If your employees are frequently sick, it may be a sign of poor air quality in the workplace.
If you manage a small business, you probably already know that happy, healthy employees are the most productive on the job. Many problems in the office are obvious and have simple solutions — fixing a broken air conditioning unit or replacing harsh fluorescent lights with softer ones, for example. However, sometimes the problem is harder to pin down. Do your employees frequently call in sick or seem listless and distracted while on the job? You may want to look into your indoor air quality. Numerous studies have shown a direct link between airborne pollutant levels in the workplace and employee productivity. For example:
- A 2011 study by Joshua Zivin and Matthew Neidell for the National Bureau of Economic Research examined ambient ozone levels and their effect on farm workers in California. They found that on average, decreasing the ozone concentration by only 10 parts per billion (PPB) led to a worker productivity increase of 4.2 percent. The authors emphasized in their summary that this is proof of the mutual benefits of environmental regulation for both business owners and employees, as employees' health was improved while profits increased.
- Similarly, a study by Bjarne Olsen, the chair of the International Center for Indoor Environment and Energy, found that improvements in air quality and ventilation improved office workers' productivity by 5 to 10 percent.
- In a 2002 study by air quality expert William Fisk, 23 percent of office workers were found to have symptoms of sick building syndrome, or SBS, a chronic condition linked to poor air quality in offices. Fisk estimates that this leads to annual losses for the US economy of about $60 billion.
If you suspect your office may have an air quality problem, contact US Air Purifiers for help choosing between the many office air purifiers we have in stock.