As UK return-to-office mandates rise, new research has revealed the impact of office environments on employee productivity – with 71% of UK workers losing time to office distractions – adding up to 330m+ hours a year or 170,000 years of full-time work.
Surveying 2,000 hybrid and full-time office workers, the research – from accessories specialist Logitech and workplace solutions integrator Insight – found that a quarter (25%) of UK workers lose one hour of work each week due to a poor ‘productivity climate’. This includes noise levels to bad lighting, air quality and outdated tech. It highlights a clear opportunity: organisations that invest in better workplace conditions can unlock productivity, strengthen wellbeing and improve retention.
Workers hit the mute button on office chatter
As two to three days in the office becomes the norm, UK workers are re-learning office etiquette. Noisy work environments threaten to drown out workplace productivity with the majority of workers (85%) admitting that a loud office impacts their stress levels. As it stands, loud talking is the biggest office distraction (43%) followed closely by loud typing (21%).
Elaine Laird, Head of People and Culture at Logitech said: “While colleague chatter, the hum of a coffee machine and keyboard tapping are all the hallmarks of a buzzy office environment, when unmanaged, noise can seriously disturb productivity.
“Boosting productivity is an age-old challenge, yet the importance of crafting the ideal environment for productivity is often overlooked. Success starts with tailoring to the unique needs of individuals, teams, and offices. As a global company, we understand this imperative, and we work strategically to provide the right tools and spaces for focused solo work, dynamic hybrid collaboration, and every mode in between.”
It’s not just a noisy work environment that is hampering productivity. When left unchecked, poor temperature and air quality are clouding the in-office experience. Over three quarters (79%) of workers believe that their productivity levels have been impacted by a stuffy meeting room. So much so, that nearly two thirds (61%) admit that they’ve nearly fallen asleep as a result of an unventilated meeting room, while one in ten (10%) actually have.
Productivity climate turns up the heat on team morale
Subpar office environments are also turning up the dial on team friction. Over two thirds (69%) of workers admit to having an office disagreement due to a loud colleague, while half (51%) have had to move seats or even go home due to office chatter.
Poor air quality is also proving disruptive to team dynamics, with 65% of employees saying it has caused clashes with co-workers.
As a result, over three quarters of workers (78%) have taken matters into their own hands and brought in personal items to create a more harmonious office climate. As it stands, nearly a third (31%) admit to bringing in their own personal earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones into the office, while a quarter (25%) pack their own room spray.
David Houseman, Head of Workplace Experience at Logitech offered: “The modern office must reflect the evolving needs of the people it hosts and the work that goes on inside it. Only then will businesses reap the benefits. Strategic thought and investment in the right tools, layout, furnishings and amenities is vital to boosting the ideal productivity climate and in turn engagement and collaboration.”
Sowing the seeds for staff retention to flourish
As UK workers spend more time in the office, the environment also plays a big part in whether they would accept a role or even leave their current workplace. As a result, workers would decline a job offer or leave their current role due to poor air quality (26%), unsatisfactory office temperature (20%) and poor office lighting (18%).
Despite the impact a poor productivity climate can have, over a quarter (27%) of UK businesses have still not implemented any biohacking techniques in the office whereby organisations implement data-driven, science back methods to optimise the physical workspace including air quality, sound or lighting. As a result, UK workers want their company to introduce ventilation devices that pump fresh air into the office (32%), more natural light (32%) and soundproof booths (31%).
The research was conducted by Vitreous World on behalf of Logitech and Insight among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK office workers aged 18+.
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