office space has been shrinking for individual workers. Regardless of overall office size, the amount carved out for you and your colleagues is getting smaller. In 1987, the average executive office was 291 square feet. As of last year it was down to 241 square feet. A “senior professional” is now given an average of 98 square feet to work with, and those poor call centre workers only warrant 50 square feet, according to the International Facility Management Association.
The IFMA said the shrinking trend has slowed a bit, but as of 2006 over half of workers (59 percent) spent their days in a cubicle. Only 7 percent of folks work in open areas with no partitions.
“There has been a strong overall trend to reduce square footage and most companies that had the opportunity, through drivers such as relocations or major reorganizations, have taken advantage of this,” said Melodee Wagen, president of Workspace Strategies Inc., when the data was released. “However, space reduction can only be taken to a certain point and have the individual workspace remain functional.”
Report: Tech’s Gender Gap Widened by Uninviting Workplace
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