50% say their uninspiring office has a negative impact on their mental well-beingA new study of 1,000 UK office workers by saraceninteriors.com has revealed that a huge 3 in 4 (76%) workers find their dated or uninspiring office is having a negative impact on their productivity. 30% of those survey said the impact was high or significant, with only 12% saying their dated office has little to zero impact on their productivity.
The study also suggests this issue is a hot topic at the water cooler, with over half (54%) of respondents saying fellow co-workers have confided in them regarding the negative impact which their dated office is having on their productivity.
Beyond productivity, the study looked at how dated offices were impacting the mental well-being of employees, with over half (51%) saying their uninspiring office has had a negative impact on their mental well-being. 1 in 5 (20%) cited a high to significant impact, 24% a medium impact, and a further 25% saying their dated office had a small impact on their mental well-being.
As with productivity, the study suggests the impact of a dated office on employee mental well-being is being discussed between co-workers, with over 1 in 3 (35%) saying a colleague has confided in them, saying their uninspiring office is having a negative impact on their mental well-being.
The most alarming area of the study was focused on the impact of a dated or uninspiring office on mental health, surprisingly with over a third (37%) saying their dated office had contributed to actual mental health issues. When asked to what degree had their dated office contributed to mental health issues, over 40% cited a medium to significant impact.
Commenting on the survey’s findings, Mike Page, CEO at saraceninteriors.com, said: “It’s clear to see from the study that dated or uninspiring offices are having a significant negative impact on the productivity of office workers, which can really impact the bottom line of any business. More importantly, over 1 in 3 say their dated office has contributed to actual mental health issues, which is a very issue that UK business owners will need to work to resolve, if they want a happy, healthy and productive workforce.”
The study looked further into the specific issues of dated offices which were having a negative impact on employees productivity, and where improvements could be made.
When asked what would help to increase productivity, half (50%) of respondents cited having more natural light as the priority. This was followed by vibrant colours (17%), open plan designs (13%), ergonomic furniture (10%), breakout areas (8%) and inspiring meeting rooms (3%) as the most recommended solutions to dated offices and the negative impact on the employees within.
Almost 3 in 4 (71%) said more natural light within the office would have a high to significant impact on their productivity, while approximately 39% of respondents said the addition of ergonomic furniture, vibrant colours, open plan designs and breakout areas would each have a high to significant impact on their productivity in the workplace.
For more stats and information on this study visit the Saracen Interiors blog:
https://www.saraceninteriors.com/blog/the-impact-of-an-uninspiring-office-on-productivity/
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