Is your office’s décor effecting your productivity?

Do you work in a drab office and are feeling anything but inspired? It could be due to your office surroundings that are limiting your productivity.

Workplace productivity is being impeded as a direct result of dated office design, according to the Meeting Expectations report, released today by K2 Space.

Following a survey of 1,000 Brits by YouGov, 30 per cent claimed that their office is outdated, uninspiring and is in need of a complete refurbishment, with one in five revealing that if their office was better designed, they would be more productive at work.

When asked what they would like to see change, 32 per cent of those surveyed said more natural light would be beneficial, as 19 per cent shared that the lighting in their office was poor and had a negative effect on their mood.

31 per cent would like to see more colour in their office surroundings, as well as artwork and graphics, while a fifth would like to see the inclusion of sit-stand desks. The same number of workers said that having access to/improved showering and washing facilities would improve their office.

“Our research highlights the fact that while office design can be incredibly subjective, the real goal is to create a space that attracts and retains talented staff,” Mark Phillips, co-founder of office design and fit-out specialist at K2 Space.

“We’ve known for some time that sedentary working is not good for our bodies, and so organisations should be actively looking at ways of offering collaborative, shared working zones that encourage movement around the office to allow staff to remain both physically and mentally active.”

Workers are also seeking more informal spaces for working and collaborating, as well as private spaces for telephone calls and concentrating. 30 per cent agreed that spaces such as these would improve their office, meanwhile 31 per cent believe it would improve the quality of meetings.

A recurring theme throughout the research is that millennials are the least content with their current workplace, are most in favour of change. Boomers on the whole, are most content:

• 25 per cent of millennials would like a games area in their office for playing and socialising with colleagues, compared with just two per cent of boomers.
• 36 per cent of millennials would like private spaces for taking calls, compared with 24 per cent of boomers.
• 27 per cent of millennials would like sit-stand desks, compared with ten per cent of boomers.