Workers in the UK are being packed into cramped sweaty offices as managers find new ways to slash costs, a new report suggests.
A new report conducted by Knight Frank suggests that many businesses are ‘sweating’ their best assets – their staff.
The M25 belt is the area where this trend is most apparent and workers in London, currently enduring a heatwave, probably feel more like chickens in a coop rather than staff in a professional office.
However, the ‘sweating’ policy could backfire on bosses who practice it, the report suggests.
The report also reveals that a comfortable working environment is a major part of the ‘talent war’ being waged by competing companies on the lookout for the best employees.
Therefore, by keeping offices uncomfortable, employers might soon find they have only managed to retain their worst staff, as the report suggests high turnover rates are influenced by an unsuitable environment.
It suggests that cramped environments could also affect companies’ growth.
Emma Goodford, head of national offices at Knight Frank, said: “Occupiers are utilising space more efficiently and making greater demands on the space they hold.
“However at the same time occupiers need to create office environments that attract and retain the best workforce. Cost also remains crucial as an overall part of the property strategy.”
© Crimson Business Ltd 2006
