Does Your Workplace Environment Promote Productivity?

How many factors affect day-to-day activity in the workplace? Research suggests environment can impact productivity

Average worker productivity in the UK was consistently 2.4% between 1970 to 2007 and has since plummeted to 0.2% from 2010 to 2015. Many experts suggest that productivity is mostly impacted by a workers environment. Gensler’s Workplace Performance Index states that a good office design can boost employee productivity by 20%.

While flexible offices and coworking spaces are on trend in many workplaces, the idea of constant and open collaboration does not work for everyone. Research shows that 30% of workers are introverts and two-thirds of an average work day consists of solo concentration.

Despite this, open offices with communal spaces can still aid in collaborative projects, but it may not suit everyone.

In addition to possibly distracting workspaces, the quality of air can negatively impact a normal workday.

“Studies have shown that due to chemicals, machinery, fabrics and building materials, the indoor air can be 2-50 times more polluted than the outdoor air,” according to Real Business. “This is worrying given that on average, workers spend 40 hours in the office per week.”

A study by Harvard also revealed that “greener” indoor air quality helped employees perform 61% better than a standard office.

Another factor in stumping productivity is the lack of natural lighting throughout the day. The UK Green Building Council revealed that most employees desire natural light in their work environment. Natural light has numerous productivity benefits, including enhanced concentration, creativity, and overall learning.

“A study from the University of Exeter found that when plants were brought into the office, employee performance on memory retention and other basic tests improved substantially, and overall productivity was increased by 15%.”

Overall, work environment plays a huge factor in everyday productivity among workers.