New research has revealed that UK offices are holding back their workers from being environmentally friendly. A YouGov research poll has exposed that, despite office workers being keen to make a positive difference when it comes to the environment, they are being held back by a lack of empowerment and facilities. Key facts emerging from the research include:
· 3 out of 4 of us think that we are leaving our green efforts at home DESPITE 79% of UK office workers believing that being environmentally responsible at work has a big impact on the environment.
· 92% of office workers believe that it is important for UK companies to be environmentally responsible BUT only 51% of us say our company has a green policy in place AND only 54% think their company does enough towards the environment.
· 48% of us don’t have the right office equipment to be environmentally friendly AND 45% say we lack the power to do anything about it.
In response to the findings, this week office expert Avery® is mobilising the UK’s office workforce by launching the first ever Green Office Week, 2nd - 6th March 2009. Designed to empower workers to be able to make a positive impact on the environment while in the office, the event will unite offices up and down the country in an effort to change the way we work. To see how you can make a difference, log on to www.greenofficeweek.eu
Read the full, detailed report below, including a regional breakdown of office differences from across the country.
A LACK OF EMPOWERMENT AND FACILITIES HOLDING BACK OFFICE WORKERS!
Environment not on the Office Agenda
3 out of 4 of us think that we are leaving our green efforts at home DESPITE 79% of UK office workers believing that being environmentally responsible at work has a big impact on the environment.
A YouGov poll has revealed the startling fact that most Britons feel their offices are betraying their environmental efforts at home despite workers wanting to make a difference. The independent survey, conducted on behalf of office products experts Avery, found that 75% of office workers thought that they were less environmentally friendly in the office than at home, despite 79% believing that being ecologically responsible at work has a significant and positive impact on the environment. Frustratingly, a lack of empowerment, facilities, education, communication and company apathy were all cited as major reasons for the surprising findings.
Leading Eco-expert, Nicky Amos, urged offices to start prioritising the environment: “We spend a third of our lives at work, and businesses are responsible for 40% of the UK’s carbon emission, compared with 27% from the home – so it’s vital that offices start to take action. Employees in the workplace hold the key to meaningful change by simply adapting their behaviour at work and they must be allowed to do so.”
Doing Things by Halves
92% of office workers believe that it is important for UK companies to be environmentally responsible BUT only 51% of us say our company has a green policy in place AND only 54% think their company does enough towards the environment.
Remarkably, only half of those surveyed said their companies had any formal green policies in place. And, despite 92% of office workers surveyed thinking that it was important for UK companies to be environmentally responsible, only half thought that their company did enough towards the environment, thereby disempowering their efforts. Examining the results, psychologist Donna Dawson explained: “There was a feeling emanating from the research that people are confused about just what exactly they should be doing to be ‘greener’, especially in the face of an uncommitted company. Feeling empowered at work stems, firstly, from whether the company has a formal green policy in place and, secondly, on how well that policy is implemented and how open the company is to green suggestions from their workers.”
Amos said: “Like it or not, the environment is on everyone’s agenda. These findings suggest that companies are generally poor at communicating their policies to employees or making them part of their culture. Green housekeeping should form the cornerstone of any company’s environmental agenda, yet many offices fail to bring their approach to life for employees or empower their workforce by making environmental responsibility a part of employee workplace practices or company culture.”
Green with Envy?
Interestingly, the survey revealed that office workers in Scotland are 48% more likely to feel their company does enough towards the environment than their Southern counterparts, meaning that for every two people in the South that are happy with their company’s green credentials, there is one more eco-happy office worker in Scotland! However, this is not to say that Southerners take their environmental responsibility any less seriously or that the grass is necessarily greener on the other side! Instead, this may simply reflect the expectations and standards that Southerner’s place on their companies to be green. In fact, the survey demonstrates that workers in the South feel it is more important that their companies act green than in any other region.
Disappointingly, Londoners place the least importance on having a green office, with the lowest percentage of workers thinking that being green in the office has a big impact on the environment. However, in light of the survey, the real cause of such apathy might actually be rooted in their respective lack of power - when it comes to ensuring their office is environmentally-friendly, Londoners are 52% more likely to feel disempowered by their bosses. Perhaps it’s no coincidence then that in the Midlands and Wales, where office workers feel more empowered, they consider themselves to be more environmentally friendly at work than at home.
In terms of facilities and equipment, it’s the South that’s lagging behind. Workers in Scotland are 46% more likely than those in the South to feel that they have the facilities and equipment needed to be environmentally-friendly. Irrespective of where we work, the overriding theme for all of us is that we must be encouraged and allowed to do more, with Dawson arguing: “People are confused about just exactly what they should be doing to be greener, especially in the face of an uncommitted company.”
The Green League
My company does enough to help the environment:
1. Scotland
2. Midlands and Wales
3. London
4. North
5. South
My boss empowers me to be green at work:
1. Midlands and Wales
2. Scotland
3. South
4. North
5. London
It’s important that UK companies are green:
1. South
2. Midlands and Wales
3. North
4. Scotland
5. London
I have the facilities and equipment to be green at work:
1. Scotland
2. London
3. Midlands and Wales
4. North
5. South
Tools of the Trade
48% of us don’t have the right office equipment to be environmentally friendly AND 45% say we lack the power to do anything about it.
Interestingly, almost half of office workers surveyed stated that there were not sufficient facilities and equipment in place to enable them to do their bit for the environment, irrespective of their intentions to do so. Dawson explains that this can be the green office’s undoing, no matter how positive its environmental targets. “A company may have an environmental policy in place, but if there isn’t the equipment or facilities to implement the policy, then it is as bad as not having a policy at all and will hamper worker’s efforts.” Amos agrees with the importance of offices providing the right facilities, noting the example of “IT literate employees who recognise the role that equipment can play in helping to green the workplace – from double sided printing options to video-conferencing.”
Questions as to why office workers lack the right facilities to help the environment indicate that they simply don’t have the authority to make a difference despite most wanting to, as 45% stated that they are held back by their bosses not empowering them with the ability to be environmentally-friendly. Often this adds to the threat of a long-term rebound effect which could mean that the apathy experienced at work could transfer to apathy in the home, with office workers giving into a sense of helplessness.
Office supplies companies are well aware of the importance of providing products that help both the environment and business. Marc Pinner of Avery said: “When considering that 80% of the world’s original old growth forests have been logged or severely degraded, you can see why companies such as ourselves are taking our responsibilities seriously, working with established third parties to ensure that what remains of our natural heritage is protected. The priority for Avery has been to provide office workers with eco-friendly products that don’t compromise on quality so that choosing them is good for business and good for the environment.”
Office Evolution: The Natural Selection for Business Benefits
70% of office waste is recyclable BUT only 8% is actually recycled.
Amos was not completely surprised by the findings and urges offices to buck the trend and revolutionise themselves. She said: “In my experience, blue collar workers are more likely to work in companies and industries where environmental responsibility is very highly rated – and even more heavily regulated – than in companies employing white collar workers. As a result, for many of us, our efforts at home are undone when we go to work.”
For Amos, it’s the little things that make all the difference. For example, 70% of office waste is recyclable but only 8% ever makes it as far as a recycling bin. What’s more, going green has many benefits that some businesses are missing out on. “It saves businesses money, fits with our modern values, helps us to follow a healthier lifestyle and, nowadays, is hassle-free. With the price of oil, gas and electricity escalating, along with the rising costs of raw materials, it has never been a more critical time for offices to take definitive action.”
Becoming a Green Office!
5 quick tips to green your workplace and to help you on your office on its way to becoming green:
1. Put plants in the office to literally green your workplace! Not only do they look good, but plants can reduce air pollution in enclosed spaces.
2. Choose recyclable products and paper and wood products that are FSC-certified, to guarantee that they come from sustainable sources.
3. Set up a green ideas scheme to encourage and reward colleagues who come up with energy saving and other green ideas.
4. Use labels to stick over existing labels on envelopes then re-use them.
5. Avoid disposable products such as paper towels, paper plates and paper cups.
For loads more tips and advice, log on to www.greenofficeweek.eu this Green Office Week!
Turned On by the Environment?
To increase awareness of the issue and to empower the UK’s office workers to make a difference, Avery is launching the first ever Green Office Week, March 2nd – 6th 2009. To join forces with offices across the country and to find out more about how you can make a difference, log on to www.greenofficeweek.eu
No comments:
Post a Comment