Outdated office design is one of the most common problems in today’s offices. Corporate culture goes a long way to building job satisfaction, increasing employee engagement and business performance. A business’s culture is reflected in its workspace design. If old furniture, claustrophobic cubicles and lack of natural lighting are common at your office, it’s safe to say your company needs to invest in office renovation.

The first thing you have in mind when it comes to office renovation is the challenges that may occur during that process. We have solutions for any challenges that may appear. We organize work according to your daily tasks and working hours. Well-done planning is half the work done.

7 Most Common Problems of Outdated Offices That Signalize It Is A Time For Office Renovation

According to the Meeting Expectations report, released by K2 Space, workplace productivity is being impeded as a direct result of dated office design.

Survey of 1,000 GB-based office workers undertaken by YouGov has shown that 30 per cent of workers believe their office is outdated, uninspiring and in need of a complete refurbishment.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at how outdated office design will impact your business negatively.

Decreased employee morale

Outdated offices have a huge impact on decreased employee morale. Decreased employee morale can be a very serious concern for business, as it can affect productivity and efficiency more than you think.

When employees do not feel satisfied in their workspace, they don’t have the desire to come to work. Being a few minutes late from time to time is unnoticeable. But when the reason for this is frustration and feeling of not belonging it starts to affect daily tasks. That same feeling causes a desire to leave earlier. The way to get out of the office is to speed up the work, which will affect the quality of it.

In a survey, done by K2 Space, 31% of all respondents said that they would like to see more colour and artwork in their workspace. Refurbished furniture or new office colours will keep employees satisfied.

People are more likely to be motivated when they work in a modern, comfortable and clean workspace. Those who feel good about going to work will have high morale and will show their true potential.

Bad acoustics in your workplace could be putting people off their work

European study finds that bad office acoustics significantly decrease productivity. Research commissioned by Plantronics in the UK, France and Germany, revealed that office noise has an adverse effect on office workers and the quality of their work.

A study showed that a bad acoustic is a common problem that leads to a lack of success. Once distracted employee needs more than 20 minutes to regain concentration.

Fact: 90% of office workers suffer from a certain amount of workplace noise.

The majority of offices in England have an open plan. Those kinds of offices have extra noise that harms concentration, quality, and productivity of work. Building acoustics means controlling the passage of sound from one office to another.

Inside the office – The noise level can be very high in the open plan offices. Noise issues may arise from walking, music, telephone calls, conversations between employees. Yet, having a low level of background sound can also dissatisfy your employees. This can cause anxiety and unpleasantness because conversations can be overheard. Productivity and focus will be a loss.

Outside the office – Offices that have open windows are receptive to the external factors. Negative impact on noise and productivity are because of traffic, possible construction nearby and so on.

Some of the best solutions for good acoustics management include installation of office partition systems and suspended ceilings systems.

Lack of natural light in the workspace

What can be improved in the current office? In the survey mentioned above, 32% of employees said that it is the access to natural light. Poor access to natural light is causing a negative effect on mood and productivity, said 19% of respondents.

Many office spaces suffer from a lack of natural light, and it is especially noticed during winter months. Lack of natural light can cause anxiety, negative mood, and many other health issues. Employees concentration is decreased and they are feeling more tired. The solution is redirecting natural light in the workspace and one of the ways to accomplish that is the implementation of a glass office systems.

Changes such as more access to natural light are enough for your employees to know that you care about them. Making a way for natural light in your office can reduce the stress levels of your employees, headaches and respiratory diseases.

Accessibility to washrooms and common areas (Break rooms, office kitchen and communal facilities)

In a survey conducted by K2 Space, a fifth of respondents shared an opinion that access to showering, washing and kitchen facilities would improve their experience in a workspace.

Overworked employees deal with chronic stress. Providing them with a healthy work environment helps them physically and mentally. Dedicate areas for your employees to relax and take a break from a long workday. Encouraging them to use those areas is a very important strategic move.

In the survey, office workers said that informal spaces are needed. About 30% of them believe that informal spaces would improve workspace and the quality of the meetings. Work-free zone, besides socializing, can lead to sharing new ideas and knowledge. At Manor Interior Solutions, we are happy to be part of those improvements. With our extended experience in office renovation, design and refurbishment we can help you bring your workspace to another level.

Office renovation helps with lack of free office space and extra storage

A well-designed office is extremely important these days. Especially among Generation Z, the latest generation of workers. Generation Z wants to work in a ‘fun’ environment, according to a survey conducted by office design company Peldon Rose.

Besides the importance of up-to-date offices, they care how their employer treats their mental health and well-being.

The majority of office renovation projects depend on the available space. You need to fit office furniture but also have enough free space and extra storage. When knowing your available space, next you should consider is if you want open or closed offices. What suits you the best depends on what kind of work you are doing and the type of employees you have.

Open plan – improves collaboration between employees, teamwork, and motivation. When having an open area you reduce time wasting in moving from one office to another.

Closed plan – allows employees to have their private working area. The concentration level in a closed area is maximized which leads to more efficient work.

During the office renovation process, we are focusing to make free space and extra storage to allow staff to be physically and mentally active.
Office refurbishment allows you to clean dead and unused space. For example, break rooms or communal facilities. By implementing office refurbishment, you will increase the positive environment for your staff.

Poor visual office design

Poor visual office design affects productivity and efficiency more than you think. It can either enhance or dampen your company culture. Employees spend most of their time at the office, so it’s very important that the office represents their home as much as possible. Having your employees emotionally connected to their work environment will increase their productivity, quality of work and creativity. Clients and visitors also care about your visual design. Interior design says a lot about a company, it sends an instant message to your clients and visitors.

Implementing modern office design employees gain many benefits:

• Better health
• Lower stress
• High Satisfaction
• Positive Mood

Implementing modern office design corporations gain many benefits as well:

• Maximizes employee’s talent devotion and attracts new talent
• Emphasizes your values
• Increasing productivity
• Increasing the quality of work
• Increasing creativity and innovation
• Accommodating more people within less space

The report of recent research of the University of Texas has shown how varieties of colours affect feelings. Poor visual office design can harm the feelings of your employees. A wide range of colours can either stimulate or calm a person and this is a known fact. Understanding and the balance of intensity and saturation of colours is important. It has a direct impact on an employee’s body, mind and emotions and it can improve your working environment.

Failure to comply with the building regulations

As we said, well-done planning is half the work done.

If you are ready for an office renovation you must follow the building regulations. Building regulations are minimum standards for any design, refurbishment, construction to every building.

Planning without building approval can be very risky. Failure to comply with the building regulations can cause prosecution or enforcement notice on the building owner that requires removal of work that is contravening the regulations.

Manor Interior Solutions recommends that you check with Building Control before starting any work regarded office renovation.

We suggest that you do a survey with your employees and hear their opinion. With our high-skilled stuff, we are ready to renovate your work-life and help in increasing the productivity of your employees. We are waiting for your call, don’t let your tired office lower the quality of your employees and daily tasks.