Oscar Acoustics discuss the UK’s growing need for good acoustic design that supports employees in the workplace.
Employees within financial and professional services, much like other office workers, are struggling to deal with the irritation of excessive noise. Management is experiencing requests for quieter surroundings, be it turning down the volume on office noise or asking to move to ‘quiet zones’. However, these stats fly in the face of a growing mandate to get financial and professional workers back to the office.
Recently, Tony Danker, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said: “You ask most bosses, everybody secretly wants everyone to come back to the office”. Should this be true, UK offices will need a complete noise overhaul before workers are keen to get back to their desks.
Changing regulations around energy ratings for commercial buildings, however, represents a unique opportunity to fix a long-overlooked productivity pitfall. Major refurbishments will be needed – giving employers the chance to stem the issue of growing noise levels by installing the right acoustic solutions.
This can also deliver a wide range of commercial benefits that go beyond helping teams to work more productively and the potential to boost financial profits should if nothing else, be a major motivator.
As we’ve seen, it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to establish major office hubs that bring in workers. This is driving the trend for the reconfiguration and repurposing of office spaces and investment in Cat-B fit-outs that offer flexible, long-term solutions.
Post-pandemic, businesses want workspaces exactly to their liking, including the option for flexible working and environments that support staff welfare and wellbeing. This movement will soon form the basis of office redevelopments, and in the months and years to come, those that choose to act sooner rather than later, will no doubt reap the financial rewards.
Improvements to health and wellbeing strategies also deliver clear value to employers. Businesses are waking up to the link between physical health and behavioural health. Forbes’ ‘Future of Work’ series, notes that “reimagining your work environment to highlight employee wellness can mean creating an environment that supports employee mental health and flexibility, along with physical health”. Healthier, happier staff perform at their best and it has been proven to increase staff retention.
According to the Corporate Wellness Magazine, the connection between company culture and employee wellbeing can be significant. Improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, better job satisfaction and the ability to attract top talent are just some of the benefits.
Champion Health’s annual Workplace Health Report, also found that in 2023, 76% of professionals are experiencing moderate to high levels of stress – an increase of 13% compared to data from 2022. There’s a clear message that employers should be investing in reactive strategies rather than wait for employees to hit a ‘crisis point’ – tackling escalating noise levels can be an effective way to lower the amount of stress workers are exposed to.
As today’s businesses face increasing external pressures – be it rises to overheads, pressure to improve staff wellness or simply to manage an unstable economy, the quality of the workforce is the beating heart of any business. Finding ways to create environments that boost employee satisfaction will help harness performance and productivity in the long term.
It’s now the responsibility of businesses to prioritise workforce wellbeing and as we can see from three years’ worth of research, an inability to reduce excessive noise is not only harming their employees’ health but preventing their business from reaching its true potential.
To find more about more about Oscar Acoustics’ study into workplace noise in the financial services sector, take a look at the 2023 report – The UK’s Productivity Pitfall here.
W: oscar-acoustics.com | IG: @oscar_acoustics
Photography by Jonathan Banks
