The healthy workplace is more productive

January 1, 1

Curing sick buildings can improve profits as well as wellbeing.

The need for healthy workplaces

Since ‘sick building syndrome’ was first identified as an issue in the 1980s, employers have stepped up their efforts to improve the workplace environment. After all, we spend up to 90 percent of our time indoors, so it’s important that the spaces where we work support our wellbeing.

The need for healthy workplaces is even more important today, as we transition to a knowledge-based economy. With 92 percent of a company’s operating costs1 linked directly to personnel expenses, anything that can be done to improve people’s productivity is beneficial. 

Research suggests that the benefits of investing in a healthy workplace justify the cost. For example, 79 percent of building owners2 who invested in a healthy building strategy saw better employee satisfaction and engagement. Employee surveys indicate that highly engaged employees can improve business performance by 30 percent3

Healthy buildings are more valuable, too. Nearly three-quarters of building owners reported that healthier buildings were easier to lease and more attractive to premium tenants. And 62 percent saw a positive impact on the building’s value4, meaning sustainable features can potentially affect resale rates5.

People cost
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of operating costs linked to people

Employee satisfaction and engagement
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better employee satisfaction and engagement from healthier buildings

Business performance
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improvement in business performance with engaged employees

We help cure sick buildings

There’s still work to be done, though. Cited by 60 percent of respondents to a 2016 study6, access to daylight is still seen as a key feature of a healthier workplace. And only 34 percent of employees are satisfied with noise levels, even in new workplaces7.

ROCKWOOL insulation helps cure sick buildings and create better working environments. Our acoustic ceiling and insulation solutions reduce noise levels so employees can concentrate, even in open-plan spaces, while thermal stone wool insulation helps keep interior temperatures at optimum levels. And with their smooth, reflective surfaces, our ceiling panels also help disperse light more effectively.

Given the potential returns, there’s clear value for building owners and employers in responding to the demand for healthy buildings and incorporating human-centric designs into the workplace.

 

1: Leesman Report, 100, 000+ A workplace effectiveness report 
2: Dodge Data & Analytics, “Smart Market Report”, 2016
3: Hay Group, "Employee Engagement" 
4: Leesman Report, 100,000+ A workplace effectiveness report
5: GRESB, ” The Value of an Integrated Sustainability Strategy for Real Estate Companies and Funds”, 2016
6: 
Dodge Data & Analytics, “Smart Market Report”, 2016

7: Leesman, "The next 250K"

 

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