Office courtesy
Infographic: Hotter offices lead to drop in productivity
Can overheated offices lead to a drop in worker productivity? One study says so. Led by One Poll for the AC and heating company Andrews Sykes Hire, the survey discovered just how hot temperatures impact performance, finding that 30 percent of the 2,000 workers polled took longer lunch breaks during the summer. That extra time […]
Take more breaks, says productivity science
Having productivity issues at the office? It’s time you took a break. Going on vacations, taking time out for coffee, working from home, or browsing through fun stuff on the internet during work hours may make bosses frown, but taking frequent breaks is a guaranteed way to increase productivity, improve focus, and boost creativity, according […]
Smile, you’re on camera: How being filmed affects employees
Ever feel like you’re being watched at work? Being filmed might do more than provide a record of employee behavior, reports the Huffington Post: Cameras can actually change employee behavior. “The most significant impact of bodycams, taxi-cams, and the like is not reliving the past but, rather, changing behavior in the present. We act differently […]
Google Glass finally finds place among ‘hands-on’ working professionals
With a San Francisco-based startup integrating workplace software with Google Glass, the wearable technology can now expect something better than the criticism it often receives for breaching privacy. Drawing upon features of Google Glass to improve the performance of professionals at work, Wearable Intelligence (one of the five partners certified by Google) is creating professional […]
Offices plants make employees happier, study discovers
A few office plants can work wonders for workers, according to a new study on “green versus lean office space.” As Time reports, the study — the first of its kind — found a noticeable long-term impact of office plants: Researchers from Cardiff University, the University of Exeter and the University of Groningen measured a 15 percent […]
Fantasy football costs are real at the workplace
Even as many companies found ways to channel FIFA fever among workers to their benefit this year, it’s not surprising to find some productivity drop during major sporting events. And it’s not just the ones that are played on field, virtual sports like fantasy football can also pull attention away from work. A recent study […]
New smart sensors are a multifaceted fix for office woes
It may sound like the miracle pill of the 9-to-5 world, but hear us out: New sensor technology can save energy, track employees, and perhaps even improve worker morale. A startup company called Enlightened has developed wireless heat and motion tracking systems to make a heat map of employee movements and more effectively adjust office […]
Your freezing office is killing productivity
Can’t seem to concentrate because you’re shivering in your chair while your co-worker a few cubicles away is sweating bullets? It could be the symptoms of meeting an impossible deadline, but more often than not, it is just an effect of bad building design. A combination of factors is responsible for situations in which a […]
Are outdoor offices too open for workers?
How often have you looked outside your window at work and wished you could be out in the open rather than cooped up inside? If architects Ju Hyun-Kim and Euno Cho have their way, you could be working at an outdoor cafe table instead of a cubicle. In Hyun-Kim and Cho’s vision for a truly […]
The key to a healthy workplace? A good boss
What do people want in a boss? It’s an important question for employees and employers alike – especially since bad bosses may jeopardize one’s health. And too many Americans say they serve under poor leadership. In fact, around three-quarters of U.S. workers consider their boss the worst part of their daily work grind, according to USA […]