‘Green’ Buildings May Boost Productivity, Cut Down on Sick Days

Studies show working in a green-certified building has its benefits

By Michael Molinski

When evaluating a job offer, there's more to consider than salary and health care benefits. New research suggests that working in a green-certified building could improve productivity, job performance and overall well-being.

A series of new studies, led by Harvard University and SUNY Upstate Medical University, found that occupants of high-performing green buildings showed higher cognitive function scores, fewer sick-building symptoms and higher sleep quality scores than workers in high-performing buildings without green certification.

"One thing employees might not be thinking about, but should, is their workspace," said Joe Allen, assistant professor at Harvard University's School of Public Health and co-author of the report. The studies, he said, "found that green certification, thermal conditions and lighting influenced worker perception of their space as well as their cognitive function. Good companies know the value of providing a healthy workspace. Healthy buildings are a recruiting tool, after all."

A "high-performing building" is one that meets the standards of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, which promotes energy efficiency and good indoor air quality in buildings. A "green-certified" building is one that not only is high-performing but also meets the U.S. Green Building Council's standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The studies, released Nov. 25, 2016, surveyed 109 office workers during 2015 and 2016 across 10 high-performing office buildings in five climactically different U.S. cities—Boston, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles.

"[The studies] suggest that if you work in a green-certified building, you're likely to sleep better and feel better—which can then improve how well you perform at work," said John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer at United Technologies, an aerospace company based in Hartford, Conn., which commissioned the study.

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/green-workplaces.aspx?platform=hootsuite

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