Terrible office technology crippling UK productivity

Study finds

New research has revealed that 84 per cent of UK office workers say their productivity is seriously stunted by being unable to control the temperature in their office.

The survey, conducted by Smart Buildings provider, RedstoneConnect, found that 47 per cent of employees complain of being uncomfortably hot or cold every day. 25 per cent of respondents said this is a distraction at least three days a week, and no one said the temperature is perfect every day. 

Highlighting the essential need to introduce smart technology into the office, the research also found that 81 percent of employees would consider moving jobs for a more technologically advanced office that could streamline their working day.

Despite the conception that workers are unwilling to allow their employers to collect and analyse data on them, 78 per cent wouldn’t mind their employer collecting data on them from a smart office, if it was used to improve their wellbeing and productivity at work.

Poor heating came second as the top office bug bear after finding and booking meeting rooms, with 41 per cent of employees rating this as the most frustrating and inefficient part of their day. 

A staggering three quarters of workers (75 per cent) described booking a group working space as ‘difficult’, and reported losing half an hour every week trying to locate a meeting room – amounting to 23 hours and 30 minutes of productive work time wasted every single year. 

None of those surveyed had an intelligent system in place to locate free rooms or colleagues, and 64 per cent admitted to waiting until the person they were looking for returned.

Mark Braund, CEO of RedstoneConnect, said: “We are witnessing a rising demand amongst employees for smarter office spaces that can empower them to work more productively. This is being driven by frustration with the difficulty of wayfinding and temperature control which existing systems and processes are incapable of resolving. If companies want to improve employee wellbeing, whilst increasing their own margins, it’s time they listened to, and acted on, their workers frustrations.”