97% of office workers feel frustrated at work

A report initiated by Staples has found the UK workers suffer feel frustrated in their current work environments. With 97% agreeing to this through an online survey. 22% of this group constantly browse Linkedin jobs ads for when they are frustrated.

Robert Baldrey, UK managing director, at Staples commented on this report, saying “Workplace frustrations are tempting workers to seek a new role with a better office environment. After all – why stay somewhere, if you think a different role in a different office will help you feel more fulfilled? The findings of this study demonstrate an important connection between the physical workspace and how people feel at work. And, with so many office workers getting easily frustrated, it’s clear that too many workspaces are currently not up to scratch.”

When looking at what office workers seek in their job 89% of workers seek fulfilment, 77% said that the quality of their office workspace is a big fact to them feeling fulfilled. While 76% of office workers agreeing that a well-functioning and attractive office workplace would encourage better staff retention, the study demonstrates a link between the office workspace, the people in it, and their inclination to stay put.

Robert Baldrey, UK managing director, at Staples, “Workplace frustrations are tempting workers to seek a new role with a better office environment. After all – why stay somewhere, if you think a different role in a different office will help you feel more fulfilled? The findings of this study demonstrate an important connection between the physical workspace and how people feel at work. And, with so many office workers getting easily frustrated, it’s clear that too many workspaces are currently not up to scratch.”

‘Job-hopping’ is now becoming more of a popular option for workers, with employees being predicted to have 11-12 jobs in their early ages of 18 to 48. However, the term that the grass is greener on the other side is becoming more and more apparent, with 37% of employees who answered this online survey, saying that they’re frustrated in the office in their first six months.

Professor Sir Cary Cooper, the expert in organisational psychology at the Alliance Manchester Business School commented, “Most people spend more of their waking hours at work than at home, so the workplace is really important for the health, wellbeing and performance of employees.  As this report finds, 89% seek fulfilment at work, and the physical and psychological environment is critical to achieve this. How you are managed (by praise and reward instead of fault-finding), reasonable hours of work and flexible working if required, and a good quality office environment are all fundamental to enhancing job satisfaction. The physical environment is important not only because it makes the job experience fulfilling, but also because it says to employees ‘we care about you’.”

Baldrey finished by saying “There is clearly an opportunity for employers to make things better for everyone involved. Getting the office space right – whether that’s with the right equipment, the right layout, or the right supplies – can go a long way to reducing day-to-day office gripes. Of course, new stationery or office chairs aren’t the solutions to helping your employees feel fulfilled. That would be too simple. But fixing the physical workspace is a good place to start.”

This research was compiled from an online survey of 7,000 office workers from ten European countries.

Louron Pratt

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