According to a new study, poorly maintained and inefficient workplaces cost the UK economy approximately PS71.4 billion per year in terms of GDP.
A study by the facilities transformation company Mitie found that UK workers lose an average of 68% of their time per week to unproductive tasks because of poor workspace design and maintenance. This figure increases to 74 for full-time employees.
This includes finding rooms with good Wi-Fi, dealing with slow elevators, and trying to find collaborative spaces. If this is applied to the entire workforce in France, it results in an estimated salary of PS 485.2 million per week.
The issue of an inefficient work environment has received little attention despite the UK’s ongoing productivity challenges. UK productivity, measured by output per working hour, was 0.2 percent less than it had been the year before in the first quarter 2025. OECD data places the UK in the bottom three countries for GDP per hour of work: the United States , Germany and France .
Job satisfaction directly related to the physical environment
The study highlights the importance of workplace environments to employee morale. Among those who expressed satisfaction with the physical environment, 89 per cent also expressed satisfaction with the employer. Only 23 percent of those workers who were dissatisfied by their workplace reported being satisfied with their employer.
Over half (51%) of respondents cited poorly maintained workplaces for the primary reason of their job dissatisfaction. 88 percent of respondents deemed a safe workplace to be essential, while 83 percent and 75% respectively viewed access to technology and a comfortable, well-designed office as important factors.
Mark Caskey is the Managing Director of Projects for Mitie. He said, “Employers can improve their workspaces to increase employee engagement and productivity, as well as drive innovation, which will benefit a multi-generational workforce.” He also said that many of these common employee frustrations are easily fixable.
There are many friction points in office environments across the UK that negatively impact employee satisfaction, which impacts directly on productivity. It’s not all bad news, as some of these issues are under the control of the employer. For example, they can ensure that the appropriate spaces are available for the task, whether it is a collaborative space or a quiet one, and that the tech is working properly.
Amenities that are secondary to the core working conditions
The survey revealed that, contrary to popular belief about what motivates office attendance and satisfaction, social and recreational facilities play a relatively small role. Only 29 percent of the respondents said that amenities like gyms and breakout areas contributed meaningfully to their work experience. Meanwhile, 55 percent said that social opportunities motivated them to come into the office.
The research shows that employees should instead prioritize practical factors to support their ability perform their job effectively. Included are operational technology, a reliable infrastructure, and workspaces that match the task.
Caskey stated that the relationship between workplace performance and employee productivity is more important than ever.
He said that when workplaces are managed and designed with the people in mind, they can be powerful facilitators of transformation and collaboration, resulting in high levels of productivity and satisfaction.
People want to spend more of their time there. The people thrive and the communities benefit, resulting in a workforce which ultimately helps to gain momentum for the economy.
