A brand new report means that the standard of office environments may have a big influence on the UK’s financial efficiency. In accordance with a brand new report printed by amenities administration firm MITIE, ineffective workspaces could also be costing the financial system as much as £71.4 billion in GDP annually. The examine claims to focus on how numerous bodily and environmental office components can have an effect on worker productiveness.
On common, UK staff estimate they lose over an hour every week to office frictions equivalent to discovering a gathering room with a steady Wi-Fi connection, navigating sluggish lifts, or trying to find applicable areas to collaborate. For full-time workers, this determine rises to 74 minutes, which MITIE calculates may signify a mixed weekly wage price of £485 million throughout the nationwide workforce.
The findings come at a time when the UK continues to wrestle with low productiveness progress. Official figures for Q1 2025 present a 0.2 % year-on-year lower in output per hour labored. In contrast with different G7 nations, the UK presently ranks fourth, behind america, Germany and France, in GDP per hour labored.
The report additionally explores the hyperlink between office satisfaction and worker retention. It suggests a powerful correlation between satisfaction with the bodily atmosphere and total job contentment. In accordance with the information, 89 % of workers who’re proud of their office are additionally happy with their employer. This contrasts sharply with these sad with their work atmosphere, solely 23 % of whom report being happy with their employer.
Office security, entry to applicable instruments and expertise, and cozy workplace design had been all cited as key contributors to job satisfaction. Conversely, 51 % of respondents recognized poor constructing upkeep as a significant reason for dissatisfaction.
Apparently, the survey challenges the belief that social facilities are a main draw for workplace attendance. Solely 29 % of staff mentioned options like gyms or breakout areas contributed to their satisfaction, whereas 55 % valued alternatives to socialize with colleagues. These figures recommend that purposeful and supportive environments might carry extra weight than lifestyle-oriented perks relating to bettering office expertise.
