5 Rules for Cubicle Etiquette

It’s the golden rule of life—treat others as you want to be treated. Well, the same goes for your behavior in the office. Whether you work in a cubicle or in an open workspace, follow these 5 basic etiquette rules to treat your coworkers with the respect they expect in a business setting.

1. Avoid Using Products or Eating Foods With Strong Scents

Whether it’s a good smell or a bad smell, strong odors can negatively affect the people around you. Although you may think leftover tuna smells fine, your coworker may feel sick at the slightest whiff of fish. And while that new cologne or lotion may smell like heaven to you, your neighbor may be susceptible to headaches from strong perfumes. Do them a favor and keep smelly foods confined to the breakroom and opt for lotions with little to no scent.

2. Do Not Pop Over Your Cubicle Wall Unannounced

Do you want to scare the living daylights out of your coworker? Because that’s how you scare the living daylights out of your coworker. Waltzing right up to someone who is focused on their work can startle them, and it can totally derail their train of thought. Rather than barging in without warning, take an extra 2 seconds to knock on your coworker’s cubicle wall or a nearby filing cabinet to alert them to your presence. Not only will this prevent you from frightening them, but it will also allow them to turn you down if they’re too busy to talk at that time.

3. Keep Your Workspace Tidy

It’s easy to let paperwork pile up when we’re hard at work, but your messy desk may negatively affect nearby coworkers—especially if you’re in an open concept workspace. Try to keep your desk as tidy as you would if you were expecting visitors into your home at any moment. Coats, sweaters, and purses should be placed in a wardrobe cabinet, while paperwork and files should be neatly tucked away in a filing drawer.

4. Watch the Volume on Your Headphones

Whether you’re listening to podcasts or music, make sure you use headphones and that the volume isn’t so loud all of your neighbors can hear your Justin Bieber obsession. The people around you are trying to concentrate on their work, and that’s tough to do with the constant distraction of top 40 hits.

5. Speak Clearly but Softly

It’s more than OK to collaborate with your neighbors, but take a quick look at the coworkers around you before launching yourself into a deep, loud conversation. If someone nearby is on the phone or is clearly trying to focus on their work, turn your voice down to a whisper or take your conversation elsewhere.

Design & Innovation

5 Things to Consider When Outfitting Your Office with Cubicles

Looking for office cubicles? Whether you need a few workstations or to furnish an entire building, calculating what type of panel systems will fit into the area can be tricky. Fortunately, National Business Furniture offers complimentary space planning services to make your work easy. Before calling your NBF account executive, gather the following information.

1. Install Space

Although selecting workstations that fit into your office may seem easy enough, you should consider several factors when determining which panel or benching system to order, including add-ons and footprint creep. Before you call for design services, measure the entire space you intend to outfit with new workstations. Write the measurements down and obtain CAD files if possible. Providing CAD files or room measurements will allow your NBF professional space planner to accurately determine which workstations are needed and how they should be configured in your office, taking into account factors that you may not have considered.

2. Team Size and Usage

Whether you're outfitting a space for a few employees in a small office or dozens in a large open area, selecting the best desking system requires considering the everyday needs of your people. Do your employees thrive on team-based collaboration, or do they need peace and privacy to get the job done? Does your team require a lot of filing and storage space, or will simple work surfaces do just fine? Be prepared to share your team size and usage expectations on your call so that your NBF account executive can accurately determine the most efficient use of your office space.

3. Style and Colors

Whether you want to evoke a certain emotion in the workplace or stay on-brand, NBF offers hundreds of color combinations in every style you could want. Consider your style and color combination needs ahead of time to ensure a seamless and timely panel selection process that won't slow down your timeline expectations.

4. Timeline Constraints

Speaking of timelines—sooner is usually better. Whether your timeline is flexible or you need your workstations ASAP, communicate it with your NBF account executive as early as possible. They can ensure your expectations are realistic and your project can be completed when needed.

5. Budgetary Needs

Everyone deserves a beautiful office, no matter the budget. Be sure to work out your budgetary constraints before you call so that your NBF account executive can determine what furniture will be possible for your business. We'll gladly work hard to stay within your means.

How to Buy Cubicles & Panel Systems

Cubicles are hard to buy. A desk is a desk, and a chair is a chair, but panel systems come in a vast range of sizes, styles, and configurations. How are you supposed to know how many panels you need to make a 6x6 cube? Why should you have to consider every possible accessory and wire management option available? That's what NBF account executives and design services are for, so don't sweat it—we've got you covered.

Before You Call

Before you call your NBF cubicle expert, gather the following information and write it down.

1. Determine Your Install Space. Your NBF account executive will need to know the exact overall measurements of the space you're looking to outfit. This will allow us to correctly determine how many cubes of what size you can comfortably fit within the area.

2. Consider Your Team Size and Usage. Not only will your account executive need to know how much space you have to work with, but he or she will also need to account for how many employees will be using the space. For example, if you need to fit 6 employees in a given space, they may each be able to have large workstations; however, if you need to fit 10 people in that same amount of space, the size of each workstation may be smaller. Usage will also help your account executive determine how open or closed concept the cubes should be.

3. Select Your Styles and Colors. A good first impression is everything, and we want to help you make one! Get a good idea of what you want your new workstations to look like before you call so that your account executive can best support your wants and needs.

4. Set a Timeline. Short or long, your timeline is valuable. Determine exactly when you want your new cubicle installation to be completed so your account executive can adequately time when the order must be placed for it to meet your needs.

5. Work Out Your Budget. Your account executive won't be able to begin the process of finding the perfect workstations until he or she knows your budget constraints. Talk with your team ahead of time and determine the amount you have to work with so that you're prepared to discuss affordable options with your designer.

Let Us Handle the Work

Now that you have all the information you need upfront, you're ready to call National Business Furniture for a quote and complimentary space plan. To get started, call us at (866) 422-5873, and we'll pair you up with an account executive in your area or with one of our in-house project managers. Our team of account executives is scattered across the country to provide in-person assistance to customers in nearly every state. With years of experience in space planning and industry expert knowledge of the best commercial furniture options, an NBF account executive is the best possible tool for outfitting your workspace with the furniture you want at the price and in the timeline you need. Check out our space planning page to learn more about our free design services.

Sit Back and Enjoy

The size and customization of your order will determine how long it takes for your new cubicles to be shipped, delivered, and installed. Fortunately for you, we'll take care of it all. Once you have a dedicated NBF account executive handling your project, we'll be in constant communication with the status of your order.

The Complete Guide to Cubicles, Room Dividers & Partitions

Turning a large open space into an office that fosters productivity can be a tall order. How do you know how many cubicles can fit into the space? Are cubicles what you really want, or should you incorporate an open concept design into the office instead?

To get started, consider the different types of panels and dividers available.

Cubicles

Cubicles are made of a collection of panels configured together to create employee workstations. Due to the modular design of most panel systems, cubicles can usually be made as small or large as needed, making them highly versatile but difficult for the untrained eye to design.

Panel Systems

Panel systems are the parts that form cubicle walls. Available in a huge assortment of sizes and materials, panel systems are designed to suit the specific needs of all kinds of offices. Before you buy, consider the size of the space you're outfitting, the number of employees you need to accommodate, the style or color you're looking for, and your budget constrictions.

Room Dividers and Partitions

Room dividers and partitions are freestanding panels meant to act as a visual barrier or light sound barrier between workstations, meeting spaces, and breakroom areas. Panels such as decorative shoji dividers are often used to break up visual space in a waiting room. Other options provide a light sound barrier in addition to the visual divider. Accordion-style dividers allow for a wider variety of configurations so that you can get just the right amount of division between workstations or common areas. Room dividers are an excellent solution for offices looking to divide up a space without building walls.

Benching

A benching system is an open concept workstation often shared by 2 or more employees. Benching systems may be equipped with small desktop dividers, which are typically collection-specific, but most have a minimal profile and provide a smaller overall workspace than cubicles do.

Team Desking

Similar to benching, team desks are open concept workstations where multiple employees sit within a single podlike structure to facilitate great collaboration in a team setting. Team desking may or may not include small desktop dividers between stations to provide a small amount of privacy.

Call Center Desking

Call center desking is similar to team desking in that it incorporates many workstations into a small space but differs in the level of privacy offered. While team desking is designed to break down walls and foster collaboration between employees sitting together, call center desks are usually situated in a straight line and provide taller desktop privacy screens to allow employees to get the quiet they need when speaking with customers on the phone.

Need More Help?

Whatever your workspace design needs, NBF offers complimentary space planning services to help you determine what type of panel and desking system to add to your office.

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