February 19, 2007—The lack of incentive and leadership from their bosses causes UK employees to be less environmentally conscious at work than at home, according to recent research from international solutions provider Logicalis.
The survey of over 1,000 employees across UK public and private sector organizations found that employees still look toward their employers to lead by example when it comes to being environmentally responsible.
Sixty-two percent of staff said their employer should offer incentives for being green in the workplace while 57 percent said they could be encouraged to act greener if their employer “led by example.”
The survey found that at home 94 percent of people switch off lights and 85 percent switch off their home PC after use, while only 66 percent and 53 percent, respectively, carry out these simple green practices in the workplace.
According to Logicalis, the difference in attitudes may be explained by the fact that just under half (43.3%) of those surveyed believed their employer only pays lip service to environmental issues, or is simply not interested in them at all, despite increasing environmental legislation and awareness, and increasing government scrutiny of the environmental impact of businesses in the UK.
In support of this belief, the researchers found that three quarters of employers provide facilities for recycling paper, but don’t use recycled materials themselves. Moreover, while three quarters of staff have access to double-sided printing and copying facilities, less than a quarter had been trained to use the equipment.
Logicalis suggests five steps for organizations to take to ensure employee support of environmental initiatives: incentives, leadership, innovation, technology, and education. For an explanation of these steps, as well as the full research report, visit Logicalis.
