Do Flexible Workplace Design And Policies Promote Employee Satisfaction ?
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The recent Staples Workplace Survey finds employees value having a choice when it comes to where they work and the environments that inspire them to be most productive.
Workers continue to resist the one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to the workplace, according to the 2019 Staples Workplace Survey. In particular, backlash to the open workspace trend persists, with over half of employees (52%) saying an open office layout creates distractions, and 40% reporting that their office space is too open.
But the solution to the open workplace isn’t closing it up; rather, employees crave choice when it comes to where they work and the environments that inspire them to be most productive. The employees surveyed see an upside to more choice — an overwhelming majority (90%) believe more flexible work arrangements and schedules will increase morale. Even more compelling for employers, flexibility and employee retention go hand in hand: Two-thirds of employees (67%) would consider leaving their job if their work arrangements became less flexible.
A dedicated work-from-home policy may be one of the most effective ways to introduce flexibility: 64% of workers say they work remotely at least some of the time — yet only one in three employers (34%) have either a formal or informal policy in place.
Employers also do not have the technology in place to support employees working remotely, with a minority offering collaboration tools that allow workers to stay connected, such as cloud-based file management (offered by just 36% and instant messaging (34%).
Flexibility is not the only thing workers want their employers to offer when it comes to work-life integration. Employees also want a healthy place to work. In fact, they’d be willing to sacrifice cash for it: Two in five employees (41%) would take a 10% pay cut for a job that cares more about their health and wellness. More than three-quarters (78%) believe their employers have a responsibility to help them stay mentally and physically well.
But employers have work to do when it comes to meeting these needs. Survey respondents only give their employers a “C” grade when asked to assess their focus on health and wellness. Less than half (42%) of employers offer some sort of wellness program, and just 22% of workers say their offices have a dedicated wellness room that can be used for things like breastfeeding and employees who need to take medication.
Mental health days — both official and unofficial — are common, with 41% of employees having taken them. Among those who explicitly told their supervisor they were taking a mental health day, 92% say their employer was supportive.
Across the board, employees with disabilities are less likely to find that their offices accommodate their needs. For example, two-thirds say their office space meets their physical needs, versus 82% of workers with no disability, and while more than three quarters (77%) of employees without disabilities say their office spaces enable productivity, only 64% of employees with disabilities agree.
These findings are from a poll KRC Research conducted on behalf of Staples in October 2018. A sample of 1,001 office workers in the U.S. and Canada was interviewed online. To qualify, respondents had to be adults who spent at least 10% of their time working in an office setting.
Have you experienced backlash from building occupants to an open plan workspace? When it comes to flexibility in workplace design and workplace policies, where does your organization stand? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the Comments section below.