Workspace design gets thumbs-down
By Simon Hooper for CNN
 |  Many office say it is important to have a personalized workspace. |
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Workers are spending more time at their desks than in their living rooms, yet most feel let down by their work environment.
In a survey by office furniture manufacturers Logitech asking workers to grade the design of their workspace, 56 percent rated their office or cubicle as a "C" or below.
Only six percent of employees gave their office an "A" grade.
More than half of those who rated their desks as "C" or worse said they would feel more valued if they were given more input into shaping their environment and 84 percent said their comfort levels could be improved.
"Whether because of clutter, lack of personal input, or poor computer systems, U.S. office workers are often displeased or see room for improvement with the state of their workspace," said Brenda Batenburg, senior manager of market research for Logitech.
"With a little more control of layout and furniture -- and some better computer systems and peripherals -- workers tend to feel happier and even more valued.
"The overall design of the workspace is critical when considering just how much time people spend in their workspace, and what's expected of them."
Comfort and design
According to the research, workers now spend an average of 37.5 hours at week at work -- more than 14 hours a week longer than in their living room -- and a majority say they place equal importance on the comfort and design of both.
Almost half of women (46 percent) and a third of men said their emotional state was affected by the state of their workspace and three percent of all those surveyed said they dreaded going to work because of the state of the desks.
A tidy desk was clearly linked to productivity, with 60 percent of respondents agreeing they find it easier to work when uncluttered by paper, files and computer cords.
The modern preference for hot-desking in open-plan offices also gets a cool reception from workers.
More than three-quarters said it was important to be allowed to personalize their workspace while almost half (43 percent) complained about a lack of privacy.
