Optimising workspace isn't just fashionable, it can make financial sense, according to a report by Ricoh and Oxford Economics.

Rethinking Irish office workspace would boost the economy by up to €3.4B, the Irish Examiner reports.

Office layout, design, privacy, providing the right kind of personal space, better lighting, better and fresher air and more opportunities for coworking and sharing would all help, the report indicated.

Irish office occupiers are already investing in improving their fitouts: the research showed that a third of occupiers are planning to spend between 5% and 10% of their total operating costs on office modernisation initiatives in the next 12 months.

The sectors with the most to gain from re-thinking workspace are financial services (€1B), but both business services (€555M) and the public sector (€468M) could also see significant gains.

Irish office workers agree: the study showed that 93% of Irish workers believe their workstation is essential to productivity.