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Mobile office equipment 'essential' in summer
25/06/2007 16:00
British workers are increasingly keen to get out of the office and make the most of what little sunshine the UK provides over the summer.
And with modern office furniture and electrical gadgets, such as a wireless computer mouse and laptop with Wi-Fi, this is becoming an increasingly realistic proposition.
Recent research by Future Laboratory has found that 73 per cent of people considered the ability to work flexibly to be a deciding factor when choosing a new job, while 91 per cent admitted they were keen to get out of the traditional office environment.
Poorly designed offices, with outdated office equipment and poor furniture, can cause workers' morale to drop, while modern advances in printers and computer technology means employees are often quite able to take their office with them wherever they go - even to the beach.
"Mobile workers have more variety in their work and greater flexibility," Tom Stewart, a psychologist and expert on people and technology told Reuters. "They are happy and motivated, making them more productive and efficient."
One company trying to encourage the use of outdoor office is Microsoft Windows Mobile, whose new campaign has seen it build a "tree-office" in Pimlico Gardens in London.
"We're trying to illustrate the fact that there are more creative ways for people to work these days. A tree house is one, slightly wacky example," James McCarthy of Microsoft Windows Mobile said.
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