The World Green Building Council has developed a simple framework to help companies take action to improve IAQ in the workplace.
The framework issues a call to action for organisations to assess key environmental factors which affect health and wellbeing, and measure the economic factors they influence, such as productivity.
Simple steps like improving air quality, increasing natural light and introducing greenery can have a dramatic impact on the bottom line by improving employee productivity and reducing absenteeism, staff turnover and medical costs.
The report is the latest to be released under WorldGBC’s Better Places for People campaign. The report identifies eight key factors in creating healthier and greener offices which can impact on the bottom line. They are:
Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation – a well-ventilated office can double cognitive ability;
Thermal Comfort – staff performance can fall six per cent if offices are too hot and four per cent if they too cold;
Daylighting and Lighting – a study found workers in offices with windows got 46 minutes more sleep a night than workers without them;
Noise and Acoustics – noise distractions led to a 66 per cent drop in performance and concentration;
Interior Layout and Active Design – flexible working helps staff feel more in control of workload and encourages loyalty;
Biophilia and Views – processing time at one call centre improved by 7-12 per cent when staff had a view of nature;
Look and Feel – visual appeal is a major factor in workplace satisfaction.
An example of a workplace that promotes health and well-being is Medibank’s new office in Melbourne. It is the centrepiece of a culture change program for Australia’s largest health insurer.
The plant-filled building includes 26 types of workspaces, from tranquil areas to collaborative hubs, fireplaces on every floor, edible gardens and sports facilities.
Two in three staff feel healthier, 80 per cent are working more collaboratively and absenteeism is down five per cent.