Untidy offices lead to a loss of productivity and low staff morale, according to new research carried out by the National Association of Professional Organisers (NAPO).
It found that up to six weeks every year is spent by company executives trying to locate items they have misplaced at work.
A simple reorganisation of the office and desks where homes are found to accommodate errant items of furniture and belongings can increase productivity by 30 per cent.
Angela Wallace, president of NAPO, said: “Becoming more organised can help reduce stress, saves time and money, increases productivity and can enhance the quality of your life.”
What is more is that the image of a business is important and many companies use their premises in order to talk to new clients and customers.
By not having tidy work spaces the image of a firm can be tarnished by those coming to visit as clutter not only decreases productivity but gives the impression of inefficiency.
Almost half of those who were interviewed for the study said that fellow employees with untidy desks had equally messy work practices.
Looking at their own habits a third of respondents said they were embarrassed when their own desks were cluttered, showing the importance of tidiness in portraying a professional image.
NAPO has just launched Get Organised Month, which reflects the fact that this time of year after the festive period is a good time for companies to declutter their offices.
In order to keep on top of the backlog of papers and make sure that all the good work done on tidying does not become null and void within months or even weeks, systems can be put in place to recycle unwanted paper.
Employees are more likely to tidy up if it is made easy for them and they are provided with somewhere to move excess clutter to easily.
