Healthier Workspaces: why indoor air is more important than ever – especially if you want your workforce back on deck
Is your workplace back to normal?
Now that we’ve emerged from lockdown, the majority of employers and employees find themselves in uncharted territory. The ability to work from home was the saving grace for thousands of New Zealand businesses during the pandemic. But for many, remote working was only ever meant to be a temporary measure, while for many others it was never an option.
From an employee perspective some have found (and loved) a new work life balance, while others have found that the line between work and life is now blurred (24 hour work day anyone?) and the dawning realisation that work can be less fulfilling without the social interaction of the office. From an employer perspective there are some wins – reduced overheads – but more concerns, around aspects like productivity, team cohesion, training, as well as a reduced ability to lead and manage your people.
Outside of the home vs office debate with mask mandates now off, the idea that COVID is in the rear view mirror is being challenged with Long COVID now a reality for millions of people worldwide and ongoing spikes in cases across Europe and North America.
Many employers are struggling to allay employee fears around the potential health risks of returning to the workplace – and to attract new staff in an increasingly competitive labour market. We may have ditched restrictions, but this has only served to highlight a critical question: how safe is it for us to go back to the workplace and breathe the same air as our colleagues, managers and customers? From an employer perspective there are some wins - e.g. reduced overheads – but more concerns, around aspects like productivity, team cohesion and training, as well as a reduced ability to lead and manage your people.
The work from home revolution – why it isn’t for everyone
The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated remote working trends. An evolution in working practices that has long been touted as the future, was suddenly a reality. But even in the realms of tech and software (industries traditionally aligned with remote and home working), leaders recognise that this new model of working has its limitations. The majority of Silicon Valley giants are demanding, at the bare minimum, a staggered, return to the workplace – and sooni . When the Silicon Valley giants are sounding a note of caution, it’s worth paying attention.
"Research papers are coming out now showing that remote work and wellbeing has varied results – one of the better ones is Microsoft’s 2022 New Future of Work Report, which noted that while for some people remote work can improve job satisfaction, it can also lead to employees feeling “socially isolated, guilty and trying to overcompensate.”
If the tech and software industries recognise the challenges and limitations of WFH, what of hospitality, healthcare, retail and manufacturing, where remote working has always either been logistically problematic or outright impossible? And what of the majority of New Zealand businesses where at least some roles need to be based in the workplace – or for whom remote on-boarding, training and development simply aren’t effective? Not every employee has the luxury of working from home, nor do they all want to. Equally, not all employers have the luxury of being able to shift to a fully remote or partially scattered workforce.
The value of employee health
Working from home, out of sight/out of mind, your employees risk feeling a lack of recognition, may worry that their achievements will be overlooked and their value underestimated.
Then there’s the psychological impact of being apart from colleagues and mentors, not just a lack of camaraderie but also fewer options to interact, to share work worries or to spark new ideas. Do your employees feel as if they’re working from home or living at work?
With workforces already suffering a surge in mental distress from the pandemic, those employees that are suffering at home, risk burning-out unseen and un-supported by their colleagues and leaders. In the most recent Southern Cross Workplace Wellness Reportiii, 73% of enterprises that had previously never offered WFH options reported some employees now feeling isolated. And it’s a short step from isolation and burnout to considering whether a new company and a new employer might be the answer. Despite New Zealanders consistently working harder than the OECD average, domestic labour productivity is still stuck around 40%, well below the average of the top half of the OECD.
Healthier workers are happier workers, and happy workers are more productive – in fact 13% more productive according to the University of Oxfordiv. As an employer, your ability and willingness to support staff wellbeing (both mental and physical) plays a vital part in this equation
The challenges of moving back to the office
Whatever the challenges of working from home, many employees still harbour anxiety about having to share indoor spaces and particularly shared air again.
After more than two years of mass media focus on the dangers of transmission, close-contact and enclosed spaces, employee confidence in shared workspaces is at an all-time low. Many are looking to you, their employer, to give them the confidence to return. It’s time for employers to reassure staff that their workplaces are safer - and that their health & wellbeing is your priority. Getting people back into the workplace isn’t just beneficial for them; it’s also beneficial for your business.
The increasing cost of sick leave
Employers are also concerned about everyone coming back to the office.
There is a heightened risk of sickness spreading and with increasing numbers of employees now staying at home when sick, it’s no surprise that in 2020, the direct costs of absence-from-work rose to $1.85 billion across the economy, up from $1.79 billion in 2018.v Of note for owners of larger enterprises, the annual Workplace Wellness Report consistently shows that businesses with more than 50 employees bear, on average, 1.3 x higher costs per absent worker than their smaller counterparts. And that’s not just because of relatively higher wages.
Bigger businesses mean more staff and more staff typically means more opportunity for interaction, close contact and the consequent increased risk of transmitting viruses and pathogens. For larger enterprises, the resulting higher non-attendance levels are a key contributing factor to the greater cost of absences
Why surfaces and air matter
Now more than ever, your employees are thinking about how clean their working environment is. Most now have an advanced awareness of the dangers of both airborne and surface pathogens, of how airborne droplets can float in the air for hours, or settle and thrive on highly used surfaces. So for employers, it’s no longer just a matter of ensuring the cleaners empty bins and clear the cups away.
89% of employees now strongly agree that workplace cleaning and disinfecting protocols are crucial - and 66% want improved office cleaning practices before considering a return to on-site work.
Employees want to feel safe sharing spaces and indoor air with their colleagues and customers, but employers are unsure how to achieve this without expensive and complex building upgrades. That’s where ActivePure’s portable, plug-in air purifiers come in.
Reassure your people with safer air to share
How many ActivePure units will your workplace need to keep your team safer and encourage them back to work? Probably not as many as you think. Our expert team can advise you according to the size of your workspace and the number of people working there or passing through.
Additionally, there are several ‘pinch points’ in workplaces where you, your employees and your customers are at greater risk of transmission of pathogens. Examples include conference rooms, kitchens and break rooms, communal meeting spaces, open plan offices, toilets & bathrooms, enclosed individual offices, and receptions: contact ActivePure today to arrange a free assessment of your indoor air safety needs.