Does your office have a “breakout area”? If not, beware – the sky may fall on you, says a YouGov survey.
Breakout areas, where staff can gather informally to discuss work, are now essential for attracting bright young creatives, says the survey, commissioned by a company that rents out offices.
Tim Conway-Gordon, a communications consultant, told the survey: “Breakout areas are indispensable. Removing myself from the demands of e-mail, telephone and other desk distractions allows me to give 100 per cent attention to colleagues.”
Well gosh, who could have suspected that sparsely furnished spaces would be so vital to the economy? But for those of us who are growing long-toothed and cynical, this new must-have carries echoes of previous “great office ideas”.
The last was hot-desking, where no one had anywhere to leave their family photographs and lucky gonk.
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But ever since the invention of the typewriter and the telephone, which in turn led to the creation of the modern office, all anyone has wanted is their own desk for their phone and keyboard. Oh, and a breakout area for discussing work... but that used to be called the pub.