Government hub named one of the world’s leading workplaces

This unprepossessing building in Peterborough has been named as one of the world’s leading workplaces by Leesman. The Government Property Agency (GPA) office hub building is the second building belonging to the GPA that has achieved Leesman+ certification – global recognition of exceptional workplace experiences which only six public sector offices worldwide have ever attained.

Quay House, in Peterborough, was opened in March 2023 as the GPA’s first new-build hub within the Government Hubs Programme. It brought together 1,200 civil servants from several government bodies to work in one shared building as part of a £120m regeneration of Fletton Quays.

The building was aligned to the Government Workplace Design Guide across its seven floors, providing flexible, digitally-connected workspaces to support greater productivity, create cost efficiencies and enhance carbon reduction.

The survey results for Quay House showed that 70.1 percent of respondents agreed ‘It’s a place I’m proud to bring visitors to’, whilst two thirds agreed the building provides an enjoyable environment to work in and enables them to work productively.

“The addition of the UK Government’s Quay House hub as a Certified Leesman+ workplace presents another powerful illustration that placing employees’ lived workplace experience at the centre of all design and build decisions delivers both outstanding places to work, and great returns on investment,” said Dr Peggie Rothe, Chief Insights and research Officer at Leesman. “The GPA’s approach of capturing and analysing a far more granular set of end user factors than nearly any other organisation in Leesman’s fully independent data set, really does enable them to develop more inclusive and supportive workspaces for their Civil Service colleagues.”

The Leesman Index is a widely recognised benchmark that measures workplace effectiveness and employee satisfaction. It collects data through employee surveys, evaluating how well work environments support productivity, comfort, and overall job satisfaction. The index considers various factors such as the quality of physical workspaces, available amenities, and the suitability of the environment for different types of work activities. Organisations use the Leesman Index to identify strengths and weaknesses in their workplace design, enabling them to make data-driven improvements that enhance employee well-being and performance.