UK productivity vs Europe
Figures from PwC’s most recent Economic Outlook puts UK productivity more than 30% behind the US and around 10-15% behind Germany. The firm also predicts that if the productivity puzzle could be solved it would be worth £83bn a year to the economy. That’s a pretty juicy number that we’d all like a slice of, and while some of our productivity issues can be addressed by better roads, rail and air infrastructure, there are plenty that are a lot closer to home. Of course, there are opportunities to tackle productivity through the application of technology and working practices, but there are also those that are a lot smaller, and simpler, to deal with that can have a positive effect.Helping staff succeed
I also agree with Canadian psychologist Jordan Petersen who talks about the importance of cleaning your room. It comes from the belief that teenagers want to change the world, but if they can’t keep their bedrooms tidy how can they tackle the big issues. And if we can’t get our people working productively how can we make our businesses succeed? Breaks, and lunchbreaks specifically, offer the chance to relax and refuel, which gives fresh impetus and creativity to take on the rest of the day. Being tied to a desk all day is like thrashing a car. It may give you speed and great performance at the start, but it will eventually run out of power.Implementing positive change
However, it appears to be happening in businesses across the country. A new survey by Flexioffices found that almost a third of workers only find time to leave their desks for a full break two or three times a week while also reporting that 78% of Brits don’t have a suitable breakout area to eat their lunch. This has created a trend that’s been dubbed eating ‘Al Desko’, which won’t be good for the physical and mental health of our workers and the performance of our businesses. Now it seems like quite a leap to go from Brexit to giving workers somewhere to enjoy their lunchtime sarnies, but the impact of major shockwaves to the economy such as recessions, or in this case leaving the EU, have huge effects on businesses. It means being agile to the economy as it shifts around us and by addressing all of the small issues, it will be easier to tackle the big ones.Share this story