The Government Property Agency’s Peterborough hub has been named as one of the world’s best workplaces.
Quay House has been awarded Leesman+ certification by the workplace research company Leesman, which it says recognises "top-tier workplaces, providing a precedent to organisations around the world".
It is the second time the GPA has achieved the certification, after its Birmingham hub secure the rating last year. Only six public sector offices worldwide have ever attained Leesman+ status.
Quay House opened in March 2023 as the GPA’s first new-build hub within the Government Hubs Programme, as part of a £120m regeneration of the Fletton Quays development in Peterborough.
Some 1,200 civil servants work at the building, from organisations including HM Passport Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
A survey of staff who work at the hub by Leesman found 70.1% of respondents agreed that Quay House is “a place I’m proud to bring visitors to”. Two-thirds agreed the building provides an enjoyable environment to work in and enables them to work productively.
Leesman awarded Quay House a score of 70.6, making it an "exellent" workplace. A score of 80 or above would set the building apart as "outstanding".
The company has surveyed more than 1.35 million employees across 9,300 workplaces for its ranking. So far, 269 workplaces been awarded coveted Leesman+ certification.
Georgina Dunn, the GPA’s interim director of capital projects, said: “By transforming brownfield sites into industry leading workplaces, our government hubs are at the heart of enabling the government’s Places for Growth programme.
“For our hubs in Peterborough and Birmingham to be given Leesman+ recognition shows that we are at the forefront of modernising the civil service whilst supporting economic growth across the UK, not just in capital cities.”
Louis Roberts, interim director of workplace services, said: “We recognise the importance of agile and flexible workplace communities that accommodate the diverse needs of civil servants. As these needs continue to evolve, strong insights enable us to adapt our design and delivery models to ensure we are providing workplaces that our customers need, where they feel empowered to work productively.”
Roberts added that insights on staff behaviour and priorities from Leesman’s surveys can help to inform the GPA’s workplace design and service delivery.