Business Opportunities Weblog

April 8, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Entrepreneur:

The secret to employee happiness may be simpler than you think.

According to a recent survey, commissioned by Florida-based Blumberg Capital Partners, one in three workers said they had accepted a job–or quit one–because of the most basic working conditions.

The top areas of concern for many of the 500 employees surveyed were the indoor climate, filthy bathrooms, outdated furniture, persistent foul smells, leaky ceilings or windows, worn carpeting and rodents or insects. More than 75 percent of those polled said the condition of their offices affected how they viewed their employer, and 30 percent said they worried that unhealthy or unsafe working conditions in their building could make them sick.

Amy Lyman, co-founder of the Great Place to Work Institute, says when employees complain about unfavorable office conditions, there’s usually more to it. “People don’t quit just because the bathrooms are dirty,” she says, “but because employers that don’t keep the bathroom clean don’t respond to other worker concerns as well.” According to Lyman, the bathroom message is that “these are not high-trust environments.”

Photo by nazreth.

In Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Tags: Employees, Operations, Productivity