Why do my team complain about their digs?

If your team complains about their digs so often you wonder if they’ll ever be happy, then it’s time to consider why. Here are 5 causes of accommodation disappointment that might be affecting your team:

Digs that Suit You and not Them

It wouldn’t be the first time contractors have told us that what their company has requested for them isn’t actually what they want. It’s natural to first think about what you would want from accommodation if you were staying there, but it doesn’t always match up to what your team would request. Obviously, budgets have to be considered, but there are many options in a similar price range. It’s a good idea to have them take an anonymous questionnaire about what options they would prefer; the results might surprise you.

Sharing in Digs

One of the biggest causes of accommodation disappointment is having to share in digs, over things you wouldn’t usually. It’s easy to think the team won’t mind sharing rooms or a single bathroom for a short project, but what if they have to share on the next project as well? Sharing a room with a colleague for a week isn’t something most UK employees are expected to do, so your team might begin to think the arrangement is a bit unreasonable. 

Lack of privacy for an extended period of time also has an effect on mental health; causing paranoia, trust issues, and anxiety. It can also affect your team’s relationships with their family & partners if they feel they have no way of having a private conversation with them. Additionally, while it could boost team relationships, it could also break them if someone makes a poor roommate.

The Effects of Loss of Privacy

Poor Quality Digs

While keeping accommodation costs under control is essential, it is important to keep in mind what digs you can actually get with that budget. It’s easy to lose track of inflation and remember the quality of digs that budget could get in 2016, but prices are a lot different 6-7 years later (yes, it actually has been that long). If you haven’t updated your budget recently, it’s probably time to set up a meeting with us to help you set an updated budget. Another thing to remember is London prices. If you don’t have a different budget for working in London, it’s time to set one.

Not the Best Location

It’s common to request digs be as close to the site as possible, but this doesn’t take into account how this affects the digs themselves. Closer to the site will often be on a main road in the city centre, which could easily cause a noise problem when working nights. In addition, not considering the location can mean that your digs are in the middle of nowhere. They might be a great price, but your team probably won’t be too happy about it. While being close to amenities is desirable, being too close to a pub brings its own issues.

The Food

Many hotels have the option for breakfast, but not all offer breakfast at a good time for contractors. The breakfast options in some hotels are also very basic, only providing fruit and cereal, which is likely to irritate your team. The hotel might also be nowhere near any reasonably priced places to get food, resulting in your team having to spend an arm & a leg on their tea.

Here's some more info on customising your accommodation request!