flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Study: 85% of employees dissatisfied with their office environment

Study: 85% of employees dissatisfied with their office environment

A vast majority of office workers feel open floor plans cause multiple distractions and that more private spaces are needed in today's offices, according to a new study by Steelcase and research firm IPSOS.


By BD+C Staff | November 25, 2014
Open plan office space, Steelcase, Gensler, Deezen
Image: Wikimedia Commons

A new study of 10,500 office workers in Europe, North America, and Asia found that more than half of employees prefer to have a private workspace versus an open place office, Deezen reports.  

 

 

ew research shows that 

 

Workers have said that open office floor plans cause multiple distractions, which leads to employees being unproductive during the day.

Office furniture specialists, Steelcase, and research company, IPSOS, found that insufficient privacy in the workplace was a worldwide problem. The survey they conducted said that out of 10,500 workers in Europe, North America and Asia more than 85 percent of employees were dissatisfied with their office environment and had difficulties concentrating.

Due to the lack of concentration throughout the day, survey respondents were losing 86 minutes per day to distractions, and 31 percent reported that they had to leave their offices to complete work due to a lack of private space.

Reportings also state that disengagement in the workplace is not only wasting time, but money. The current estimate for loss of productivity is said to be up to $550 billion in American companies and up to £70 billion a year in UK companies.

Those who had more privacy (11 percent of respondents) were more satisfied in their office environment and were therefore more engaged.

An architecture firm, Gensler, reported finding about a workplace survey they conducted saying that new office technologies and open-plan offices were damaging the performance of employees.

In just five years, workplace effectiveness has fallen in the U.S. by six percent.

For more information, visit www.dezeen.com.

Related Stories

Architects | May 23, 2023

DEI initiatives at KAI Enterprises, with Michael Kennedy, Jr. and Gyasi Haynes

Michael Kennedy, Jr. and Gyasi Haynes of KAI Enterprises, St. Louis, describe their firm's effort to create a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion—and how their own experiences as black men in the design and construction industry shaped that initiative.

Multifamily Housing | May 23, 2023

One out of three office buildings in largest U.S. cities are suitable for residential conversion

Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.

Architects | May 23, 2023

Ware Malcomb hires Francisco Perez-Azua as Director, Interior Architecture & Design, in its Miami office

Ware Malcomb hires Francisco Perez-Azua as Director, Interior Architecture & Design, in its Miami office.

K-12 Schools | May 22, 2023

The revival of single-building K-12 schools

Schools that combine grades PK through 12 are suddenly not so uncommon. Education sector experts explain why. 

Architects | May 19, 2023

Snøhetta architects make a bid to unionize the firm's New York studio

Employees at the New York office of architecture firm Snøhetta have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to unionize the studio. Snøhetta employees’ action marks the third time architects at a private-sector architecture studio in the U.S. took that step.

Healthcare Facilities | May 19, 2023

A new behavioral health facility in California targets net zero energy

Shortly before Mental Health Awareness Month in May, development and construction firm Skanska announced the topping out of California’s first behavioral health facility—and the largest in the nation—to target net zero energy. Located in Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif., the 77,610-sf Cordilleras Health System Replacement Project is slated for completion in late 2024.

Government Buildings | May 18, 2023

GSA launches first biennial construction award program

Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the new biennial GSA Construction Award program, which is seeking submissions this summer. The program was created to honor outstanding achievements in construction, with a focus on quality and craftsmanship, collaboration and team dynamics, sustainability, innovation, and technology. The first Construction Awards ceremony will take place in 2024. 

K-12 Schools | May 17, 2023

Designing K-12 schools for students and safety

While bullying, mental health, and other acts of violence are all too common in schools today, designers have shown that smart and subtle preventive steps can make a big difference. Clark Nexsen’s Becky Brady shares how prevention and taking action at the design level can create safe and engaging learning environments. 

Affordable Housing | May 17, 2023

Affordable housing advocates push for community-owned homes over investment properties

Panelists participating in a recent webinar hosted by the Urban Institute discussed various actions that could help alleviate the nation’s affordable housing crisis. Among the possible remedies: inclusionary zoning policies, various reforms to increase local affordable housing stock, and fees on new development to offset the impact on public infrastructure.

University Buildings | May 17, 2023

New UC Irvine health sciences building supports aim to become national model for integrative health

The new College of Health Sciences Building and Nursing & Health Sciences Hall at the University of California Irvine supports the institution’s goal of becoming a national model for integrative health. The new 211,660-sf facility houses nursing, medical doctorate, pharmacy, philosophy, and public health programs in a single building.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

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