These are the 5 things South Africans want most in their office
Architect firm Giant Leap have released a survey listing the 5 things South African employees most want to have in their offices.
The survey was conducted in late 2016, and queried just over 3,000 office workers on what mattered to them most in the workplace.
Natural light – 42%
“Unsurprisingly 42% said more natural light was the the most important element,” said Linda Trim, director at Giant Leap.
“It so simple but often design gets so caught up in the fancier things, people forget the importance of sunlight to humans’ sense of well-being.”
“This is especially true in the workplace, where traditionally there has been a focus on issues of layout and safety – important factors, but not the only elements affecting happiness at work.”
Quiet – 22%
“Increasingly we are installing quiet zones for our big clients. People need to escape from what is often a noisy and disruptive environment to really get work done.”
According to Trim, a typical office work switches activities about every three minutes and half of these switches were caused by interruptions.
Interrupted work is usually resumed – however, it takes workers about 20 minutes to get back to what they were doing, meaning these small interruptions can have long-lasting effects.
Ocean views – 20%
Trim noted that views of the sea were a nice to have but not practical for inland cities.
“We have found, however, that placing large pictures of peaceful natural places like forests, mountains or the sea does create a calming atmosphere in the office.”
Plants – 18%
Trim noted that a green office signals to employees that their employer cares about their well-being.
“Adding live plants will pay off through an increase in office workers’ quality of life and productivity. The recent trend to create clinical uncluttered offices doesn’t make people more productive or help them concentrate better.”
Bright colours – 15%
“Bland colours induce feelings of sadness and depression while grey and white can also contribute to feelings of gloom and anxiety.”
“Scientific studies have shown that colours don’t just change our moods, they also profoundly impact productivity. That’s why it’s best to decorate your workplace with a vibrant mix of stimulating hues that increase output and spark creativity,“ Trim said.
Read: How to counter the dangers of sitting in the office for eight hours a day
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