A BETTER OVERALL OFFICE

ENVIRONMENT WAS ASSOCIATED

WITH HIGHER PERCEIVED WORK

EFFICIENCY AMONG

WORKERS .

HEALTHY WORKFORCE

IMPROVES productivity and contributes to organisational growth . Previous studies have shown that the work environment greatly influences work efficiency and the health of the workers . However , the exact economic benefits of maintaining an optimal built environment in the workplace remains unclear . In a new study , researchers from Japan have quantified the economic benefits associated with the elements of an office environment . Their findings underline the importance of developing healthier and more comfortable office spaces for improving productivity .

The quality of the office environment significantly affects work efficiency and worker health . Therefore , creating and maintaining an optimal built environment in the office can be a key step in maximising a company ’ s economic growth . Previous research has examined how indoor environmental quality ( IEQ ), including elements like temperature , air quality , lighting and noise , impacts work efficiency and worker health . However , these studies do not tend to focus simultaneously on work efficiency and worker health , nor do they quantify the economic benefits of optimising office environments .

In a new study in Volume 243 of the journal , Building and Environment , researchers from Japan investigated how office environmental elements impact work efficiency and worker health , while also analysing the economic benefits of optimising these elements . They surveyed 1,644 workers in 29 office buildings in Tokyo , collecting data on the built environment through worker questionnaires

and physical IEQ measurements . They then compared the perceived work efficiency ( reported by workers ) in offices to that in an ‘ ideal ’ office with maximum work efficiency to estimate the economic value provided by the built environment . Similarly , they looked at the extent of presenteeism ( working while sick ) and compared it to a scenario where workers faced no health-related barriers to work . The study , led by Professor Shun Kawakubo from the Faculty of Engineering and Design at Hosei University , Japan , included colleagues Shiro Arata and Masaki Sugiuchi from Hosei University , and others .

The study found that participants perceived their work efficiency to be at an average of approximately 77 %. Presenteeism varied , with some participants reporting no symptoms in the last 30 days , while others experiencing symptoms every day . The average decrease in performance due to presenteeism was approximately 34 %.

The effects of overall office environment elements on perceived work efficiency and presenteeism were examined in the study . A better overall office environment was associated with higher perceived work

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