BLP survey reveals convenience reigns supreme over quirkiness in the battle of the ideal office
A survey* carried out by
, the specialist insurance provider, has revealed that for the majority of employees an ideal office would include features that reflect convenience rather than quirkiness with 80% of respondents preferring an onsite cafe over an in-house bar.
Another top desired feature was a roof terrace or balcony, according to 60 per cent of respondents, followed by a gym (41%), themed meeting rooms (25%) and a swimming pool (20%).
The research showed that workers are most concerned about practicality and convenience desiring amenities that make their lives easier, with 30 per cent of respondents choosing a cash machine as an ideal office feature. Quirkier features, on the other hand, such as a 'scream room', games room and sleeping pods surprisingly only received a handful of votes. At the bottom of the list were an onsite doctor, hairdresser, a smoothie bar and an in-house bar.
Brian Kilroy, Business Development Manager at BLP Insurance, says: "With the average full-time British worker spending more than 40 hours a week at work, employees want an office that provides a practical space with access to key amenities".
There is a growing realisation of the link between employee productivity and the office environment. An overwhelming 97 per cent of employees believe that workplace design has an impact on productivity with over half of respondents strongly agreeing with the statement.
He adds "Businesses are wising up to the impact that office features and facilities for employees has on the productivity and longevity of its workforce. Access to amenities which are convenient for employees and help them to sustain a good work life balance can no longer be ignored, with businesses battling it out for the added extras that their offices can offer.
"With the demand for luxury office space on the rise, as employers look to improve the office working environment, developers just can't afford not to protect their investment. The industry is waking up to the benefits of commercial latent defects insurance, both as a way of protecting the investment against the consequence of building failure as well as simply making their offer more attractive to potential commercial tenants."
* The survey was carried out amongst 46 commercial brokers across the UK.
ENDS
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