Workers feel ‘stifled’ by office environment

Almost half of office workers feel that a change in working location would make them more productive, improve their work-life balance and increase their energy levels, new research has shown.

Out of a total of 1,025 office workers surveyed by T-Mobile, 23% said they would like the opportunity to work from home, while 3% preferred a beach location and 4% would like to work from the top of a mountain.

Results also showed that office work is not considered conducive to good health – over half of the respondents said they considered lack of exercise as a side effect of sitting in front of a computer all day.

The research also included a ‘T-Mobile Mobility Challenge’, tasking two entrepreneurs to work remotely for a week from locations including the London Eye and Brighton beachfront.

The results suggested that flexible working could also help to energise and inspire business decision-makers.

Darius Pocha, the creative director at Enable Interactive who took part in the challenge, commented that: “I often find being office bound can stifle my creativity – the option to change locations and work flexibly helped improve my energy levels and motivation.”

Derek Williamson, head of business marketing at T-Mobile said: “There is a strong desire amongst British office workers to move away from the traditional 9am-6pm working day, restricted to a fixed environment.

“The ability to change location, or work form home where appropriate, can enhance productivity, motivation levels and general well-being.”

He went on to add: “Ultimately, a happier workforce means a more productive workforce, which can have significant benefits on an organisation’s bottom line.”

© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007