28 Clever Ways to Organise Your Desk for Maximum Efficiency

A cluttered desk equals a cluttered mind, right? Not necessarily. You can be just as productive with a messy desk as you can be with a clean one – as long as you’re organised! Whilst TikTok, Instagram, and interior influencers like Marie Kondo might tell you that less is more, many office workers simply can’t afford to be minimalists when it comes to their workstations. In this blog post, we’ll discuss 28 clever desk organisation ideas for maximum efficiency. Whether you’re looking to fully optimise your workspace or just want some new ideas, we’ve got you covered! So let’s get started!

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UK Businesses Embracing the 4 Day Work Week

calendar outlining a 4 day work week

The 4 day work week has been a hotly debated concept in recent years, particularly in response to ongoing discussions surrounding employee experience and work-life balance. JLL’s 2022 Workforce Preferences Barometer, which delves deep into the desires of post-pandemic office workers, highlights a prominent gap between the flexibility currently being offered by employers and demand from employees. Currently, 56% of employees express a desire for a 4 day work week option, whereas it’s only provided under 29% of companies’ Employee Value Propositions (EVPs). 

This 27% gap between workforce expectation and market supply clearly illustrates the need for more businesses to consider leaving the five-day working week behind, or at least attempting to do so through a considered trial period. With various studies highlighting the benefits to business productivity, retention, and overall employee life satisfaction that such a shift can provide, it’s no surprise to see a groundswell of support.

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Rising Demand in the UK Flexible Office Space Market

empty chair in front of a desk with a half-opened laptop on itThe events of 2020 caused substantial disruption to the commercial real estate sector. The office space market in particular was heavily impacted by lockdowns and other pandemic-related restrictions, still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic occupancy levels more than two years on.

Prior to the pandemic, non-traditional working models had already gained some prominence. Having now emerged on the other side into a ‘new world of work’, the adoption of flexible workspaces has accelerated interest in both hybrid and remote working models. An ever-increasing number of businesses are now finding themselves entering the flexible workspace market, increasing uptake in tandem with society-wide changes towards remote working, heightened mobility, and the overhauling of workspace design.

Although demand and activity levels for traditional offices are still lagging behind pre-pandemic expectations, opportunities for growth are emerging in other parts of the office space industry. In this article, we discuss the increasing demand for flexible office solutions seen across the UK, and the impact of this trend on wider CRE and labour markets.

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How Long is Maternity Leave in the UK? A Full Guide

If you are pregnant and working in the UK, you may be wondering how long your maternity leave will be. The good news is that UK law entitles most pregnant employees to a minimum of 52 weeks of maternity leave. This leave can be taken all at once, or split into several periods, as long as the total amount does not exceed 52 weeks. In this blog post, we will discuss the length of maternity leave, how to take maternity leave in the UK, the benefits often associated with this time away from work, and what rights you have as an employee.

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10 Common Employee Misconceptions in the Workplace and How to Avoid Them

There are many misconceptions that employees can possess about the workplace and their role in it. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these misconceptions can lead to tension and conflict in the office, potentially harming productivity and damaging relationships with coworkers. It is important to be aware of these workplace myths and learn how to deal with them effectively.

In this blog post, we will discuss 10 of the most common employee misconceptions and how to avoid them.

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5 Things That UK Employees Want in an Office Environment

A seated view of the interior of a modern office lounge area. There's a grey couch in the corner, multiple small and low wooden tables with chairs around them, and two large, artfully designed metal stand lamps are situated in the centre and the corner of the room. Large bay windows let in lots of daylight on the right, and there's a door with a green exit sign above it leading out of the area on the left. Image at PrimeOfficeSpace.co.uk.

The needs and preferences of office workers have changed dramatically in recent years, causing much of the market to shift their offerings to create a positive work environment that stimulates employee engagement. These changes have largely been linked to increased demand for flexibility in the workplace, in addition to more humanistic office design elements and healthy working initiatives.

It’s well known that happy workers are more productive. An extensive study out of the University of Oxford even quantified this boost – with a finding that happy workers are 13% more productive. Employees are undoubtedly the most valuable asset for the vast majority of businesses, making a focus on improving mental health and building a positive working environment extremely vital.

But what exactly do employees want in an office environment? What types of things can employers provide to strike a healthy balance between productivity, positive reinforcement, hard work, and employee happiness? Below, we’ve collated five core things that employees can do to make employees feel happy at work, both inside and outside the office walls.

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Average Office Worker Salary UK: How Does Your Job Stack Up?

A close-up view of a pile of Great Britain Pounds of different denominations, both notes and coins, on a wooden desk. Image at PrimeOfficeSpace.co.uk.

United Kingdom office workers have been forced to accommodate significant changes to their working routines in recent years, with the rise of flexible and remote working models contributing to continued variability in what exactly constitutes a ‘normal’ work schedule. The same can be said for salaries across multiple industries, as employers look to remain competitive in the current jobs market and entice full time employees back to the office. 

So where exactly do things currently stand, in real salary terms, for UK office workers? We extensively researched national statistics surrounding this topic to determine the average salary of 10 common office jobs, as well as the averages seen in 2018, to illustrate how compensation has evolved in offices across the UK in recent years.

Most of the salary data we’ve collected has come from Prospects.ac.uk – the UK’s biggest graduate careers website, with more than two million monthly site visitors. The job types we’ve chosen are from a broad enough cross-section across industries to be indicative of what salary your office job might command, even if it’s not specifically listed, so read on to get the full picture!

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The Top Ten Industries in the UK

A briefcase decorated with the Union Jack flag. Image at PrimeOfficeSpace.co.uk.

The UK is Europe’s second-largest economy, recently overtaking France and setting itself up to become the continent’s largest by 2030. Recent data presented in the Office for National Statistics labour market overview indicates there are 29.5 million employees in the UK as of January 2022. The UK remained the world’s fifth-largest economy throughout the challenges of 2020, behind the obvious powerhouses of the United States, China, Japan and Germany. The UK economy has recently expanded at its fastest pace since World War II, and this expansion has made Britain the fastest growing advanced economy, as of 2021. But who are the major economic players in this country, which industries are leading the way? Take a look at some interesting facts and recent data about the UK’s top 10 industries.

Finance and banking

Latest data indicates that the financial services sector comprises 3% of all jobs in the United Kingdom, with 1.1 million people working in the industry as of Q1 2021. The banking industry covers the retail and commercial banking activities of deposit-taking institutions, and the UK’s banks, specifically, employ 278,504 people. Banking’s current market size (raw monetary value from total sales) sits at £92bn. Additionally, economic revenue from the UK’s banks amount to £76.2bn. Outside of London, the UK’s main financial centres are in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham. Currently, banking alone accounts for 4.2% of the country’s GDP.

Information Technology

Nearly every major industry relies on modern technology to function, making the importance of the technology sector difficult to underestimate. As of late 2021, the total market size for computer consultants alone was £58bn in the UK, currently providing an economic revenue of £46.2bn. The most recent data indicates that the IT sector accounted for 4% of all the UK’s jobs. There were 940k Britons employed in IT, software and computer services in 2021, with 418,657 specifically employed in computer consultancy. As the knowledge-based economy becomes a reality, it is expected that nearly half of the UK’s GDP will come from this sector within the next decade.

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The Step-by-Step Ultimate Office Move Checklist for 2022

Cheerful diverse couple writing in notebook near boxes before relocation

There’s no doubt about it, the way that we work has forever been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The previously traditional workspaces that we had all taken for granted must now be adapted to accommodate this new paradigm, as seen through the introduction of social distancing requirements and brand new working schedules. Just as we dared to dream that the end was in sight and normality could return, the Omicron variant and others like it have once again thrust the world into disarray, forcing us to question whether or not things will ever be the same again.

The repeated uncertainty associated with the pandemic has created dramatic moments in the commercial property sector, as businesses struggle to ascertain best practices that can allow employees to remain safe and happy whilst also maintaining productivity. Some businesses have opted for a hybrid working model, offering employees greater flexibility over when, how and where they work. Many employees, when provided the option, have opted for remote working schedules, something which has allowed certain businesses to downsize or sublease their office spaces in a bid to reduce overhead costs. Some organisations that can’t offer remote working, whether that be due to the nature of their businesses or their unique industry, are now looking for larger spaces to adhere to guidelines and safeguard employees.

Whatever the reason for your move to a new office location, if you’re preparing to relocate to a serviced office or coworking facility, an organised and planned approach will minimise disruptions. Here are a few things to consider when moving to a new office space…

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Newcastle Offices at Cobalt Park

Offices at Cobalt Park

Cobalt ParkCobalt Park is a large-scale office park and the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom. Preparation for this project began in 1996 and construction work started 2 years later. The project was completed in 2002 thanks to the joint effort of local developer Highbridge Properties, engineering firm Cundall, and Ryder Architecture.

This office development is located in a strategic location within easy reach of major roads like the A1 and A19, and was created with a focus on flexibility, so that space available would be able to accommodate future expansion. Cobalt Park was built in a designated Enterprise Zone, created to promote economic growth while offering financial incentives to developers and occupiers.

The development exceeded all expectations in terms of what it could represent to the local economy and business community. At the time it was built, estimates suggested it could help create 5,000 jobs, a significant number in the North East. However, by 2016 the park provided more than 14,000 jobs and that figure is expected to reach or even exceed 20,000 in years to come.

Overall, this has been an extremely successful project that has contributed to the revitalisation of an area traditionally affected by high unemployment levels. Cobalt Park was given an Excellent BREEAM rating in recognition of the project’s sustainability performance, and has received several awards, such as Best Large Commercial Building and Best Commercial Workplace, as well as being a finalist for multiple North Tyneside Business Awards.

Cobalt Park Office Space

Cobalt Park is a 250 acre site with nearly 30 buildings and 2 million square feet developed for commercial and office use. Office space at Cobalt Park is suitable for businesses of all sizes, since office plates range from 5,000 to 250,000 square feet.

Offices at Cobalt Park are in high demand and have high occupancy levels of nearly 90 per cent. All units are built in open plan style and fully DDA compliant. Virtual offices are also offered by some of the occupiers at Cobalt Park. Those looking for flexibility in their leases also catered to at Cobalt Park, since short term office accommodation is available under flexible terms. Serviced offices and meeting rooms equipped with top of the range IT and telecommunications infrastructure are also on offer.

Amenities

Amenities at Cobalt Park include a day nursery, a clinic, a four-star hotel and leisure club with business meeting facilities, and a biodiversity park covering 39 acres. Parking space is provided free of charge, with a parking ratio of 1 space for every 23 square metres.

Apart from the on-site amenities, the park is conveniently located near supermarkets, medical facilities, restaurants, cinemas, golf courses, and recreational landmarks. Cobalt Park was designed to be not just a place to work, but also a community, so there is a full calendar of events and activities ranging from nature walks to massage, netball tournaments, evening courses.

Key Occupiers

Thanks to its privileged location and high quality space, Cobalt Park has attracted a large number of corporate occupiers, which make the bulk of the park’s tenant base. Some of the largest and most well known occupiers include Accenture, Santander, Newcastle Building Society, Leeds Building Society, Procter & Gamble, IBM, Siemens, Barnardo’s, North Tyneside Council, and Jaguar.

Offers and Discounts

Cobalt Park staff enjoy benefits afforded by MoreCard, which gives access to deals on leisure and entertainment, and discounts on services ranging from car servicing to gym membership and including public transport, food and drink, holidays and travel.

Cobalt Park Location

The park’s full address is:
Cobalt Park
4 Silver Fox Way
Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 0QJ

The management office phone number is 0191 257 6457
Email: enquiries@cobaltpark.co.uk
Cobalt Park’s management office is open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Getting to Cobalt Park

Distance to Newcastle city centre is only 8 miles. Newcastle airport is only slightly further away at 15 miles, approximately a 15-minute drive from the park. The nearest light rail station is Northumberland Park, located approximately 1 mile away, and there is a shuttle bus connects the park with the station. Moreover, there are 10 bus lines that directly connect the park with the city centre and with nearby urban centres like Gateshead, South Shields, and Tynemouth. In total, the park is served by approximately 30 buses per hour. Access by bicycle is also possible, since the park is located along a designated bike route, the North Tyneside Waggonway Cycle Network.

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