The Hidden Cost of Office Clutter on Workplace Efficiency
The cost of office clutter is more than the removal expenses. Over time, things get worse and can cause severe incidents, both physical and mental. Here are some of the worst examples, from reducing employee productivity to adding potential safety hazards to the workspace.
A Negative Professional Image
Cluttered workspaces come with many adverse effects, most notably on efficiency. However, a company's professional image can also become tarnished from the perspective of clients, visitors, and inspectors. 98% of business owners consider reputation management their biggest priority. A service like this found at https://www.junkluggers.com/bucks-montgomery-and-philadelphia-counties/doylestown-junk-removal/ can help commercial businesses remove unwanted equipment and junk from the office.
Vastly Reduced Productivity
Productivity is the bread and butter of a business, and workers are entitled to feel safe and efficient in a workplace. However, the brain can’t process information as well as it needs to when surrounded by safety hazards, cramped conditions, and filth. As a result, clutter can decrease productivity by up to 25% for each worker. That means less work done, more mistakes, and increased expenses. For this reason alone, a safe and tidy office is in your best interest.
The Cost of Office Clutter on Mental Health
There are obvious physical limits and hazards when a workspace or office is cluttered. However, there is also a severe mental impact that comes with it. A study by Showpad concluded that 69% of UK workers experience workplace anxiety, made even worse by an unsafe place:
Clutter stimulates the brain too much, creating a sensory overload for some people.
It is hard for some workers to focus on the job when surrounded by clutter.
Excessive clutter has been linked to low self-esteem and heightened depression.
Addressing mental health at work is a top priority for any modern company that cares about employees. You can begin by at least addressing some obvious causes of workplace stress.
More Potential Safety Hazards
Clutter is physical and gets in the way. Because of this, many more potential hazards can cause injury or even death. Unsanitary conditions come with workplace clutter, causing more workplace illness than necessary. However, slips, trips, and falls caused by issues such as clutter account for 32% of non-fatal workplace accidents. As a business owner, you could be held liable for any injuries to an employee at work.
Increased Equipment Maintenance Costs
Every business needs equipment, from computers to specialist manufacturing items. Each piece of equipment costs between 10% and 20% of the original price to maintain each year. However, a cluttered and cramped space will add more to the costs. Unnecessary items in an office attract dangerous asthma-causing dust. This settles onto and inside equipment such as desktop PCs, vastly reducing their lifespan to the point they need to be replaced earlier than necessary.
Summary
A business can look unprofessional and take a reputational hit, a hidden cost of office clutter. However, workplace efficiency can also be affected as employees experience poor mental health as a direct result. Financially, equipment will also need to be replaced prematurely.
