Office Environment has a profound impact on Work Efficiency and worker Health in the context of Returning to the Office!
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
??The quality of the office environment has a profound impact on work efficiency and worker health, both of which contribute to a company’s overall performance.
?? A better overall office environment was associated with higher perceived work efficiency among workers.
?? Worker health in the workplace environment is receiving increasing attention from a human capital perspective, and thus will become increasingly important for understanding the influence of the office environment on worker health.
Eight elements of the office environment have significant economic benefits related to work efficiency and presenteeism, according to a new interesting research published in the journal Building and Environment by a team of researchers from Japan using data from 1,644 workers in 29 office buildings in Tokyo, Japan.
? Relationship of office environment with perceived work efficiency and presenteeism
Researchers highlight that worker health in the workplace environment is receiving increasing attention from a human capital perspective, and thus will become increasingly important for understanding the influence of the office environment on worker health. This research look at the impacts of various environmental elements on both work efficiency and worker health.
?? Researchers found that the better the overall office environment, the higher the work efficiency, with significant differences observed among the groups.
The better the overall office environment, the lower the performance loss due to presenteeism among workers, with significant differences observed between the Low and Medium groups as well as between the Low and High groups.
?Work efficiency and health of participants
?? Researchers noticed that participants in this study, perceived their work efficiency in the office to be at an average of approximately 77%.
?? Researchers found also that the average percentage decrease in performance due to presenteeism was approximately 34%.
?Economic benefits from work efficiency and presenteeism due to good office environment
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Researchers found that the eight elements of the office environment have significant economic benefits related to work efficiency and presenteeism:
1?? Interior and furnishings comfortable for work
2?? The entire buildings feels unsanitary
3?? The airflow of the HVAC system is uncomfortable
4?? Meeting spaces can be selected
5?? The heat or cold is uncomfortable
6?? The communication network causes stress
7?? Buildings feels unsafe during disasters or emergencies
8?? Brightness is uneven
These eight elements are expected to assist stakeholders in making decisions about where to prioritize investments when building or renovating office buildings.
?? Researchers found that the element with the largest estimated economic benefits related to high work efficiency was the office interior and furnishings, and the element with the largest estimated economic benefits due to the degree of low presenteeism was desk lighting.
?? Finally researchers conclude that the physical environment affects work efficiency and worker health through a person’s psychological and physiological state. These findings suggest that a healthy office environment requires the elimination of negative elements.
Thank you ?? 法政大学 Keio University 北九州市立大学 千葉大学 researchers team for these insightful findings:
Arata shiro Yasuyuki Shiraishi , Tatsuya Hayashi Shun Kawakubo Shintaro Ando, Masaki Sugiuchi Toshiharu Ikaga
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1 年Yes, indeed a good correlation on Office Env & Work Eff. & Worker Health Nicolas BEHBAHANI thanks for sharing. - I agree - just read JLL research on workplace & they mentioned that - “Tomorrow’s workplace is a vision of innovative networked spaces & technologies – a space where your people can come together to interact & collaborate not just with colleagues, but also with entrepreneurs and employees from other organizations. - Leaders can build a conducive work environment by prioritizing the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of employees. All the 8 elements r imp. - Leaders need to consistently engage with employees to understand their needs & preferences regarding the office environment, thus actively improving efficiency & promoting a healthy workplace culture.
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1 年Thanks Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Lead consultant in HR Strategy & Value Management. Enhancing Value through Human Performance. Delivery of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training. Lecturer and International Speaker on HRM and Value Management.
1 年Another interesting post Nicolas - a little time ago I was talking to the CEO of a software company who told me that he had been advised, by a business consultant, that it would be better to segregate his two software teams so as to reduce interruption in an attempt to increase productivity. The outcome was disastrous. The teams grew apart and didn't even meet up socially (as they had done before). This resulted in a lack of communication and collaboration which, in turn, resulted in a reduction in innovation and creativity - negating any gains that may have been made in productivity. The support provided by one team to another no longer existed (which had a negative effect on development for both the employee and the company). This just goes to show how workplace design can enable or put a constraint on operational performance.
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1 年Hi Nicolas, good cross-section of ‘environment’ factors here. But, alas I feel a bit ‘oh here we go again’ as we again put so much measurement effort into missing a whole lot of other bigger things. So, just quickly - I work in the Human Factors and Human & Organisation Performance spaces. What opened my eyes to the direct, DEEPLY human interface between our ‘external ecologies’ and our ‘inner ecologies’ (sparked 30yrs ago when I stumbled on the genius of Gregory Bateson’s “Steps to an Ecology of Mind” while doing Human and behavioural ecology) is this: They both intersect and feedback, forwards and sideways IN US well below our level of conscious awareness. It’s the space I play in, of ‘Unconscious Cognition’ and what goes on ‘down there’ profoundly effects EVERYTHING WE DO. And so, the upshot - like the ubiquitous ‘fruit bowls’, we can have the ‘coolest’ spaces and fads in our workspaces, but if the felt Psychosocial Safety isn’t there (think power, tenure, genuine community etc) none of it will stack up to a hill ‘o’ beans.
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1 年Nicolas - as Dave says - fascinating research - shaping a conducive work environment begins with a culture of inclusivity and responsiveness to employees’ needs. In tandem with practical changes—better lighting, comfortable furniture, safe infrastructure—employers should promote open dialogues about individuals’ comfort, wellbeing, and productivity. Only then do we create spaces where employees not only return to but also thrive in. Let's keep it balanced! Great inspiring Tuesday!