LONDON - Want to make your employees more productive and creative? Well, then allow them to take shower during the working day.

That’s the conclusion of a new study, which involved four businesses - a restaurant, an architect firm, an advertising agency and a lingerie company.

All the firms took part in the eight-week study, conducted by PR firm Lucre.

In addition to their usual daily wash, staff took a shower break - and results showed improvement across a range of areas, from mood to productivity, reports The Telegraph.

The study found that employees taking shower breaks at the four businesses - ad agency Home, in Leeds, restaurant The Chancery, in London, architects and designers 3s, in London, and Simone Perele UK, a lingerie company in Surrey - saw an overall boost in productivity and creativity of 42 per cent and 33 per cent respectively.

Lucre said that during a control period of four weeks, staff recorded how they were feeling throughout the working day. Then, workers spent a further month taking a minimum of one shower break a day, while filling in questionnaires rating among other criteria if they felt more productive or creative.

Sam Walsh, an employee at Home who participated in the study, said: “I found that showering gave me some peace and quiet, being away from the ringing phones in the office was great for mulling over ideas.

“I even came up with a great new TV ad idea for one of our clients while I was in there. As well as helping me get a fresh perspective on things, I also found it a great pick-me-up on the days when I felt tired.”

Nicholas Patterson, general manager of The Chancery, said: “Our hardworking staff members are on their feet for long shifts in what is a hot and hectic environment.

“Shower breaks made sure they took time away from the restaurant to refuel and freshening up their feet with a shower also offered them physical benefits which made them work more effectively in the restaurant.”

Lucre conducted the survey for client Mira Showers. (ANI)