flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Ability to focus, not perks, is top concern for office employees

Office Buildings

Ability to focus, not perks, is top concern for office employees

Open-plan offices found to worsen distraction problem.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | June 16, 2016
Ability to focus, not perks, is top concern for office employees

Open concept meeting space in an office in Redmond, Wash. Photo: Wonderlane/Creative Commons.

Employees’ top priority in an office environment is to be able to focus without interruptions, according to research by Oxford Economics.

A global survey of more than 1,200 senior executives and non-management employees found that employees want office designs to foster the ability to concentrate, more than any other factor.  Amenities like free food, for instance, are far less important, the research shows.

Managers and employees have much different views on this issue. Nearly two-thirds of executives say employees are equipped with the tools they need to deal with distractions at work; but less than half of employees agree with that notion.

The research suggests that the growing popularity of open-plan offices comes with a cost: Difficulty for many employees to get their work done without distractions. In addition, most managers do not have the technology or strategies in place to deal with these problems.

Related Stories

Laboratories | Jan 14, 2021

New hub for Danish robot developers unveiled

3XN designed the project.

Office Buildings | Jan 12, 2021

Epic Games purchases North Carolina mall to convert into new HQ

The video game company is currently valued at over $17 billion thanks to Fortnite, its massively popular battle royale game.

Architects | Jan 5, 2021

Ware Malcomb finds itself in the mix for multiple diverse projects

Its latest completion is an office/factory/warehouse combo for one of Marvin Window’s brands.

Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020

Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings

This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.

Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020

2020 Office Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. office building sector

Gensler, Jacobs, and STO Building Group head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest office building sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.

Government Buildings | Nov 25, 2020

New Indiana Toll Road headquarters creates unified environment for staff

New LEED Gold facility consolidates operations for tollway authority.

Smart Buildings | Nov 20, 2020

The Weekly show: SPIRE smart building rating system, and pickleball court design tips

The November 19 episode of BD+C's The Weekly is available for viewing on demand.

Office Buildings | Nov 17, 2020

Former elementary school becomes modern office space in North Charleston

The Middleton Group is designing the project.

Government Buildings | Nov 13, 2020

Tax shortfalls nip government projects in the bud

Federal contracts are proceeding, but states and cities are delaying, deferring, and looking for private investment.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Sustainable Design and Construction

Northglenn, a Denver suburb, opens a net zero, all-electric city hall with a mass timber structure

Northglenn, Colo., a Denver suburb, has opened the new Northglenn City Hall—a net zero, fully electric building with a mass timber structure. The 32,600-sf, $33.7 million building houses 60 city staffers. Designed by Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn City Hall is set to become the first municipal building in Colorado, and one of the first in the country, to achieve the Core certification: a green building rating system overseen by the International Living Future Institute.


MFPRO+ News

San Francisco unveils guidelines to streamline office-to-residential conversions

The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection announced a series of new building code guidelines clarifying adaptive reuse code provisions and exceptions for converting office-to-residential buildings. Developed in response to the Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse program established in July 2023, the guidelines aim to increase the viability of converting underutilized office buildings into housing by reducing regulatory barriers in specific zoning districts downtown. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021