YOUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT IS KILLING YOU!Many of us spend plenty of our time at work, but

YOUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT IS KILLING YOU!

Many of us spend plenty of our time at work, but rarely give much thought to how our environment might be affecting us.

Open offices could be making you unproductive and unhappy. A 2011 review of studies examined the effects of various types of office environments. It found that open offices can have a negative impact on workers when it comes to focus, efficiency, creativity and job satisfaction12. However, a 2013 study found that employees with private offices were more satisfied at work.

A noisy workspace could be killing your concentration because of phones ringing and colleagues chatting, typing and moving around. These noises are the “enemy of focus” and meaningful time is lost.

Your working environment could be upping your stress levels. A recent Monster.com poll found that 42 percent of U.S. workers have left a job due to stressful environment. It also found that 61 percent of American workers believe that work stress has been a cause of illness.

A sedentary lifestyle. increases your risk of disease. We’ve all heard that “sitting is the new smoking”. Your desk job could almost be killing you. Sitting at a desk all day can also contribute to aches and pains, while staring at a computer screen for hours can cause vision problems and headaches.

It’s no exaggeration that your working environment is killing you. Be alert!

1. Many of us __________ pay much attention to our working environment. {A; B; C}

A. seldom

B. often

C. always

2. Open offices could make you __________.{A; B; C}

A. efficient and unhappy

B. inefficient and upset

C. relaxed and happy

3. It was found that employees with _________ were more satisfied at work. {A; B; C}

A. private offices

B. open offices

C. new offices

4. According to the passage, _________ are the “enemy of focus”. {A; B; C}

A. colleagues chatting

B. phone ringing

C. noises

5. Staring at a computer screen for hours increases your chances of _________. {A; B; C}

A. vision problems

B. headaches

C. Both A and B