contact office magazine #29

Office Life
Reference story
Clean Desk:
let’s clean up now!
Many companies offer a free choice of workspace in the form of desk sharing. The
fact that individual employees no longer need a fixed workspace means that clear
usage policies are required, also known as the clean desk policy.
This so-called clean desk policy is stipulated
in service contracts and applies to all employees
and project groups – including the boardroom.
For the latter, exceptions can be introduced if the
spatial circumstances allow this.
Influence of the clean desk policy on the
working routine.
positive perception of a usage policy. As this is a contractual
agreement, the consequences must be agreed
beforehand. A warning for leaving behind a coffee
cup seems a little excessive, while it can be completely
appropriate for forgetting confidential data sheets. If
there are consequences, there should also be rewards:
small bonuses such as free coffee or vouchers can
strengthen the motivation to keep things tidy.
A clean desk policy is introduced by companies which
work with sensitive data, offer desk sharing or maintain
contact with customers. To protect sensitive data,
both electronic and paper documents must be locked
away. Depending on the company sector, these are
invoices, customer data or development plans.
For desk sharing, the workspace is shared and should
be left in a tidy condition. Motivation to work is
reduced as soon as there are dirty coffee cups which
have to be cleaned up. For regular customer contact,
professionalism and neutrality are top priority. The
workplace should give external persons an unbiased
and tidy impression.
Gaping voids vs. attractive
design.
The extent to which
companies formulate the
clean desk policy depends
on the sector and personal
experiences. Some companies
insist on a tidy working
environment. For this,
however, the ideal spatial
conditions must be created.
A stimulating and attractive
workspace is the basis
so that employees have a
Motto: Clean Desk Policy
PLAN: Before you start your work, plan your day and
only bring those utensils to your desk that you will
really need.
PROTECT: Protect your documents. Store these
in physical or digital folders. Don’t forget: protect
your electronic devices with passwords or biometric
functions.
PICK: At the end of the day, lock up your documents
and company laptop and leave an empty desk behind
you.
Creative order instead of creative chaos.
For many employees, creativity is a topic which is
difficult to combine with a clean desk policy. Employers
should counteract this issue and create spatial
alternatives for creative and open styles of working.
Activity-based working is the order of the day. However,
the employer shouldn’t be too strict. At the end
of the day, working time for many people makes up
the lion’s share of the week. Employees find a way of
expressing their identity. For someone, this is a sticker
from their favourite band on their laptop, for someone
else, this is a family photo as their desktop background.
It is recommended to create a framework for personal
things, because the individuality of every single employee
strengthens the whole
team, and therefore also the
company success.
NOTINO:
Don’t worry – be pretty!
A reference story from Brno.
Naturalness and beauty. These are the two lasting values
Europe‘s largest online shop for cosmetic products wants
to illustrate in its new headquarters. Driven by the idea of
visualising the scent of a perfume, the Kyzlink Architects
architectural firm designed the new offices of Notino in
2017. After all, it was a perfume which started the success
story of Notino in the Czech Republic in 2004.
© jirka hlousek
© jirka hlousek
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