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| Workers under pressure to be seen to be green
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| | A poll commissioned by
Capgemini has shown that
a third (34%) of
employees had been
forced by their peers to
go green.
However, the
research, to identify
the most effective
incentives to promote
staff energy efficiency,
found that almost half
(42%) of the 1,389
employees questioned by
YouGov supported
environmental
initiatives in the
workplace because of
their own environmental
beliefs.
The polling provides
valuable guidance to
businesses keen to
incentivise staff to
reduce energy bills by
highlighting how
important a factor peer
pressure and access to
information can be. In
addition to peer
pressure, one in five
(18%) see ignorance of | |
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| | environmental issues as
a key barrier in green
initiatives being
implemented in the
workplace. Wasteful
behaviour by employees
in office environments
increases energy
consumption by 20%,
costing UK firms over
£157m every year,
according to Carbon
Trust. This is set to
climb further with
energy prices for
businesses having
already risen 38% in
2008, according to the
UK Business Advice
Barometer.
The research
highlights that a
one-size-fits-all
approach to behavioural
change is inappropriate.
A variety of factors
were identified by the
research as potential
drivers of green
behaviours in the
workplace. Personal
success followed closely
behind personal beliefs | |
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| | corporate sustainability
at Capgemini UK plc,
commented: “Achieving
the necessary change in
business culture
requires employee
engagement and
co-operation. From our
experience, engaging
employees and offering
them simple, effective
ways of changing their
behaviours appears to
deliver the most
significant level of
engagement. This can
only be accomplished
through strong
leadership from the top
combined with simple
effective systems at the
front line.”
Across the nation,
the West Midlands is
seen to have the lowest
(34%) inclination to
engage in
environmentally friendly
initiatives, as opposed
to London where more
than half (52%) of
employees share the
green beliefs of their | |
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| | employers (see table
below). Nearly half
(45%) of those in the
South West, the South
East and Scotland are
also following green
initiatives for ethical
reasons.
Sector variations
Nearly two-thirds
(61%) of respondents in
the leisure industry
believe employees engage
in green initiatives for
ethical reasons while
only one in five (20%)
in agriculture share the
same notion. Financial
services (52%),
professional services
(50%), service sector
(49%) and public sector
(45%) are all above
average (42%) when it
comes to believing that
ethics is a key driver
for their colleagues to
follow green policies
within the workplace. | |
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| | and peer pressure with
one in six (16%)
employees seeing career
benefits from being seen
to be green, while 17%
expect direct financial
rewards. Incentives
based on personal gain
were particular popular
with younger workers,
with one in five (23%)
employees between 18 and
24 believing financial
rewards are an essential
factor in encouraging
employees to be
environmentally
friendly.
James Robey, head of | |
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