How your office space affects employee health
Sometimes, employers can view employee health as separate from their performance at work.
The truth is that employee health affects everything about their working experience. Poor health leads to more absenteeism and presenteeism, not reaching full productivity even when they are in the office, and costs employers millions in health benefits.
As businesses realize the impact employee health can have on their bottom lines, they have tried to implement workplace health initiatives with varying degrees of success. Research by Rand Health into employee wellness programs found that only a minority of surveyed employees took part in the workplace wellness programs offered by their employers.
Building health considerations into your office space can be one way to circumvent the problem of low employee participation rates. Here are 5 wellness and health considerations you can address with your workplace design, amenities or features.
Movement
Sedentary behavior carries greater risk of negative health outcomes like heart disease, stroke, insulin resistance and diabetes. In fact, even people that get the recommended daily exercise are still at risk for the adverse effects if they engage in long, uninterrupted periods of sitting.
One of the most impactful ways that employers can improve employee health is by interrupting sedentary behavior.
This can be achieved in a number of different ways including:
- Implementing adjustable-height desks that allow employees to alternate between sitting and standing every couple of hours
- Encouraging walking meetings whenever possible
- Introducing opportunities to take short walking breaks
Light
Humans function on a body clock, also known as the circadian rhythm. This innate sense of time is influenced by environmental factors, particularly light. You’ve probably read about the blue light of LED bulbs and the effect that may be having on our circadian rhythms.
The lighting in your office can probably be improved. Fluorescent bulbs have long been derided as the culprits of headaches and eye strain. While their ability to make employees more productive is still under review, many lighting companies believe that introducing high-tech lights that control the level and wavelength of lights through smartphone applications is the way to go. This “human-centric” lighting aims to mimic the natural patterns of light that humans lived with until the invention of the lightbulb.
However, the best way to use light to improve employee health is to actually increase their exposure to natural light. Dark window tints, interior offices and blinds all converge to reduce the levels of natural light that employees encounter at work. Whenever possible, incorporate natural lighting into your office environment.
Nature
Access to greenspace has demonstrated positive health effects in many different area, but not everyone has the luxury of spending a lot of time outdoors.
To help combat this and keep your employees’ feelings of well-being high, consider bringing more nature into the workspace. Encourage employees to care for plants, especially low-maintenance varieties that can adapt well to the office environment.
Air quality
A recent study that examined the effects of improved air quality on cognition shows just how beneficial cleaner air can be.
By simulating the environments of conventional office buildings, green buildings that meet higher air quality standards and “enhanced” green buildings with even better ventilation. Even though the study only had 24 participants, the results saw an average 101% improvement in cognition tests for “enhanced” green buildings over conventional office environments.
By investing in better air filtration and ventilation, this same study found that at a cost of $14-$40 per person per year, businesses could see a return of up to $6,500 in increased productivity per person. These productivity increases are due in part to reduced absenteeism because of illness.
Nourishment
Healthy food and drink options offer another high-impact way to boost employee health in your office. Beyond offering healthy food for meetings and gatherings, providing an environment that encourages healthy choices is essential.
Make sure your office has some way to store and prepare food, so employees have the ability to bring their lunches. Even better, consider installing healthy vending machines so employees have a backup plan that’s better than fast food.
When considering office design, make sure the break room or kitchen is inviting so employees want to eat their home-cooked lunch rather than going out.
There are plenty of ways that your office environment can have a positive effect on employee health. If you want to learn more about employee wellness, check out our comprehensive guide to designing an employee wellness program.