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magazine
05
Around one in
five UK workers is
dissatisfied with their
office environment,
according to
Britain
at Work
, a new report
from business consultancy Lansons.
In an online survey of 2,000 UK employees
conducted by Opinium Research, 18% disagreed
with the statement that facilities and amenities in
their workplace were in good condition, compared
to 60% who agreed.
Just over one fifth (22%) of respondents think
they don’t have enough desk space; 26% are
unhappy with the temperature in their office; and
22% feel they don’t get enough natural light.
More than one third (36%) say they don’t like
their workplace design/decor, compared to 29%
who say they do.
Generally, employees are more satisfied with
their workspace than with other aspects of
employment. For example, 51% sometimes feel
under pressure or exhausted by work; 48% see
no/little opportunity for career progression; and
only two in five feel they are paid fairly.
Half of workers would not recommend
working with their current employer and 39% say
they would leave tomorrow if they had another
job to go to.
Employees foot the bill
for home working
Home workers in small businesses
are having to meet the high cost of
equipping and maintaining a home
office, with only two fifths receiving
a contribution from their employer,
according to new research by Regus.
With the average cost of running
a home office in the UK now almost
£2,000 a year, 43% of workers say home
working is being encouraged simply so
that employers can transfer workplace
costs to employees.
Richard Morris, UK CEO of Regus,
said: “The cost of furnishing a home
office is substantial, so if this expense
is passed on to employees, companies
could find themselves flouting health
and safety laws as well as lacking the
necessary insurance cover. A far better
solution is to offer workers the chance
to use a fully equipped, professional,
flexible workspace close to home.”
To make it easier for mobile workers to
access its network of workspaces, Regus
has launched Only@Regus, a suite of
tools that can be accessed through the
MyRegus app and online booking platform.
The package includes tools for booking
Regus workspaces and meeting rooms;
entry to 700 airport lounges; preferential
rates on everything from car hire to
stationery via the Regus Marketplace; and
bundled access to a network of 18 million
wifi hotspots in 120 countries, which
enables Regus customers to get online
with one click, without having to log in or
share personal details.
More homework please
Six out of 10 part-time teleworkers
would resign their current position if
they could take a similar job at the
same pay but work full-time from
home, according to the latest P
Gi
Global Telework Survey
.
Four out of five respondents currently
work outside their company’s offices
at least one day per week, and of them,
half would like to telecommute more
often, ideally 2-3 days per week.
The five main benefits of teleworking
are perceived to be reduced/zero
commute times; better work-life
balance; flexible hours; increased
productivity; and cost savings.
bit.ly/teleworksurvey
agenda
One in five
uncomfortable at work
In the News
Regus, the global workspace provider, has opened
a new business centre on the third floor of The
News Building in London Bridge. Featuring a range
of flexible workspaces and business services, the
centre is exclusively for Regus Businessworld
Platinum card holders.
Tailor-made
for mobile workers
A useful accessory for people who walk, run or cycle
to work, the HentyWingman suit bag rolls up into
a compact satchel that can be carried comfortably
on one’s back. Semi-rigid PVC ribs that run the
length of the bag prevent it from folding in on
itself ensuring work clothes remain crease-free. The
Wingman is available in two sizes and comes with
a rain cover and a removable utility bag for shoes,
towels, toiletries and other accessories. A large
external side pocket can be used to hold a small
laptop or other device. The bag comes in a range of
colours and costs £119.
The productivity of home workers is being held
back by poor broadband, claims Hyperoptic,
the UK’s leading Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP)
broadband provider.
Its research shows that even though 93% of
respondents work longer hours at home, almost
three quarters (72%) feel more productive in the
office.
This is largely due to poor connectivity
in people’s homes, with 90% of respondents
complaining that their home broadband is slower
than their office broadband, leading to dropped
video calls, intermittent VPN access and time
wasted waiting for files to upload/download.
However, a separate survey by networking
company ZyXEL shows that broadband and
internet service satisfaction levels in the UK are
some of the highest in Europe. The UK came
second in the satisfaction table, behind the
Czech Republic and ahead of Germany and the
Netherlands.
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1
Title
Britain
at Work
Homeworkers held back by poor broadband...or are they?
