To think sod it and do this in work tomorrow

[Roaroarasloudasthunder]

I’m a head of department. As a team we have been talking for months about wanting to rearrange our office room (only my team use this room, it’s not a shared room with another department) but never get a day where we have time to do it. I run an in-house PR team. WIBU to just put the phones on do not disturb tomorrow and then me and team can finally rearrange the room? We have our work emails on our phones so we would see any urgent enquiries on our emails on our phones. Rearranging the room will involve moving all the tables and unplugging and moving the computers too probably. The only way I’ll ever get time to do it is if I make the time like this, we’ll never get a day quiet enough to do it I don’t think as we have been trying for months

Do it.

We randomly decorate at my work if we have quiet days.

I'd leave one phone plugged in for urgent in a place where it's easily reached, put a pen & paper by it and do the re-arrange. As long as you can access emergency calls / emails and your clients can still reach you go for it. Maybe ask the reception team to field calls if you can't leave a phone on - they can say it's a team conference or briefing in the hour or so it will take.

We never get days quiet enough but we’ve been saying for months that the room needs rearranging. I’ll just make the time tomorrow

Do it! I work in a marketing department and we do stuff like this all the time. We also love clearing out the cupboards etc. it's so satisfying

Hour or so?? It’ll take all day for my team to decide on a layout as they’ll want to try multiple and put the tables in those places and see if they like it. And then we are not permitted to plug in or unplug the computers are phones so I’ll have to get IT down for that.

The room desperately needs rearranging, it’s not fit for purpose anymore. I’m so jealous of the team next door who have a way better room than us, I always wish we could swap rooms with them

I will probably leave one phone plugged in

If I can’t leave a phone in I’ll get reception to field the calls

As long as management clear it (or are you management which would be ideal). You don’t want a senior calling and not getting anyone at all. If you were in today I presume anything urgent from bank holiday were dealt with.

Not sure your dress code . Can you contact the others to say to come suitably dressed in case it’s dusty?

Depends if you need IT support to move floor boxes and other technical stuff?

Yes I would have to call IT down first thing in the morning as soon as I get in

I am management, head of the PR team. Could maybe ask IT if it’s possible to divert the phones to our mobiles even while they are unplugged, but not sure if it’s possible to have them on divert while unplugged?

Does your department involve press office?

Yes it does

Will your IT team need notice?

Hopefully not, they always seem available, if IT are not available then I will just do it the day after

Pre Covid we used to have a half day set aside twice a year to sort out our building, staff would divide up into work teams to sort out different rooms and we would order in pizza for lunch and folk would bring in salads and cakes. Good fun when everyone pitched in and you were getting paid as well. Now if only someone would pay me to do the same at home.

Would your team want a bit of notice? I'd not want to come in wearing my best outfit and find out we were rearranging the office on the day!

I messaged them an hour or so ago on our work WhatsApp and most of them have seen it so far

You'll need to check with IT before you unplug anything as the config on your wall/floor ports might not be standardised.

If you're going to use the same floor ports then knock yourself out.

I’ll get IT in the room while we do it

This sort of thing I'd plan for rather than spur of the moment so people can clear their diaries and you and coordinate with IT. Perhaps even have them set up a working desk/phone somewhere else which you can keep manned. I'd make it a big deal, with lunch delivered in and drinks afterwards... but YANBU to want to do it, especially if it will improve morale and productivity. If you don't do it tomorrow, put an all day meeting in everyone's diaries for next Thursday and do it then.

My dh is IT something like an office move takes planning and a lot of time. He's been known to have to remove carpet tiles, re cable, install floor boxes etc. He'd tell you to f off basically as his time is scheduled with projects etc. But it depends on your company's set up. He's the only IT person in the North east and covers quite a few offices.

Personally I'd plan with IT and other relevant personnel.

Our IT Dept would be peeved if someone decided to change their office around and expect someone to come and sort out all the equipment with no prior notice.

The psychological benefits of the rearranged room and the resultant productivity will more than make up for any missed phone calls tomorrow. Do it!