JUBAIL: While privacy is part of the culture in Saudi Arabia, providing more shared spaces can boost staff morale and productivity, a global furniture company has recommended.

Steelcase, the furnishing firm, recently released its latest research entitled ‘The Privacy Crisis,’ which looked at the “strong influence of workspace configuration in fostering employee engagement, and how a poorly considered space design can actually harm productivity and creativity.”

Conducted with more than 10,000 employees in 17 countries, the research also gives insight into the characteristics of the Saudi workspace as well as the upcoming trends for meeting employees’ evolving needs.

As part of Steelcase’s research, 450 employees under the age of 45 were interviewed in the Kingdom, highlighting three findings related to the local workplace.

The first is that there is a strong culture of privacy at work with 56 percent of employees working in a shared private office, compared to the global average of 37 percent. Consequently, the level of open spaces is only 8 percent compared to 23 percent globally.

“Access to collaborative workspaces, breakout areas, canteens and meeting rooms remains very limited. Only 33 percent of employees have recreational areas compared to the 45 percent global average,” the report stated.

Secondly, the research found that workers believe that there employers do not pay enough attention to their wellbeing. Only 39 percent of respondents said their companies were taking an interest in their wellbeing, health and safety, which is far below the 54 percent global average.

The third finding is that 41 percent of employees interviewed perceive their workplace environment as stressful compared to the 35 percent global average, and only 40 percent feel relaxed and calm at work compared to the 59 percent global average.

Chris Congdon, director of research communications at Steelcase, said: “Companies operating in Saudi Arabia must also consider how workplace design impacts employee wellbeing. While a culture of privacy prevails in the Kingdom, simple changes to workspace configurations can help foster more engagement among staff and, in turn, reduce levels of stress.”

The company stated that the main challenge for Saudi-based organizations would be to “adjust their workplaces to the evolving needs of connected and digital-savvy employees, as well as to gear up for the arrival in the labor market of a large number of young and highly educated professionals with high expectations in terms of well-being and flexibility.”