Page 16 - BOSS Today Issue 42

BOSS Today #42 SPECIAL FEATURE

CHANGING THE

ENVIRONMENT

Office environments are changing fasT

n this year’s Martin Wilde Associates/ costs has of course always been that hot desks will account for 20-40%
IOPI “State Of The Industry Report present, the above trends have made of workspaces in the next three to
2017-18”, research with senior office it possible for companies to recognise five years, while 26% of respondents
products (OP) industry executives found that not every employee needs a believed that hot desks will account for
that as many as 35% of respondents permanent desk space. As a result, 40-60% of workspaces in the next three
reported that Ergonomics/Well Being companies are becoming increasingly to five years.
Products and Office Furniture were motivated to adopt hot desking or What’s particularly interesting for
among their top five growth categories flexible working environments, partly Wells is that the Kensington survey
in 2017, with 40% predicting that these for cost saving reasons, but also to found that the top ‘pain point’ for
sectors would continue to show this facilitate closer worker collaboration. these respondents was hot desking
level of growth in 2018. n The most recent element added to ergonomics: “Individuals want furniture
Of course, office furniture sales have the mix of factors driving the changes that they can set up to their own
been long recognised in our industry in office environments has been the preferences. Furthermore, 80% of
as a barometer of the state of the trend towards health and wellbeing. the respondents found technology
economy (and of business confidence) This of course originated outside of limitations, especially hot desking
and there is no doubt that the slow the workplace, but has inevitably connectivity, to be a top challenge.
recovery of the UK economy since come to the attention of companies Finally, with office downsizing being
the financial crisis of ten years ago who are recognising that investing a driving factor in adopting a hot
has been a major factor in the current in employee wellbeing will improve desking strategy, future solutions may
growth in demand. However, there morale and productivity, as well as need to have a greater focus on space
have been a number of other factors reduce downtime due to sickness and saving and compact office products.
that have made this particular boom absenteeism. These results highlight how big the
different: opportunity is for dealers to push the
Keeping Things Hot right products in line with these sought-
n The ongoing development of But what does that mean in practice for after solutions for connectivity and
technology has long played a part the office supplies industry? health and wellbeing.”
in changing office working, with the Elisabete Wells, Regional Marketing
use of PCs – then laptops, and now Director, ACCO UK Ltd, is convinced Movement Is Medicine
tablets – continually adding new that the trend to flexible working and John Barker, Marketing Manager at
challenges and opportunities for hot desking is here to stay. A Kensington Floortex Europe, agrees that employer
working environment design. research paper conducted in January awareness of the benefits of healthy
n Increasing worker mobility around 2018, entitled ‘Hot desking - how to working practices has accelerated
and outside of the office has been maximise the benefits in the enterprise’, in recent years: “Comprehensive
another ongoing long term trend, surveyed 120 senior IT decision makers independent studies have identified
centred of course around the from European organisations with and verified the dramatically negative
development of the technology more than 500 employees, and found effect of sedentary working. In short,
required to facilitate mobile working. that more and more enterprises are excessive sitting is a key risk factor in
n While the desire of businesses to committing to hot desking strategies: four out of seven of the leading causes
minimise investment and capital 27% of survey respondents believed of death; heart disease, cancer, strokes

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