Research undertaken by Staples Solutions has found that a large percentage of UK office workers do not feel valued or fulfilled in their workplace due to poor office design and culture.
The In Pursuit of Happiness report surveyed over 2,000 office employees and discovered that 81% believe their office space has an impact on their mental health.
Other key findings include:
20% think their office workspace is depressing
68% would feel more valued at work if their organisation invested in their workspaces
31% are ashamed of their workspace
Commenting on the report, Alliance Manchester Business School Professor Sir Cary Cooper said that both the physical environment and office culture contribute to employee happiness. In addition, wellness is a necessity in the workplace to improve staff productivity and reduce stress.
Cooper explained that presenteeism costs employers twice as much as absenteeism. Presenteeism and stress at work is caused by several factors such as office workers having either too much, or too little work, a lack of control or autonomy within the company, along with negative interpersonal relationships, lack of career development, as well as an undesirable physical office space.
Taking the report findings onboard, a new campaign from Staples focuses on the idea that a better workspace space results in better work and performance from employees. It has broken the office space down into four categories, each designed to serve employees in different ways:
·Workspace: the area that can most significantly impact staff creativity and productivity
·Meetspace: where employees can collaborate on ideas
·Washspace: a private space that caters to employees needs without them having to worry about its upkeep
·Breakspace: includes the traditional breakroom, but also new wellness ideas such as quiet corners and recreational areas
Looking at the breakspace category, Staples Solutions Head of Merchandising and Marketing UK Jeanette Bresitz told OPI: “Not only are we broadening the product solutions that we currently offer, but also looking at what else we can include to improve the office environment. For example, where we have traditionally focused on beverages, we are now looking into providing snacks, so that employees have the energy required to motivate themselves through the afternoon.”
