testing to patching, we invest in technology and talent to exceed expectations. Our duty remains consistent even as digital threats multiply – to lead by example making robust protection accessible. Our advanced platforms aim to prevent breaches. Our cyber education strives to uplift baseline understanding for businesses of all sizes. As our COO conveys, we firmly believe progress requires internal resolve strengthened through partnerships. "Every individual deserves to feel safe and empowered. Our steadfast measures safeguarding data and facilities provide assurance while revolutionising spaces focused on human needs first." This Data Privacy Day, choose facilities partners as devoted as you are to securing what matters most. Workplace’s services transform offices, hospitals, schools and sensitive environments prioritising safety. Meet standards by leveraging our managed security protocols. Install enhanced surveillance solutions. Integrate visitor management technology. Train personnel on awareness. Uplift your cyber-physical defenses with leaders walking the walk. Contact Workplace to evaluate current protocols and start mapping modernisations tailored to your culture. Partnering with stewards accredited in security elevates credibility among clients expecting responsible data guardians. Lead by example while letting experts handle the rest.

At Workplace, health and safety leadership is central to our service identity. We demonstrate our unwavering commitment through certification under all five major Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) bodies in the UK and Ireland. What is SSIP? SSIP serves as an overarching endorsement system for rigorous occupational safety and health audit programs recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). By attaining SSIP scheme certifications, suppliers showcase adherence to core criteria on legal compliance, risk management and continuous improvement. Key Elements of SSIP Standards: Alignment with PAS 91, the Publicly Available Specification for health and safety pre-qualification questionnaires from BSI Group. Coverage of sector-specific requirements across industries like construction, facilities management, manufacturing and others. Assessments on management accountability, risk control systems, subcontractor oversight, training/communication, incident investigation and more. Regular surveillance audits in addition to extensive initial certification audits. Reach of SSIP Schemes: Over 65,000 registered supplier members Encompasses leading programs like SafeContractor, Achilles UVDB Verify, Safety Schemes Building Confidence (SSBC) and more. Advantages of SSIP Certification: Validated alignment to baseline legal duties around health and safety practices. Proof of operational control measures for hazard and risk mitigation. Assures buyers of secure partner selection and supply chain oversight. Allows smoother supplier acceptance via mutual recognition between schemes. Workplace's Complete SSIP Certification Portfolio: We carry certifications across all five major SSIP schemes in the UK and Ireland: Acclaim Accreditation – Confirms we meet cleaning industry specifications. Achilles UVDB – Validates capabilities for infrastructure/utilities management. Avetta – Verifies we conform to multiple service domains including security. Prosure 360 – Tailored for both UK and Ireland operations. SafeContractor – Endorses our corporate-wide safety culture. This extensive third-party validation provides multidimensional confirmation we fulfill the highest public sector pre-qualification benchmarks for health and safety. By partnering with an organisation like Workplace with complete SSIP scheme coverage, clients gain a pre-verified supplier dedicated to legal, risk-controlled delivery. The Power of Mutual Recognition A central advantage of the SSIP system is mutual recognition between certification bodies. Once audited by one SSIP member, accelerated onboarding applies across schemes. This saves considerable time and resources for buyers and suppliers in demonstrating safety credentials. As SSIP Chairman Eleanor Eaton has stated: "Since inception of SSIP we are pleased to advise mutual recognition has enabled savings to suppliers in excess of £403m* in addition to the time savings by all parties involved. We are keen to work with any buyer who would like to know more about the benefits of recognising the many thousands of suppliers who are currently assessed by SSIP members." *Figures are accurate as of 16.05.2023, quantifying the extensive cost and time savings for clients and vendors. Discover Workplace’s SSIP-Verified Excellence Through continuous certification across all major SSIP schemes, Workplace offers robust validation of our customised, legally sound safety practices tailored for every client’s needs. Contact us today to learn more!

At Workplace, we have led the ongoing evolution of workplace facilities for over 25 years by investing in our people and sustainable technologies. As we enter 2024, this commitment to transformational change powers forward through new workforce training initiatives and widescale adoption of a revolutionary cleaning systems across our operations. While 2023 presented complex challenges from the cost of living crisis to demands for greener standards, Workplace leveraged industry foresight, innovation and decades of expertise to tackle obstacles head-on. We harnessed emerging technology to increase productivity. Inventory optimisation software also enhanced supply chain agility. At the same time, the pandemic spotlighted the critical nature of healthy environments facilitated by our skilled frontline teams every day. Lifting up our experts through training combats outdated stereotypes about facilities roles being low skilled. Our culture celebrating inclusion, diversity and growth empowers employees’ full potential. Investing In Continuous Skills Enhancement To further tap into our people’s promise, Workplace is excited to launch an expanded company-wide training platform in 2024. With on-demand online modules covering the latest methods and equipment guidance to wellbeing support, it makes staying ahead effortless no matter where staff are located. Participants can learn at their own pace via any device, upskilling existing capabilities around current cleaning procedures or reskilling on newly adopted innovations. Not only does this platform enable our 800+ team members to provide even higher quality, adaptable service to clients, its always-available nature fosters autonomy and growth. Significantly Slashes Environmental Footprints In addition to investing in our workforce, Workplace is implementing Centrego’s electrochemical activation solutions across client sites to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and enable the highest sustainable cleaning standards. This revolutionary on-site tech transforms salt, water and electricity into effective cleaning agents without any transport or plastic waste. Centrego’s ECA options range from compact units for small offices to industrial-scale for factories and cruise ships. No matter the setting type or size, facilities can benefit from greener biocide generation aligned with ecology goals like the pending Clean Air Act. Powering the Evolution of Healthy Spaces Underpinning Workplace’s leadership navigating each new landscape pressure is our longstanding commitment to people-first solutions. We enable organisations to thrive by elevating their greatest asset – their employees. Our strategic investments in training and transformative technologies keep service quality, safety and sustainability top of mind in every action we take, each space we enhance. 2023 proved revolutionary change is not only attainable but critical for the facilities industry’s future trajectory. Let us help you lead it. Discover firsthand how Workplace’s relentless innovation empowers your workspace and workforce now and in 2024’s emerging world.

After 15 remarkable years at Workplace, Rebecca Meeuwissen has demonstrated outstanding commitment and contribution over the past 6 months that demands recognition. She embodies the spirit of excellence we all should aspire towards. Across departments, Rebecca has spearheaded critical initiatives - actualising solutions and enhancements that enable scalable, sustainable growth company-wide. Her dedication spans vital functions: optimising IT systems, enriching training programs, streamlining sales processes, fortifying testing protocols and accreditation, building marketing capacity, and analysing operations to pinpoint efficiencies. The sheer versatility she’s exhibited is stunning - leading wide-ranging projects across departments that would overwhelm most, let alone with such consistency delivering sterling, thorough results. While some may grumble about expanding workloads, Rebecca has not only taken them in stride – she has tackled pressing priorities in multiple areas simultaneously with an inspiring spring in her step. Her perseverance and discipline serves as a model we can all learn from. Through trying times over the past months fraught with typical workplace challenges, Rebecca stands tall as a beacon of commitment to quality and progress. For her immense contributions transforming processes underpinning company success metrics, peerless work ethic lifting the entire organisation, and living the values of excellence we cherish, we are elated to honor Rebecca Meeuwissen as the undisputed Employee Excellence Award! Her dedication over and beyond expectations deserves the highest praise. Congratulations and keep up the outstanding effort, Rebecca! We are lucky to have you pushing us higher.

This year's Safeguarding Adults Week focuses on "Safeguarding Yourself and Others." At Workplace, we recognise the vital link between safeguarding practices and holistic wellbeing across mental, physical & social dimensions. As cleaning specialists for healthcare and community sites, our staff interact regularly with potentially at-risk populations. We have a unique responsibility and prime opportunity to model gold standard safeguarding practices. This starts with fostering an organisational culture rooted in empathy, vigilance and care. Bringing Our IDEAS to Life Our IDEAS framework of Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, Accessibility and Sustainability defines our identity. Upholding human dignity through compassionate safeguarding of vulnerable groups aligns fully with those values. During Safeguarding Week and year-round, we are providing enhanced training materials, hosting staff discussions, and renewing public commitments to protecting vulnerable adults 365 days a year. We believe meaningful safeguarding stems from environment, not just policy. Fostering a Culture of Safeguarding That's why we are analysing feedback mechanisms to continue improving communication channels between frontline staff and leadership. We want to empower employees to speak up whenever they witness any concerning behaviours without fear of retribution. Strengthening ties with local community groups multiplies our capacity to spot concerning situations early and intervene with compassion before circumstances escalate or at-risk individuals slipped through the cracks. The Path Ahead As the Safeguarding Adults Week initiative stresses, safeguarding requires year-round engagement between all parties. We pledge to keep this dialogue alive internally, with partners, regulatory agencies and community groups. Only through transparency, accountability and collective duty can we build a compassionate culture focused on sustained wellbeing for vulnerable groups and caring advocates alike. There is still work to be done, but we embrace the path ahead.

The temptation to eat at our desks is becoming more commonplace as the lines between workplace and social space blur in today's coworking environments. But besides the annoyance of crumbs in your keyboard, there are several compelling reasons why you should take full advantage of your lunch break each day. Boost Your Physical Health Mindlessly snacking at your computer often leads to overeating and remaining sedentary for too long can cause muscle tension, joint pain, and circulation issues. If you must stay at your desk, be sure to take breaks to stretch, move around, and restore blood flow. Getting outside for even just a quick 20-minute walk, heading to a break room, or visiting a nearby café will do your body good. Take the stairs instead of the lift and consider doing simple office yoga or exercises. Caring for your physical health with movement and fresh air will pay off tremendously in the long run. Improve Your Mental Health and Wellbeing Stepping away from your work during lunch gives your mind a chance to recharge. Rather than responding to emails or taking calls, change your environment and give your brain a much-needed break. Eating with coworkers can also boost mental health, as social interactions decrease stress hormones and improve mood. The benefits are similar to exercise – you’ll likely feel happier, more relaxed, and energised afterward. Prioritise Workplace Hygiene Desks can harbour up to 400 times more bacteria than toilet seats. While professional cleaning services help mitigate risks, employees also need to do their part to maintain proper hygiene. Eating at your computer invites mess and allows food particles and bodily fluids to accumulate on keyboards, which then become breeding grounds for harmful microbes. Studies show over 25,000 bacteria per square inch have been found on office desks. Dangerous pathogens like Staphylococcus, E. coli, and Salmonella can thrive and spread disease. Additionally, desks collect an average of 10 million bacteria per square metre. With the average desk size around 1.5 square metres, that's over 15 million bacteria! Phones, computer mice, coffee makers, and other office items also collect germs. At Workplace, we make office hygiene a daily priority. We recommend employees fully clear their desks at the endof their shift to allow for thorough disinfection by our teams. Our daily services focus on disinfecting high-touch areas like desks, door handles, printers, conference rooms, break areas, and more. Regular professional cleanings eliminate harmful germs that employee cleaning alone often misses. Combining daily professional disinfection with good hygiene practices by staff is key to creating the healthiest workspace environment. Encourage a Culture of Breaks Some companies now ban desk lunches and implement policies requiring employees to eat in dedicated break rooms. With these rules in place, staff feel more productive, collaborative, and social. The Wellbeing Charter recognises organisations that encourage healthy eating options and provide adequate break spaces. Investors in People accreditation promotes best practices around health, safety and wellbeing, which lunch breaks support. And CSR initiatives enable companies to implement their own employee health and welfare programs, including lunch break policies. The Benefits are Clear A proper lunch break improves your physical and mental health, creates a more hygienic workspace, and fosters a culture of self-care. While eating at your desk may provide a sense of productivity, research shows taking time to fully recharge makes you more effective at your job in the long-term. Making lunch breaks a consistent part of each workday has benefits for your mind, body, coworkers, and company as a whole. Start implementing a daily ritual of stepping away from your desk to eat, socialise, and re-energise. You’ll quickly notice the positive impacts throughout all aspects of work and life!

Yesterday our team had the privilege of participating in a neurodiversity awareness training facilitated by the nonprofit ADHD Aware. The workshop covered everything from what neurodiversity is to tangible steps we can take as a company to better support neurodivergent employees. One part that stuck with our team was when the trainer explained that creating a neurodiversity-friendly workplace isn't about completely transforming everything we do. It's more about making small reasonable adjustments to how we communicate, manage teams, and structure the work environment. Minor tweaks that remove barriers and allow people to thrive as their authentic selves. The "aha" moment was realising that concepts like offering noise-cancelling headphones or giving clear written instructions aren't just nice extras. For some neurodivergent people, those simple accommodations could mean the difference between succeeding or burning out. Our biggest takeaway was just how important empathy is in this process. We learned that if someone is sharing a challenge they face, avoid trying to "solve" it. Listen, validate their experience, then collaborate to find accommodations. Make it about supporting people, not fixing them. We left feeling energised and proud to be a company investing time and resources into neurodiversity awareness. This training marks just the beginning of our journey toward becoming a workplace where every employee feels welcomed, valued and able to perform at their best. Our team now better understands how we can support each other in an inclusive way. And we're eager to put what we learned into practice through open communication and leading with compassion. If your organization is interested in neurodiversity training, we highly recommend connecting with ADHD Aware. The workshop gave us valuable insights and practical tools for nurturing empathy. It's an investment that will pay dividends in employee wellbeing and retention. This experience reinforced that diversity training is not a one-and-done checklist item. It's an ongoing process of growth for both individuals and organisations. Our team is walking away motivated to keep learning, listening and taking steps to become more supportive of neurodiversity in our workplace.

The holiday season is a magical time of year to spread festive cheer throughout your office. This year, let WORKPLACE help you decorate your workspace with a beautifully adorned Christmas tree! Why Choose Our Christmas Tree Services? Decorating a large commercial tree on your own can be challenging and time consuming. Our team of experts will handle everything for you, from start to finish: Delivery and set up of your real or artificial tree Fluffing and shaping of branches Stringing with hundreds of twinkling lights Decorating with elegant glass balls and luxury ornaments Tree removal and recycling after the holidays Optional take down service in January With our Christmas tree packages, you can simply sit back and enjoy a perfectly decorated tree that brings joy to your employees and clients! Stunning Style Options for Any Brand We offer a gorgeous selection of Christmas tree types and decor options: Real Nordmann Fir trees (6ft - 15ft) Artificial trees with fire retardant needles (6ft - 12ft) Classic elegant styles with glass balls Fun themed decor like woodland or nutcracker Custom decor to match your brand identity Choice of colour palettes from traditional reds and greens to unique color schemes Our decor experts will consult with you to create a tree that aligns beautifully with your company's aesthetic. Hassle-Free Festive Experience Our all-inclusive Christmas tree service makes it easy for you to spread holiday cheer, without any hassle or mess. We'll handle the hard work so you can focus on other aspects of your holiday office celebrations! Bring Some Sparkle to Your Office This Season Add a touch of festive magic and merriment to your workplace this Christmas with our decorated tree packages. Contact our team today to schedule delivery! We can't wait to help make your office shine bright this holiday season.

This week marks World Quality Week, an annual event that highlights the importance of quality in business. This year's theme is "Quality: realising your competitive potential." As a commercial cleaning company that has held the ISO 9001 certification for years, quality is fundamental to who we are at Workplace. What does quality mean to us? It's about consistently delivering excellent service and results to our clients. It's having robust systems and processes that ensure we meet expectations every time. But it's more than that - quality is a mindset that pervades our entire organisation. We strive for quality in several key ways: Systems and Processes: Our ISO 9001 certified quality management system provides the foundation for delivering consistent, high-quality services. We have standard operating procedures, inspection checklists, training programs, and more to ensure consistency. Client Feedback: We regularly survey clients and use the feedback to refine our services. Hearing the voice of the customer helps us identify areas for improvement. Continuous Improvement: Through regular audits, data analysis, and root cause analysis, we continuously look for ways to improve. Our teams are empowered to find better ways to do things. Team Member Engagement: Every team member receives extensive training on our standards and processes. We invest in our people so they can do their best work. Supplier Management: We carefully select and manage suppliers to ensure the materials and equipment we use meet specifications. This prevents quality issues. Inspection: Ongoing inspections during cleaning services ensure we meet quality criteria. We catch any defects early. Management Commitment: Our leadership team fosters a culture of quality and provides resources for improvement initiatives. Quality is a top-down priority. In the competitive commercial cleaning industry, quality is our key advantage. It's how we realise our full potential as a business. When clients experience our meticulous attention to quality, they are happy to renew contracts year after year. This World Quality Week, we encourage all businesses to evaluate how a focus on quality could realize your competitive potential. It requires commitment from the entire organisation, but the rewards are long-lasting. Join us in striving for excellence, listening to clients, and investing in a culture of quality. The benefits for your business could be immense.