It’s Valentine’s Day and that means that it’s time for our (nearly) annual look at office couples you’ll want to encourage. These items work together to make your workplace more efficient. This year our couples are taking inspiration from the classic romances of Hollywood’s golden age. Once you’re done checking out our couples, consider checking out the movies, too. Sure they’re in black and white, but they’re still pretty amazing.

One of the best things about the new year is the feeling that you’re starting over fresh. You can picture it. You’ll arrive back at work after the holidays rejuvenated. You’ll be ready for new challenges. You’ll open your clean, new calendar and fill it up with exciting possibilities. It’s going to be a great year! Then you get back to the office and it’s back to reality – your desk is covered in piles of paper and those old files you’ve been meaning to get rid of are still stashed in the corner. How are you supposed to start over when all that old stuff is in your way?

November is traditionally a month associated with expressing gratitude, but this November finds me even more grateful for many things.

The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce announces Rogards Office Plus as the 2015 Small Business of the Year winner. The Small Business of the Year Award is given to an outstanding small business that has made a significant contribution to the local community and economy. The award is intended to recognize a successful and growing business that has achieved its status through ingenuity and hard work.

We're joining the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce in challenging local businesses to make one simple change that can help transform our local economy.

It may seem like desks are a one-size-fits-all proposition, but there are ways to make your desk, and the rest of your workspace, work with you. The answer is ergonomics. It may sound like a big nonsense word, but all it means is that work should fit the person. Ergonomics is about creating a workspace that’s comfortable and works with you and your body so you can work safely and easily.

We know that’s not the way the saying is supposed to go, but think about it. You spend a lot more time drinking than eating. So what you drink is a lot more likely to say something about who you are than what you choose to eat for lunch. Your lunch choice changes daily, but most people choose a drink and stick with it. What is what you're drinking saying about you? Let’s take a look. While we’re at it, we’ll give you some suggestions for switching up your drink choice so you can stay cool when it’s hot.

If we asked you to list the reasons that productivity falls over the summer months, most of the answers would be obvious – vacations, long holiday weekends, lunches that run a little long because it’s so hard to come back in from the sun. What if we told you there was a hidden culprit behind your collective inability do get things done when it’s hot? What would you say it is? Would you guess thirst?

Having a colleague collapse is horrible and it can be difficult to react when you’re under stress and scared, but for each minute that passes without treatment a victim’s chances of survival drop by 10%. There’s really no reason to fear helping a colleague. To help you feel better about offering care, we’re addressing some of the common fears related to using AEDs.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.9 million reported on-the-job injuries in 2013. Yikes! No wonder they’ve named June National Safety Month. What better time to take a look around your office, pinpoint potential accidents-in-waiting, and work to eliminate them? Not sure what to look for? We’re here to help. Here are some tips for avoiding some of the most common office safety hazards.

It’s not very often that we tell a customer that we want to sell them an item that we hope they won’t use, but that’s what we’re doing this month. Why this month? June is all about safety. It’s National Safety Month and June 1-7 is National CPR/AED Awareness Week. That brings us to the item we think you need, but hope you won’t have to use: an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).

It should come as no surprise that sitting at work all day is really bad for us. You’ve probably seen the headlines: “Sitting is killing you.” “Sitting is the new smoking.” What can you do to cut your seat time? Well, studies show that people spend more time sitting on work days than on their days off, so it makes a lot of sense to try to make more time for moving at work. Now, we know what you’re thinking. “I have an office job. What choice do I have? I have to sit all day.” Not true. There are plenty of ways that you can add some movement to your day and still get work done.

As Earth Day rolls around each year we’re all reminded to take a look at ways that we can reduce our impact on the environment. Sometimes those not-so-gentle reminders can leave you feeling stressed. Are you doing enough to go green? Are the things you’re doing really making a difference? There’s really no reason to stress out, especially since it’s Stress Awareness Month. When we were working towards earning our green business certification, we were pleasantly surprised to find that many of the things we were already doing counted as green practices, and many of the suggested practices were easy to implement. So, in celebration of Earth Day and Stress Awareness Month, we’re sharing these easy-to-implement tips for moving towards more sustainable practices.

These days, it seems like everyone feels that they need to be doing more to prove themselves. If you’re trying to show that you’re a hard worker, the breakroom seems like the last place you want to be seen. The breakroom really doesn’t deserve its bad reputation as a time-waster. It has more to offer your office than a caffeine buzz. Having a nice place that encourages employees to come together can benefit your business in several ways.

Seventy percent of people say that their jobs are too stressful. And most of us spend more time at work than we do any other single place. No one wants to spend most of their day stressed. So, in honor of Stress Awareness Month, we’re sharing some tips for cutting back on stress in the workplace. Give some of these a try and maybe by the time May rolls around you’ll be feeling more relaxed.

What if we told you that one small change to your office could lead to happier employees, increased productivity, improved communication, and more frequent collaboration? No, this is no late April Fool’s joke. Studies say it’s true. So, what’s the change? Check out our latest video to find out.

Over the past four years, while the big boxes have been falling over themselves to band together, Rogards has also been changing. We look to the future and see opportunity to continue to grow and expand our offerings, but as we look at these new opportunities we are always careful to ask: what about our customers? Will they appreciate having access to these new products? And will they like being able to call a well-trained customer service or account management team to ask questions about their workplace problems? And do our customers want a partner that is involved in our local community?

It’s not uncommon for an employer to enforce a no dating policy for coworkers. After all, who wants to deal with the potential loss in productivity and office drama? Coupledom doesn't have to cause problems though. There are times that pairing up can benefit your business. So, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, we’re introducing three couples that will actually help your office.

There's no need to turn down the thermostat this winter to save on your energy bills. Follow our lead by making one change in your office and you can save up to 33%. Watch our latest video post to find out how you can save energy, save money, and save the environment.

During the holidays, juggling all of your obligations can be really difficult. Add parties, family get-togethers, gift shopping, and travel to your usual work and family schedules and it can start to feel like too much. Then a deadline gets moved up or a project is sent back to you for reworking. You realize you forgot to buy a Secret Santa present. Nerves start to fray. Pretty soon even the sight of one of your coworkers singing an off-key karaoke version of an ‘80s power ballad while wearing reindeer antlers and bowling shoes can’t get you to crack a smile. Well, don’t despair. The holiday season doesn’t have to be a huge flaming ball of stress. With a little planning, you can get through it all with a smile on your face.

For the past few months we’ve been working hard to show you how to survive cold and flu season by de-germing your office. First, we told you about the common areas in your office that harbor germs. Then we dragged you into our bathroom to show you how to keep bathroom germs from spreading. Now we’re going to take you to a place that can have more than 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. There’s no reason to panic though. We’ll also share three quick and easy tips for wiping out those hidden germs.

I like to think that I’m a person who expresses gratitude easily and often. When I’m at a restaurant and the server refills my water glass I always say, “thank you.” I thank the people at the bank who take my deposit every night. I thank the barista at the local coffee shop for my caramel latte. When I’m traveling, I even write “thank you” on a note card and leave it in my hotel room along with a small gratuity so the housekeeping team knows I’m grateful for the clean towels each night. I say thank you to all these people every day who I don’t even know. Do I extend that type of gratitude to the people I work with every day?