Office Space in the Support Environment

1
Office Space in the Support Environment
10

• Guide to Help Desk Technology, Tools, and
  Techniques

2
Objectives
10

• In this chapter you will learn
• How common work areas affect employee efficiency
  and health
• Ways to improve comfort within an employees
  individual work area
• Techniques to improve the support environment

3
Shared Workplace Elements That Affect Employees
10

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  (OSHA), an agency of the U.S. Department of
  Labor, is dedicated to reducing hazards in the
  workplace and enforcing job-safety standards for
  all employers
• OSHA educates companies on their responsibilities
  to their employees
• Federal laws require all employers to provide
  adequate lighting, ventilation, and sound control
• Support groups are at greater risk for these
  basic violations

4
Shared Workplace Elements That Affect Employees
10

• Not every manager has the luxury of redesigning
  the physical layout of the support center

5
Offices or Cubicles
10

• The number of support staff, the way they work
  together, and the available space determine
  whether support staff work in offices or cubicles
• Cubicles are attractive and functional work areas
• Cubicles provide a definite advantage when
  support staff need to work together as teams
• There are several ways to arrange cubicle offices
• A traditional layout has the cubicles arranged in
  straight rows with even aisles

6
Offices or Cubicles
10

• Clusters also allow very good communication
  between groups but result in more confusing
  access to employees because aisles are not
  regularly spaced

7
Offices or Cubicles
10

• A new cubicle layout is the star arrangement
  (also called a pinwheel or pod configuration)
• Cubicles are attached in the center and are wider
  at the outer edges of the arrangement

8
Star Cubicle Arrangement
10
9
Lighting
10

• Bad lighting isnt an obvious workplace problem
  because it doesnt directly cause physical injury
• However, bad lighting can lead to employee
  discomfort
• Computer terminals and PC monitors that face
  windows usually have a lot of glare, which is a
  symptom of too much light
• The contrast between images displayed on a
  terminal also causes eyestrain

10
Lighting
10

• Lack of natural light affects some peoples moods
• Well-designed offices provide break rooms
  accessible to windows, or outside break areas so
  employees can enjoy some natural light during the
  day
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of
  depression some people experience when they do
  not receive enough natural light

11
Noise Level
10

• Noise is particularly difficult to prevent in
  support groups
• Support managers want to control unwanted sound
  because noise disrupts interactions between
  customers and support staff
• The office setup helps control the amount of
  noise in the help desk
• Cubicle walls deaden noise
• Most cubicle partitions are covered with fabric
  to absorb sound

12
Noise Level
10

• Employees can help reduce noise in several ways
• One way to reduce some of the noise is to use
  silent alerts for incoming telephone calls
• As long as the telephone display is visible to
  the support analyst, it isnt necessary to leave
  the telephone on audible ring
• Although speakerphones enable multiple people to
  participate in a telephone conversation, most
  Automatic Call Distributions allow three-way
  conferencing to other lines

13
Noise Level
10

• Plants also absorb sound
• In extreme cases, employers may use white noise
  generators to reduce noise levels
• White noise is sound that contains every
  frequency within the range of human hearing
• Most people hear this sound as a slight
  background buzz but eventually they tune it out
  completely

14
Individual Workplace Elements That Affect
Employees
10

• A workplace includes the furniture, equipment,
  and tools necessary for an employee to complete
  assigned tasks, as well as the physical
  arrangement of these items and the space they
  occupy
• Typical support workspaces include
• A workstation, which is the computer, keyboard,
  mouse, processor, monitor, and all required
  software
• Chair
• Telephone equipment
• Desk space with areas for writing or opening
  reference materials
• Storage for reference materials, writing
  supplies, and personal items

15
Individual Workplace Elements That Affect
Employees
10

• The interaction between people and computer
  systems, programs, and other devices is part of
  the study of ergonomics
• According to OSHA, eye, back, and wrist injuries
  lead to more days absent from the workplace than
  any other workplace injury
• Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) include
  symptoms of tenderness, swelling, tingling,
  numbness, and loss of movement in joints and are
  caused by repeating small strenuous actions with
  arms, wrists, and hands for long periods of time
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common form of
  RSI that affects hands and wrists (linked to
  typing and other occupations)

16
Workstation
10

• The primary technology in a workspace is the
  workstation
• From here, support staff use call management
  software to record calls, search for solutions,
  remotely control other PCs, and use common office
  applications to read or send e-mail and track
  tasks
• Workstation components such as monitors,
  keyboards, and mice must be properly aligned to
  ensure the employees health and productivity
• Depending on their size, support staff may need
  to raise or lower the height of their desktop to
  position the keyboard and mouse correctly

17
Chair
10

• Support staff usually sit for most of the day to
  answer telephone calls
• Office chairs should have adjustable seat
  heights, backs, and armrests
• The seat should be low enough that the feet rest
  on the floor, the chair back should support the
  lower back, and armrests should be even with the
  elbows

18
Telephone
10

• The telephone is a significant source of incoming
  work for support staff
• The telephone should also be within easy reach,
  about 10 inches from the most common position of
  your hand
• An important accessory for the telephone is a
  headset
• Headsets free the hands for typing or writing and
  eliminate the need to balance the telephone
  receiver between your tilted head and shoulder

19
Telephone
10

• Monaural headsets cover only one ear, which
  allows support staff to hear what is going on
  around them
• Monaural headsets have a variety of designs
• A headband style fits loosely over the top of the
  head, holding the earpiece and microphone
  securely in place

20
Telephone
10

• An over-the-ear-style headset is smaller and
  lighter than a headband-style one (and doesnt
  disturb the wearers hair)

21
Telephone
10

• An in-ear headset is a variation of the
  over-the-ear style

22
Telephone
10

• An earplug with a microphone clip is the smallest
  headset
• Binaural headsets cover both ears and offer the
  greatest noise reduction

23
Common Headset Vendors
10
24
Desktop Surfaces and Storage
10

• The following are some ways to create extra
  space
• Place PC processors on the floor
• Move the keyboard out of the way for short
  periods
• Move the mouse when not needed
• Raise the printer
• Add a shelf
• Hang the telephone headset from a hook

25
Other Tools That Improve the Work Environment
10

• Support staff can take action to limit the
  frustration the environment produces

26
Traditional Office Tools
10

• Although answering a telephone is simple, other
  telephone-oriented tasks can take a bit of
  practice to master
• Learn to use PC software effectively
• Many e-mail applications have calendar programs
  that support to-do lists and appointments
• Word processing applications, spreadsheets, and
  other desktop applications have many features to
  automate tasks
• There are also PC applications that remind you to
  take exercise breaks to prevent stress

27
Personal Touches
10

• There are other simple ways for support staff to
  control stress and increase productivity
• Mouse pad - Writing implements
• Images - Glassware
• Eating utensils - Comfortable shoes
• Pets - Power strip
• Fans and heaters - Physical breaks

28
Chapter Summary
10

• Laws require employers to provide adequate
  lighting, ventilation, and sound control to
  prevent employee work-related injuries
• The physical layout of an office can be designed
  to increase productivity, while still meeting
  employment requirements
• Too much or too little light does not cause
  physical damage, but leads to tension and stress
• Noise can be controlled with fabric-covered
  cubicle partitions, acoustic panels, carpeting,
  and plants

29
Chapter Summary
10

• Employees should take responsibility for
  controlling their workspace
• Support staff should learn all common features of
  their telephones and PC software
• Other areas of the workspace dont directly
  induce injuries, but affect the overall
  well-being and mental health of support staff
• With some creative thinking, support staff can
  find low-cost, low-technology tools to remove
  stress and improve productivity