Tips to give your workplace a fresh start

If your organisation is getting ready to head back into the office, here are a few of our top tips to help you get a fresh start.

Many of us have not stepped foot in our offices for 2 years. It’s amazing to think about all the file cabinets full of paper that we left behind (along with shoes, umbrellas, and coffee mugs) that we haven’t needed, or missed, in all the intervening months. As we return to our workspaces, now is the time to question if we still see value in the contents of those file cabinets.

Let’s declare the days of a “keep everything culture” over! Consider these 9 tips for how you can take this opportunity for compliant “spring cleaning” to foster a newer, fresher way of working.

Tip 1: Approach your office space with a new frame of mind

The way you work is predominantly more digital, so reassess the mindset, or workflow, that prompted you to store paper in your work area. Consider new policies for hybrid/remote work options and how your space will be optimised to accommodate more flexible ways of working.

Tip 2: Develop a strategy for tackling your file drawers and cabinets

You’ll need to approach official records differently from non-official ones. Make sure your Records and Information Management (RIM) rep and your manager approve of your methodology. And you may want to engage with your Real Estate team to understand their plans for the space.

Tip 3: Weed out non-records that you’ve kept “just in case”

It’s easiest to start with the “containers” that are used for non-records such as reference materials, convenience copies, and drafts before tackling those with official records. Refer to your RIM policy to determine how to dispose of these documents.