It takes more than 8 years to become part of the furniture at work

It takes the average employee eight years and four months before they’re seen as part of the furniture at work, it has emerged.

A study carried out among 2000 employees found that only with almost a decade of job loyalty would you be considered a dependable presence within a company. A massive 78% believed being called a ‘part of the furniture’ at work would be a good thing, with many who said they’d be less inclined to leave if given the term.

Amazingly, a committed one in 10 workers confessed they have stuck with the same company for 20 years or more. The research showed a fifth of employed adults said they’ve been referred to as ‘part of the furniture’ by colleagues due to their loyalty at work.

A spokesman for Furniture At Work, which carried out the study, said: “Skipping from job to job rather than staying in one place is more common than it used to be. But the results show that remaining employed at a place of work for many years is still seen as something to be proud of.

“Being loyal to a company can have a lot of benefits long-term, as well as looking great on your CV. And often you become respected enough to have a say in the future of the company.”

According to the poll, someone becomes ‘part of the furniture’ when they’ve stuck at the same job for many years, is ‘always around’ when you need them, and is helpful in multiple areas. More than a third said someone would deserve the term if other colleagues couldn’t imagine the company without them, while 21% believed that someone who gets on with most of their fellow workers would be deemed ‘a part of the furniture’.

When it came to job commitment, 15% confessed they tend to get ‘itchy feet’ when they’ve held down the same job role for an extended time. But procrastination is to blame for one in four, who said though they’ve considered changing jobs they are just too comfortable to leave.

It typically takes six months to settle into a new job, the research showed, with a quarter who said they usually find it ‘easy’ to fit in. And it seems many adults are ‘part of the furniture’ already, as the average worker has been in their current job for seven years and 10 months.

Around 63% said they sit in same seat every day – while a regimented one in 10 confessed they’ve had the same seat at work for 10 years or more. More than half said they’ve had the same desks since they started the job, whereas others said the chairs, office décor and computer systems haven’t changed.