Office plants and plenty of natural light may be the key to closing the UK’s productivity gap, according to research by a leading authority on health and well-being in the workplace
Sir Cary Cooper, who was recently appointed as the 50th Anniversary Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Manchester Business School, found that employee wellbeing was 15% higher in office spaces that had “biophilic” elements such as greenery and sunlight.
Further research by the University of Exeter discovered that adding plants to an office could improve productivity by 15%, as workers exposed to office foliage reported an increase in workplace satisfaction, self-reported concentration levels and perceived air quality.
In the north-east, office designers and developers have backed the idea.
Gavin Wyley, managing director of Dandara in Aberdeen, said the developer had deliberately incorporated biophilic elements at its new headquarters at Stoneywood, as well as for its oil and gas clients at its City South Office Park.
Mr Wyley said: “The levels of natural light in the workplace can have a tangible impact on a business. We spend a significant part of our life at work – and given the high level of competition for skilled staff in the north-east, the quality of the physical working environment is potentially a great attraction and retention tool for businesses.
“We designed and built our own headquarters at our Stoneywood estate development to provide our teams with comfort and a real connection to the surrounding area in which they work, which is dominated by green space and natural light even on the dullest of days in Aberdeen.
“Ensuring that employees can come to work in a comfortable, pleasant environment with an abundance of natural light is crucial to supporting their well-being, providing greater job satisfaction and delivering higher productivity.”
Marie-Louise Dunk, chartered architect and director at Aberdeen architect practice JAMstudio said: “Having a well-designed and carefully lit office is proven way to boost productivity and morale – a key consideration in very challenging and uncertain times for businesses.
“Improving an office environment doesn’t have to be expensive. Even moving desks around to take advantage of natural light, changing traditional light fittings for daylight-simulating versions and adding some plants can really change an office into a more attractive, healthier and happier workplace.”
Professor Cooper added that light-filled offices were also useful for recruitment.
He said: “Looking at a snapshot of global working environments, up to one in five people have no natural elements within their workspace, and alarmingly nearly 50% of workers have no natural light. Yet a third of us say that workplace design would affect our decision to join a company.”
UK business secretary Sajid Javid last week said that boosting UK productivity was “the economic challenge of our age” as he launched efforts in England and Wales to help output per hour increase.