NEW research has shown that employees operate and perform more effectively in a healthy working environment.
The report, compiled by commercial property and real estate services adviser CBRE and a research team at the University of Twente in the Netherlands found that just minor changes to the office workplace could have a positive effect.
‘The Snowball Effect of Healthy Offices’ report research was conducted at CBRE’s Amsterdam headquarters, where 124 employees participated. For two months data was collected with no changes, followed by a five-month period in which one element of the office was adapted each month.
Workplaces were fitted out with more plants, better lighting and participants were encouraged to exercise more, relax and eat more healthily. Other methods were also used in addition to these experiments, including daily questionnaires, one-to-one interviews and activity trackers.
The results suggest that the changes made to the office environment had a positive impact on the employees’ health and well-being, and that productivity improved.
CBRE Belfast director David Wright said just a few small changes could make a big difference.
“We now spend the majority of our time in work – a place where a focus on health and well-being is a new development.
“Creating a more positive working environment for employees can be achieved by implementing a few very simple but effective techniques, such as adding more plants around the office, offering healthy alternative snacks, and encouraging staff to exercise more.”
“Making these modifications to our offices can prove to be a smart business investment, as the introduction of healthier offices can lead to less people taking sick leave, reduced cases of stress and burnout, and high staff turnover being eradicated," he added.
