Recently the magazine District Office, a specialist in showcasing workplace design trends, provided us with the opportunity to explain the importance for companies to conduct their business in a Healthy office. In the following article, we explain how, through the implementation of Wellness, businesses can gain an advantage over the rest.
When in 1959 Nils Bohlin, a Swedish engineer at Volvo, invented the seatbelt, the automobile industry experienced one of its greatest milestones. What began as a nice to have quickly became a essential, extending across all makes and models to become mandatory in most developed countries. It's no wonder that this invention is estimated to save around 100,000 lives globally each year.
Something similar is happening in the world of architecture. At a time when concern over environmental health risks is at an all-time high, the wellness property is here to stay. Architecture that cares for people's health has given rise to the concept of the healthy office. Companies, aware that success no longer depends solely on a good Business plan, seek to attract and retain talent in order to excel and persist over time.
When embarking on the path towards a healthy office, it's important to understand that implementing a workplace wellness program isn't enough. It's the physical workspace, which we ‘endure’ every day, where we must focus, as it plays the most significant role in our health and well-being. To achieve this, at Evalore we have developed the methodology Talent Office, oriented towards a healthy office and based on the standard Wellness the most complete WELL Building Standard (The WELL Certification) consists of 209 specific tested features, divided into 7 fundamental areas of action: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind.
For every euro invested in the health and wellbeing of workers, an average return of 6 euros is generated.
Through architectural design or consultancy, the method Talent Office it is implemented in phases: a first phase of diagnosis or analysis; a second of personalised recommendations for achieving specific objectives; a third phase of implementation; and a final phase of validation and enhancement. In this last phase, communication plays a fundamental role, allowing us to involve employees themselves in the differential value that working in a healthy office represents.
Among the measures Wellness highlight the use of devices that allow measuring and Improve air quality (many studies confirm the direct relationship between the amount of toxins in the air and worker productivity), the introduction of biophilia (or elements that emulate the forms and behaviours of nature) into the design, or the inclusion of anti-glare lighting adjustable to human circadian rhythms.
This effort has a clear reward. According to the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP), for every euro invested in the health and well-being of workers, an average return of 6 euros is generated as a consequence of reduced absenteeism and illness costs. Furthermore, numerous surveys reveal that the majority of workers consider their health and well-being when choosing or staying with a company.
Ultimately, companies that have made a healthy office their focus are not only reducing their staffing costs and increasing their ability to attract and retain talent, but are also adopting a survival mechanism for an uncertain future. They have turned their workspace into a differentiating factor. The Wellness, a essential, it is their particular seatbelt.
Pablo Muñoz, CPHD, LEED GA, BPI MFBA
Co-founder and CEO of Espacios Evalore SLP
