Food and perfume smells have emerged as the biggest source of irritation for office workers, according to a survey reported by infohub.kz.
HR Director Tatyana Gribkova said that 32% of respondents are most annoyed by various odors, from food to colleagues' perfume. Noise came in second, cited by 27% of employees as a problem.
Another 22% complained about stuffiness and malfunctioning air conditioners. For 19% of workers, open-plan offices and a lack of personal space were an issue.
Each 13% of respondents were irritated by queues for meeting rooms and a shortage of kitchen or lounge areas.
"These results show that employees care not only about the office size but also about how conveniently the space is organized," Gribkova noted.
As a solution, the HR expert suggested creating quiet zones for concentration, implementing a clear meeting room booking system, and ensuring sufficient seating in common areas.
Meanwhile, 10% of survey participants said they are fully satisfied with their office environment.