Wellness in the workplace has become a large talking point in recent years, with more business owners looking to improve working conditions in order to contribute to the health and wellbeing of their employees. Research has found that 93% of employers agree that a workplace wellness program can have a positive effect on organisational productivity, and with staff costs including salaries and benefits, typically accounting for around 90% of a business’ operating costs, this enhancement of the working environment is one that isn’t being taken lightly.
Whilst it can appear to be a costly exercise, promoting employee wellbeing has lots of benefits. Here’s how a properly maintained HVAC system can help...
Preventing Sick Building Syndrome
‘A condition affecting office workers, typically marked by headaches and respiratory problems, attributed to unhealthy or stressful factors in the working environment such as poor ventilation.’ - International WELL Building Institute
Sick Building Syndrome isn’t currently a ‘recognised’ illness, however, it does describe the real effects to your employees if it occurs from spending a prolonged amount of time in a space with factors such as poor ventilation. Sick Building Syndrome can cause symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and aches and pains amongst others, all of which can affect the productivity and performance of your employees, which in turn, affects the day to day running of your business.
Good HVAC servicing, including regular visits from a qualified servicing engineer, has been found to be vital in creating the right conditions in order to enhance the work being undertaken by business owners. This in turn helps to prevent sick building syndrome, as it not only contributes to the reduction of harmful bacteria throughout the building space, but also improves the air quality within your space which has been found to correlate with an employee’s ability to concentrate and be productive.
Ultimately, the prevention of sick building syndrome means healthier employees, resulting in a healthier bottom line for your business.
Ensuring Thermal Comfort
As we’ve already established, the heart of your business are your employees, so ensuring that they’re happy and comfortable are important factors. However, it was found that 56% of professionals believe that their employer doesn’t do enough to support their health, well-being and happiness in the workplace.
By servicing and maintaining your HVAC system regularly, along as well as ensuring it’s working effectively for your space, you’ll help to ensure that the thermal comfort levels within your space stays consistent, helping employees to feel more comfortable and contribute to their overall health and well-being.
Creating a more productive environment
With your team being the heart of your business, you want to ensure that you’re creating the perfect conditions for productivity with the help of a good flow of quality fresh indoor air. Recent research identified the link between improved ventilation and an 11% increase in employee productivity, as a result of a dedicated delivery of fresh air to the workspace.
When in a carefully maintained environment, employees have been found to be less likely to be absent as well as being more productive, demonstrated by scoring 26.4% higher on cognitive testing.
Creating this style of environment with the help of your specialist HVAC system is easier than ever. Ensuring that your system is regularly serviced and maintained will help it run more effectively, as well as helping to reduce your overall running costs.
Promoting wellness through looking after and maintaining your HVAC system doesn’t have to be a difficult process, and it helps to create a more successful environment for you, your employees and your business.
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of your HVAC system or you’re looking to schedule your next servicing and maintenance visit, please contact a member of our expert 361 Servicing team today.
