Office Workers Reap Healthy Spin-offs From Efficient Building Design

You would think it makes sense wouldn’t you. A healthy workplace would lead to a healthy workforce. But for too many organisations the failure to recognise that the working environment plays a huge role in their inability to have a work force that is productive, comfortable in their own skin (that is confident in their place within the organisation) and willing to further the betterment of the company.

A good friend of BTB, who works in one of Sydney’s newest and admired building’s, was pretty clear on the whole idea, ‘You’re just happy being there. The big picture from our organisation is that your valuable and we want to look after you”. Pretty simple isn’t it. Recent studies demonstrate considerable improvement in workplace well-being, productivity, retention of key talent and reduction in sick leave and reporting of stress related illness.

Professor Deo Prasad of the University of NSW's faculty of the Built Environment points out that keeping employees healthier and happier is a major financial incentive for businesses considering going green. "In the lifecycle of a building the salaries of the people working in the building is by far the single largest cost," he said. "If you can improve productivity by, say, 2-3 per cent you are making a huge difference. "Professor Prasad added that employers are also finding that providing green offices was helping them recruit and retain younger workers from Gen Y and beyond.

Learn more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/office-workers-reap-healthy-spinoffs-from-efficient-building-design-20110923-1kpdh.html#ixzz1ZB0NVLWO