In 2024, every company is acutely aware of the importance of workplace wellbeing – with everything from employment policies, staff benefits and company culture scrutinised to ensure the best possible staff experience is provided. But are we overlooking a key component of workplace wellbeing: the office
environment itself?
The missing piece of the puzzle?
We are living through a global health crisis. Autoimmune and chronic disease rates are higher than ever before, burnout is being worn like a badge of honour, and depression and anxiety are now alarmingly commonplace. Within this context, there has been a much-needed focus on workplace wellbeing offerings across companies of all sizes. But how much of an impact are these current programmes and benefits actually having on the day-to-day lives of the employees within these organisations?
From our perspective, there is one key part of the puzzle that is largely being overlooked that has a significant impact on workplace wellbeing: the physical environment within which the employees are working. How many companies have used a professional to design or review the impact of their office space on the staff’s health and wellbeing?
Misaligned messaging?
According to Perkbox, disengaged employees cost UK businesses £340 billion on average each year. The formula that most companies are now following to provide ‘support’ for their employees’ wellbeing often involves outsourcing to companies like Perkbox for reduced gym memberships, free coffees and discounts on shopping and cinema, alongside some private health insurance.
The next level is to bring specialists in like Nutritionists to provide expert advice to employees every once in a while, but how many companies are taking the design and management of the workplace itself seriously within the context of employee wellbeing?
How many nutrition talks are taking place in offices with sugary treats offered as the refreshments? How many burnout cases are happening within offices with unsustainable working hours and bright, sleep-disrupting lighting late into the evening? How many mental health claims are being made by those working in offices with poor access to daylight and no natural elements or planting? Hopefully you can begin to see what we are getting at here.
Better offices, better health
A survey by slack of 9,000 workers in six countries after the pandemic found that 72% prefer a hybrid remote-office model with only 12% preferring to always work in an office setting. This suggests that the physical environment of the office is not appealing to staff as much as it could be, indicating that there is more to be done to ensure that these spaces are actively benefiting employees’ mental and physical
health.
As a result of this, ostracising oneself within the comforting environment of your home can result in feelings of loneliness, blurred boundaries between work and personal hours, and a drop in motivation. Given that we now know from research published in PLOS Medicine that loneliness can affect health and longevity as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, we can see how employees slowly retreating to solo work from home may eventually lead to reduced performance and even health implications.
Can we afford not to provide healthy workplaces?
We know that the loss of just one staff member typically results in over £30,000 of costs for a business (Bright HR). And yet, when we look at how much a healthy building can reduce the chances of losing staff, one WELL-certified office saw a 27% drop in staff turnover and 50% drop in absenteeism (IWBI, 2018). Health-certified offices also show, on average, a 10% increase in median productivity scores alone.
However, health certifications are not the only route to a healthy workplace, and we fully appreciate that to many companies they can be offputting. As we always tell our clients, a bespoke approach to creating healthy buildings can be just as effective, provided you have the right team of experts on board to ensure that changes are genuinely impactful, and supported by robust evidence that they will truly have a positive effect on staff wellbeing.
With the best candidates now looking for companies that ‘provide it all’, we expect a high-quality workplace to be the next non-negotiable. This means workspaces that support productivity, creativity and collaborative work, that allow employees to socialise, and ultimately that boost their mental health, physical well-being, and even their longevity.
About the authors
Ekkist is a healthy buildings consultancy, founded with the goal of creating places that improve human health through their design, construction and operation. They advise on all aspects of creating healthier places, working across all use classes. Jade Leighton is the Head of Thought Leadership at Ekkist, having previously worked as a Health and Wellbeing Consultant for the company. Jade is also qualified in Nutritional Therapy and Lifestyle Medicine and has a strong interest in role that the physical environment plays in influencing human health.
Ben Channon is a Director at Ekkist as well as an architect, author, TEDx speaker, WELL AP and mental health advocate. Ben has written two books on the connection between design and mental health: Happy by Design and The Happy Design Toolkit. He previously advised the IWBI on the ‘Mind’ concept of the WELL Building Standard and is co-founder of the Architects’ Mental Wellbeing Forum.
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