WORKPLAY

The newest office seating further attempts to meet workplace expectations within spontaneous environments that support and adapt to people’s ever-changing work styles.

A new partnership between Inscape and Connection brings forth Harp, a non-anchored space divider with bungee cords so teams can create neighbourhood zones for privacy and collaboration, whether that’s for virtual meetings or quiet focus areas. At 94.5-inches tall, the divider comes in four frame styles and various timber finishes, with multiple accessory options.

Teknion has expanded its Routes collection with new tables, seating, and a TV cart for greater agility. The playful pieces invite users to define their ideal “route” for completing a task and take full control over how and where they work. The collection allows one to build up a complete workspace for a small, tight-knit studio or create casual pop-up work hubs across the expanse of a corporate headquarters.

Curve is the latest in the Flex family of modular sofas from

Resource Furniture. Launched in June, the intention is to defy traditional linear design and bring warmth and comfort to work and living spaces. Backrest cushions can be rearranged to create any seating style. The sofa comes in seven fabrics with 177 total finishes.

Studio TK launched Santé, a lifestyle-oriented series of versatile chairs and stools that work in various settings across the office to hone a more casual work culture. The design is light and agile for movement and comfortable for work, meetings and relaxing. The collection comes in multiple seating options and finishes and is customizable to limit the institutional feel of cafe-style seating.

Allsteel launched Mural at NeoCon this year. The modular furnishing system features a moveable base structure and flexible kit-of-parts to reconstruct office lay-outs in real time. It also comes built with white boards, pin boards, and open shelving, which combines flexibility with functionality.

The Vignelli Rocker was the last chair designed for Heller by the late Lella and Massimo Vignelli in 2014. The indoor-outdoor rocker is now back in production and comes available in red, blue, light grey and black. Made using UV material and weather-resistant nylon, the armchair has a small footprint, high comfort factor, and gently oscillating base. The design is the first from Heller to feature the Digby Design Authenticator. Each chair will have an individual NFT with a unique identifier that will contain proof of the product’s authenticity and commitment to sustainable design. Allseating recently became the first Canadian-based company to achieve a LEVEL®3 certification from BIFMA in the seating category. This includes Innate, a fully upholstered ergonomic task chair that is crafted to cradle sit-bones for focus and relaxation. The height-adjustable integrated lumbar, at four inches, engages the flexible webbing straps located in the chair’s back, which move and contract to mimic the natural curvature of the spine. The style is customizable, with a flexible ergonomic arm and a multi-height headrest that pivots 60 degrees. The chair comes in black or birch finishes.

Outdoor Biobased Xorel by Carnegie is the first and only indoor-outdoor textile to achieve Cradle to Cradle Gold and Living Product Challenge certifications and can earn up to 4 LEED points when specified on a project. The plant-based commercialgrade textile comes in a wide range of design and colour options available in woven, knit, and crochet constructions. It features contract-grade performance with no maintenance and is liquid repellant, using the most environmentally sustainable, carbon-positive materials and processes.

BY MÉLANIE MARIER

RETAINING QUALITY JANITORIAL STAFF

The emergence of collaborative offices and new flex time patterns are significantly reducing traffic and changing the purpose of office buildings and towers. These new usage patterns of public spaces have had a major impact on the activities of janitorial companies.

In most cases, large facility managers entrust the responsibility of this important aspect of asset management to building service contractors (BSCs). These contractors must maintain and guarantee uninterrupted service delivery and obtain a complete on-site coverage for their clients, not only as a matter of customer service quality but, above all, to avoid a drop in or loss of revenue. Most janitorial service contracts are quantitative, i.e., based on hours worked.

In this sense, the manpower that is deployed on a contract has a direct impact on the billing and profitability.

Employee retention has always been one of the greatest challenges facing commercial cleaning companies, but over the past two years, the turnover rate has skyrocketed. In addition to low wages, this is a poorly valued trade, reputed for being physically demanding with binding work schedules. Given the abundance of employment opportunities, retaining quality employees is certainly easier than attracting new ones.

THE SKILLED WORKFORCE

Having a sufficient workforce is not enough. Qualified and experienced personnel are key to remain efficient and to avoid increased operating costs that come with an uncontrolled employee turnover.

Experienced workers can diagnose and repair the equipment. They can anticipate problems and minimize the number of clients’ complaints by resolving them early. They are also the trustworthy resources for new employees whom they can mentor and supervise.

The key to retention? Recognizing their value and cultivating respectful relationships.

The scope of the custodial workers goes far beyond their job description, often considered simple and basic. Through constant professional cleaning and disinfecting, these front-line workers: • Have a direct impact on the quality of the environment and therefore on customer satisfaction. • Play a leading role in a building’s health and safety by ensuring sanitation of the spaces. • Preserve the architectural quality of the buildings by preventing the deterioration of the materials. • Undoubtedly improve the profitability and value of a building.

HEALTHY WORKPLACE LEADS TO HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

To retain employees, you must give them something to stay for. The trend towards employee wellness and healthy offices paired with the reorganization of work patterns offer many opportunities to finally promote social equity and improve working conditions for these once invisible frontline workers.

Improving working janitorial staff conditions is a shared responsibility between the FM, the BSCs and even the tenants. Here are some recommendations and initiatives that are being implemented in various buildings: • Take advantage of the drop in building occupancy to increase daytime work schedules that improve work-life balance. • Make technology available to maintenance staff to facilitate communication or work monitoring and encourage data sharing among all parties involved. • Make cleaning operations visible to reassure occupants, especially in shared office environments. • Provide properly equipped janitorial facilities and quality supplies in sufficient quantities. • Give clear and consistent work procedures and available and accessible on-site resources. • Invest in training programs and promote opportunities for growth within the company. • Offer schedule rotations so that all have access to weekend days off, at least occasionally. • Offer employees assigned to the same contract the ability to manage their schedules among themselves. • Reduce work schedules to three days per week. A shorter work week could reduce stress and absenteeism, while maintaining or even increasing productivity.

SHARED BENEFITS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

The more the building’s occupants interact with the janitorial staff, the more familiar they become, and mutually respectful relationships arise. The staff tends to be more attentive and proactive. In turn, tenants are more appreciative of the efforts of the cleaning crews and are more respectful of the environment. The familiarity of the relationship favours exchanges and communication of needs, thereby lessening the number of complaints.

Janitorial staff perform field work daily and know a lot about the behaviours, good and bad, of building occupants. A FM who welcomes the feedback of the BSC employees can gain valuable information to drive facility management and decision-making. | CFM&D

Mélanie Marier is an Auditor at ValkarTech, a consulting firm specializing in building hygiene management and quality control of housekeeping operations. She is also the Marketing and Business Development Director at HBlogin Real Estate Technologies Inc., the technology division that develops tailored IT solutions to optimize maintenance, increase profitability and improve the overall quality of buildings.

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