Dull antiquated offices 'getting workers down'

According to a report published by law firm Eversheds this week, one in three office staff believe their working environment is making them feel stressed. Its survey of 1,000 workers showed many complained about a lack of natural light and the state of office equipment, complaining of a negative impact on their productivity.

One in five of those questioned described their office environment as "below average" or "very poor", with office equipment being described as "outdated". One in 10 even claimed they had resigned from their job because of poor working conditions.

Cornelius Medvei, senior partner at Eversheds, said: "In a challenging economic climate, this report highlights a key area in which businesses can make improvements to boost morale and increase productivity.

"The standard of the office is one place that employers can control and, if UK businesses are to remain competitive, we need to ensure that we are investing in and creating an optimum working environment."

He added: "An office doesn't have to be a collection of little boxes - taking down some of the walls and letting in the light can have an extraordinary impact on the mood of a workforce."

The biggest complaints were about a lack of natural light and uncomfortable temperatures. Others wanted more up-to-date equipment, with just 5% describing their office as "state-of-the-art".

Thermal comfort

Another common complaint from office staff is their level of control over temperature at work.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 lay down particular requirements for most aspects of the working environment.

Regulation 7 deals specifically with the temperature in indoor workplaces and states that during working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings "shall be reasonable". The flexibility in the regulations caters for different types of working environment such as catering, warehouses and offices.

The associated Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) goes on to explain that the temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius (C) unless much of the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13C.

Although there is no stated legal maximum temperature, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) points out that broader health and safety regulations apply, such as the need to conduct risk assessments, and that therefore employers should take "all reasonable steps... to achieve a reasonably comfortable temperature."

The HSE has just updated its web-pages covering working in hot and cold environments. To visit these pages click here.