The productivity and mental well being of your employees is paramount to business success. If your employees have low productivity, you'll notice the impact on your bottom line. So how do you boost or maintain productivity amongst the workforce?
According to a recent study by Saracen Interiors, your workplace can have a significant impact on employee productivity, wellbeing and mental health - so reviewing your existing working environment is probably a good place to start.
The study of 1,000 UK office workers revealed that a significant number (74%) of workers found their dated or uninspiring office is having a negative impact on their productivity.
A significant minority (30%) of those survey said the impact on their productivity was high or significant. Only 12% said 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.
Perhaps 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.
A working environment which leads to negative mental health issues is a serious problem which should be addressed. It’s one thing to feel unproductive due to an uninspiring working environment, but causing mental health problems is a much bigger issue, as it impacts employees not just in work, but also outside of work in their general life.
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.
If you think your office environment is producing low levels of productivity amongst your employees - get in touch with our team of experts by calling 0125 233 9438, or emailing us at enquiries@saraceninteriors.com