The interwebs are all agog with the results of Staples.com’s recent survey about the top items employees wish their employers would change in the office. Not surprisingly, one top item workers want is the opportunity to stay out of the office altogether. Telecommuting is one of the most popular perks and that’s not likely to change. The other thing employees would change is their coworkers – or at least how their coworkers behave. 44% of participants said office politics was their biggest peeve.

There is Something Easier Employers Can Offer

Fortunately, there is also a lot of room for improvement in more concrete items. A full 35% of employees put nicer and more comfortable office furniture on their wish list. More than 50% actually gave their current office furniture a grade of C or lower. What’s really surprising is that 34% of employees wanted more private workspaces. This is a big blow to the idea that workers are clamoring for more collaborative spaces and open office layouts. It appears that what they might actually enjoy is higher cubicle walls with better acoustic control. Or, perhaps they would benefit from having workstations separated into smaller pods.

Did You Celebrate “Improve Your Office Day”?

Even if you missed this October 4^th observation, office improvements are likely to be welcomed by your employees at any time. Your workers probably won’t reach a consensus on what they consider to be “nicer” office furniture (for example, some people think wood is nicer than glass and vice-versa). But determining what constitutes more comfortable office furniture is fairly simple. The #1 item every employee loves is an ergonomic office chair. That’s a good place to start if you want to raise the grade your workers give their office furniture.