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human health and well-being and
offer a promising method to passively
improve participation and improve
employee health.
Research from Dodge Data &
Analytics found that 69% of U.S.
building owners surveyed, who
implemented healthy building
features reported a corresponding
improvement in employee satisfaction
and engagement. Therefore, instead
of directly trying to change employee
behaviour, employers are finding it
easier to change their environment
by implementing passive health
interventions strategically through
pursuit and achievement of building
certifications such as the WELL
Building Standard TM (“WELLTM”).
This can act as a comprehensive,
comparable, and standardised ESG
Instead of
directly
trying to
change
employee
behaviour,
employers
are finding
it easier to
change their
environment
In order to thrive,
people need to
move, have access
to daylight and
alternate between
different physical,
emotional and
mental states
metric that can help investors
predict long-term growth of
corporate financial value.
Environmental interventions
target making the healthy choice the
easy choice by incorporating active
staircases and nutritiously stocked
break areas more visible or convenient.
Completely passive interventions such
as filtered air and water, or circadian
lighting can impact more people
and significantly increase wellness
programme participation rates up to
100% (i.e. all building occupants can
experience the benefits of cleaner air
or better lighting without taking any
specific action).
Recent research suggests that
these passive interventions can also
have positive impacts on employee
performance. A 2015 Harvard study,
for example, suggests that indoor
air quality improvements (i.e., low
concentrations of volatile organic
compounds and carbon dioxide) can
significantly improve cognitive function.
In order to thrive, people need to
move, have access to daylight and
alternate between different physical,
emotional and mental states, yet
the impact of the workplace on
health and productivity is often
an afterthought. When assessing
the business case to invest in
incorporating healthy features and
standards, it is important to be
clear about the relative value of the
interventions against the overall
operational expenditure.
Runners on the 16th floor running track of the White Collar Factory building, Old Street
CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
09
OPINION