New figures confirm stagnant labour productivity levels

Today, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) Labour Productivity report has revealed that labour productivity, as measured by output per hour, grew by a mere 0.5%. However, the figures are 17% below an extrapolation based on its pre-downturn trend. Therefore, labour productivity per employee has failed to markedly rise since the global downturn.

Tim Oldman, CEO of Leesman, the global standard for measuring workplace effectiveness, argues that it is imperative that business leaders analyse the reasons behind poor productivity in order to improve business performance.

“As the costs of delivery continues to increase, and as finance directors continue to sacrifice property and infrastructure to save money, more and more workplaces pass a tipping point where their business spaces are failing to support the productivity of those they accommodate.”

Having spoken to 155,000+ employees worldwide, the latest Leesman figures (Q1 2016) have revealed that only 55% of employees believe their office environment allows them to work effectively. The UK fares worse.

“Across 108 UK workplaces and 11,812 employees measured in the last 12 months, just 52% of office workers report that their workplace enables them to work productively, and one in three actively disagree with this statement,” said Oldman.

“This is having a continued impact on employees and creating ‘toxic workplaces’ where efforts are being met with business environments that are simply not supporting people in the role they are employed to undertake. There’s a woeful lack of science being applied to the workplace environment. Organisations must include the workplace in their productivity focus. Those that do will boost their organisation’s performance.”