IAQ Concerns in Workplace Double for Employees
Buildings survey reveals that employees show great interesting in the air circulating through their buildings. February 24, 2023
By Dave Lubach, Managing Editor
Pre-pandemic, the phrase indoor air quality (IAQ) was an afterthought among building occupants in institutional and commercial facilities.
As the pandemic rolled on, IAQ became a common phrase in the office. And now that most people have moved on from the pandemic, IAQ remains prominent in the thoughts of office workers.
The third annual Healthy Buildings Survey from Honeywell confirmed that IAQ remains an important component of worker comfort. In their survey of U.S. office workers, a whopping 95 percent of the respondents say expectations for improved IAQ have increased the last three years.
The company surveyed 2,500 office workers from buildings with more than 500 workers in the U.S. as well as Germany, India, the Middle East and United Kingdom.
The results confirmed the common belief that IAQ is an important aspect of the workplace setting for building occupants. A large majority of U.S. respondents (77 percent) feel that employers or facility managers should keep them informed of their building’s IAQ. That’s a 22-point leap from the 2022 survey. Even more respondents – 88 percent — feel that limiting their IAQ investment shows a low-level commitment to employee safety and well-being.
Other interesting takeaways from the survey include:
- 98 percent would do at least one of the following if their employer didn’t maintain a healthy indoor environment: speak with a supervisor or leadership; request to work remotely; rally other workers and raise the issue; or look for another job.
- 81 percent believe it’s “extremely” or “very” important that their employer take steps to reduce their building’s carbon emissions.
- 67 percent strongly agree that the quality of air they breathe has a direct impact on their health and well-being.
- 53 percent are “very” or “extremely” worried about their building’s IAQ. That number is a dramatic increase from 28% who expressed the same concern in 2022.
Dave Lubach is the managing editor of the Facility Market.
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