LONDON, November 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

UK businesses are suffering massive losses in company performance due to 'disengaged' employees who complain of working conditions that result in constant distraction and disruption and a lack of privacy. 

Research by the Centre for Mental Health shows that presenteeism (at work physically but unproductive mentally) costs UK businesses £15bn per year and that includes the cost of disengaged employees.

A recent IPSOS survey commissioned by Steelcase highlights this issue. The global leader in the office furniture industry surveyed 10,500 employees working in open plan offices across 14 different countries and found that only 11% of workers in open plan offices are engaged and inspired at work, 63% are disengaged and unmotivated, 37% describe their workplace as 'stressful'.

Lack of privacy and unwanted distractions were workers' number  one complaint, with the average worker being interrupted every  three minutes and taking up to 23 minutes to return to the task at hand.  In the UK only 57% of the people surveyed said they could concentrate easily and only 50% are able to work without interruption.

49% of all offices in the UK are open plan, the highest figure of the countries surveyed, and although most workers felt that open plan spaces were  fit for their lifestyle and an appropriate space for them to work, many still reported being stressed and distracted.

Bostjan Ljubic, vice president of Steelcase UK and Ireland, said: "This research shows that although there are positives to working in an open plan office, including the ease of communicating with colleagues and collaboration, it also shows that workers need privacy to fulfil more demanding tasks.

"By catering for different work styles in the office, and providing employees with a choice of space, UK businesses can ensure that workers are supported, reducing the impact of distraction on workers' wellbeing and productivity."

Following the research, Steelcase have collaborated with Dr Susan Cain, author of bestselling book 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking' on spaces that address the need for more focus and privacy at work. Her tips for reducing the stress of our over-stimulating and high-tech offices include:

• giving permission to be alone;
• control over their environment such as adjusting lighting, noise and temperatures;
• offering sensory balance including materials and sounds that reflect nature;
• being psychologically safe by getting away from people watching them or being interrupted.

Ljubic says: "There needs to be a balance between the isolated, cage-like office cubicles of the past and today's noisy, public and distracting spaces. The solution is to offer a balance, spaces to relax or focus as well as spaces to collaborate and be social. When workers are given the power to make decisions over their working environments the workspace will be a much more productive and stress-free environment."

SOURCE Steelcase