01/09/2020
Green Offices, Energy Efficiency and Employee productivity
With a Green Office, you establish a sustainable office that informs, connects and supports your staff to act on sustainability. While there’s certainly a feel-good reason to consider voluntarily upgrading the workspace with better choices in lighting, air, and overall aesthetics, many companies can be reluctant to invest in “green” unless it can be tied back to the ever-important factor – “Return on Investment”. When we consider a green office, some of the upgrades do save on energy costs, but what about the more innovative approaches (such as air circulations systems that measure and monitor C02)? There’s good news for budgeters on that front, too.
Data have been growing in support of “green” buildings, and a 2016 Harvard report gives numbers that should make any good HR manager do a double-take. Employees working inside green-certified building showed cognitive function scores 26% higher than their peers in non-certified buildings. They also had 30% fewer symptoms associated with “sick building syndrome”—such as “watering eyes; hoarseness; headaches; dry, itchy skin; dizziness; nausea; heart palpitations; miscarriages; shortness of breath; nosebleeds; chronic fatigue; mental fogginess; tremors; swelling of legs or ankles; and cancer.”
There’s also potential to make the exterior of the workplace an important player in the green game. Giving workers access to the great outdoors isn’t just novel, it’s smart. Patios, lunch seating with access to native flora, and employee gardens all have a role in nurturing the creativity and focus research has supported.
It’s wise to remember, however, that more of a good thing isn’t always better. Enlisting the help of an expert—whether it be in HVAC, lighting, or greenery—is still recommended.
There’s balance involved in any green endeavour. “We don’t try to create an indoor jungle. We try to focus on the high impact pieces that create beauty and functionality in a space, while bringing the benefits of softening and calming the space, enhancing air quality, and mitigating noise and conserving energy, thus reducing energy costs”
