Have a look around your office. What do you see?
A chair? Simple fixtures? A long line of computers? Quite boring, isn’t it? What can you do to make your workplace lively and more appealing to your employees? Bring in some plants!
Yes, plants may not be that easy to take off but recent studies have proven that adding a touch of green into your office can offer more than an aesthetic value. In fact, it also carries surprising benefits to your employees like staff concentration and satisfaction. But what are the other things we can harvest if we put in these green living things inside our workplace? Find out below:
Lowers operations and maintenance cost
Plants can help cool down the air temperature through a process called transpiration. Plant transpiration can help decrease your office temperature by ten degrees as it releases moisture as well as creates a humidity level that exactly matches the recommended human comfort range of 30-60%. Studies also proved that in an absence of plants, the relative humidity in offices can go below the recommended range, thereby lowering the structural integrity of materials such as wood, glass, and exterior walls and results in costly structural damage.
Decreases stress and improve productivity
Studies have shown that simply enhancing a previously boring office space can help increase work productivity by 15 per cent. It also helps to lower workplace stress among your staff. Data gathered from this study also shows that a green environment is consistently more enjoyable for employees and that landscaping the office with plants will pay off through an increase in office workers’ well-being and productivity.
Reduces distractions
Research shows that a well-placed plant can help reduce noise, thereby reducing distractions. Just a small indoor hedge plant can help reduce noise by up to 5 decibels. Landscaping experts are now utilising innovative plant groupings like tree walls, replacing the old and outdated cubicles which are still visible in the workplace environment. This can help reduce this decibel distraction factor problem.
Helps with bottom line savings on sick leave expenses
Another research has proven that plant-filled rooms contain 50-60% lesser airborne molds and bacteria than rooms without plants. It is because plants tend to suck these unwanted chemicals out of the air, just like our lungs and kidneys.
Plants can also be placed in office spaces in which sick building syndrome is prevalent. Experts also suggest having a plant in every employee desk, or what we call the breathing zone.
Putting plants into your workspaces can give you unexpected benefits like the ones mentioned above. As today’s office buildings now adopt a much greener working environment, it really is worth a try – and investment – to add plants to your office spaces. But just be mindful of what plants you take in as some of them have specific needs such as adequate sunlight and moisture. Try to do some research on what type of plant that is best suited indoors.
References:
http://www.plantcultureinc.com/whyGreen.html
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/aug/31/plants-offices-workers-productive-minimalist-employees
